Biodiversity

REHABILITATION OF MINING AREAS

The Turkish cement sector consumed a total of 149,326,004 tons of raw materials in 2021. Of these, 145,943,451 tons were natural materials while the remaining 3,382,553 tons were non-natural materials, including the EF dust obtained from coal-fired thermal power plants, sulfuric acid production, or iron and steel industrial waste.

The cement sector, which obtains its raw materials mostly from natural resources, is aware of the natural, ecological and social effects of its mining activities in and around the raw material sites. The sustainability of the sector is essential for economic development. Being aware of this fact, industry takes a sensitive approach to the rehabilitation of the natural habitats of species, maintaining their natural equilibrium, and making them safe for humans and other living creatures, but attaches priority to sustainable land management practices. Sustainable land management practices in the cement sector generally include the rehabilitation of mine sites, raising awareness of employees, following examples of national and international best practices, the use of different application technologies and the enactment of appropriate legislation.

In this context, in addition to the rehabilitation activities carried out by its members for years, cooperative activities were launched with the General Directorate of Forestry, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and the General Directorate of Mining and Petroleum Affairs in the second half of 2013, including studies into the rehabilitation of raw material quarries led by the Turkish Cement Industrialists' Association.  With the progression of the works, technical support started to be received from relevant NGOs in 2014 aimed at increasing efficiency and taking an informed approach to the rehabilitation of quarries.

Within the scope of the works, TÜRKÇİMENTO completed the translations into Turkish of the Quarry Rehabilitation Guide and the Biodiversity Management Plan Guide prepared by the Cement Sustainability Initiative of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. TÜRKÇİMENTO has also drawn up a document to guide the cement sector in planning for the “reintegration with nature” that is currently being carried out by our industries in line with both national legislation and the current awareness, ensuring the efficient use of time and money, creating alternatives to rehabilitation, and hence, ensuring proper environmental gains.

TÜRKÇİMENTO closely follows all developments related to implementation and legislation, and case studies and rehabilitation activities around the world, in the EU and nationally through the sectoral organizations of which it is a member. Initiatives and cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, including the Cement Sustainability Initiative of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the European Aggregate Union, among others, are also involved in this follow-up process.

TÜRKÇİMENTO considers it its mission to share examples of best practices and to maintain its pioneering role by participating in such national and international events as meetings, panels and symposiums related to the rehabilitation of mining sites.

We believe that it is critical to prepare and implement projects related to rehabilitation practices based on scientific data and to involve stakeholders in the process. Taking a broader perspective, we support rehabilitation concurrently with production based on a cost-effective approach. At this point, however, we would like to emphasize that the establishment of a legislative infrastructure authorizing different institutions to issue work permits for larger areas, and that take into account long-term operations, would contribute to the preparation and execution of realistic rehabilitation plans.

Based on our sector’s pioneering and visionary approach to rehabilitation, we suggest that a common national legislation be established in cooperation with relevant institutions drawing attention to the fact that the Environmental Impact Assessment definitions in all regulations are the same. Instead of being required to submit a separate Environmental Harmony Plan for permits obtained from MAPEG, a Rehabilitation Project for permits obtained from the General Directorate of Forestry, and a Plan for Reintegration with Nature (to be controlled) to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change at the EIA stage, the preparation of a single common project that serves all the above purposes within the EIA process would be more practicable for planning and integration, and would ensure the validity of the project within all public agencies, thus increasing the interest and motivation of companies in rehabilitation activities and also preventing discrepancies in the implementation of projects arising from the presence of more than one project.

In summary, the Turkish cement sector views the environment as a priority and attaches great importance to reintegrating mines with nature, supporting this approach by taking positive steps to ensure the sustainability of its ecosystem through its technical applications. With this in mind, the cement sector is shaping its future with a pioneering vision based on the understanding that rehabilitation is not only an environmental issue, but also a social, economic, and most importantly, cultural concept.

 

Last Updated: 3 July 2023