Reclamation will be totally different in a few years

D.Enkhbat recently left his teaching job at a university to take charge of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, raising hopes of substantial achievements in environment protection and reclamation. Here he talks to E.Saikhantuya on the situation now and his plans for change.

What do the 2010 reports on reclamation work by mining companies say?

A new law has taken away our authority to approve environmental protection plans and environmental impact assessment programs. Thus reclamation reports did not come to the Ministry in 2010.

Has there been any study on reclamation in general, not necessarily in 2010?

Only a handful. Some people say that Boroo Gold did good reclamation work but this used seeds from the USA. We shall not allow introduction of foreign species. Some other companies such as Monpolimet, Shijir Alt and Baganuur mine also did some creditable work, but not really conforming to the standards spelt out.
Every year, companies present a report on what they have done in an event on reclamation. Based on that, I think the companies I named did a little better than others, adding some green, but altogether their achievement does not match my personal and the Ministry’s criteria.

How would you describe the status of reclamation in the mining sector?

Reclamation has two aspects, technical and biological. What mining companies do in Mongolia is that they fill up the mined pit and scatter seeds, hoping  long-life plants, bushes and trees will grow from seeds on a thin layer of soil.
That is not the way of true reclamation as there is no relationship of cooperation between the soil and what grows in it. A detailed analysis of the soil has to be made first and then appropriate reclamation techniques followed. Mongolians take the soil and the plants separately and then bring them together, ignoring the fact that soil characteristics completely change following mining. There are many other issues also. Real reclamation, especially after mining, is very different from what we have made it out to be for the last 15-20 years.

What should the proper reclamation procedures be?

Prior to start of mining, the company should submit a reclamation methodology and plan based on the number of years and type of operation, as also of nature of equipment to be used. When mining is finished -- after 10, 20, 30 or 50 years -- closure and reclamation should be done and the site handed over to the local authority. A major consideration will be how the land is meant to be used then. The nature of reclamation will depend on whether the land will be used for pasture, or kept as a specially protected area, or as a tourist attraction or for some other purposes. It is not enough to fill up the mining pit and grow a few plants there.

How will the new reclamation procedures be enforced with mining operations all set to expand?

We are working to put things in order after they have been neglected for the last 15-20 years. The most important issue is the reclamation following closure, applicable to all mines, small and . Since proper procedures were not in place and strict enforcement was also missing, many areas have been destroyed with no one to be charged now. We should ensure compliance from major mining companies from this very moment, if these past mistakes are not to be repeated.

What is expected of companies which are now developing mines to start production?

When mining starts, the top soil is removed. This is the most fertile part but we just pile it away and allow it to lose all nutrients after some years to become a dirt dump. It is essential to preserve the millions of micro organisms that are in the top soil.
This is not how things are done in countries which care for the environment. There thick layers of the top soil are placed on other soil, allowing the natural metabolism to let the micro organisms grow and keep the soil good for plant growth. No matter how many years pass, the nutrients stay in the soil. The lowest layer of the present top soil is now the healthiest and can safely be transferred elsewhere. Reclamation can begin as soon as mining production is over in any area.
The prevalent Mongolian concept that reclamation is filling up the pit with dirt and then using bulldozers to level the surface has to be discarded and a proper scientific approach adopted.  The physical and chemical characteristics of soil in its natural form have to be considered and future reclamation can be successful only if procedures are followed right from the beginning, when mining production starts, to the time when mine closure is determined.

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