Environmental Recovery

The mining operations are carried out in accordance with previous planning and adopt important routines to make the subsequent environmental recovery even more viable. Some of these routines are:

– Topographic recovery: obtained by the controlled filling of the excavations with material extracted during the cutting process. This stage respects the order of the original layers, with the placement of rocks (siltstones) on the lower portion of the cut, with their intermediate portion being covered with clay and their upper portion with vegetable soil.

– Replacement of vegetable soil: a layer of vegetable soil is placed on the surface of all areas to be recovered. This material is of fundamental importance to a good recovery, and therefore strict control is exercised in terms of conservation and use.

– Erosion control: carried out by means of mechanical and cultural practices. Erosion monitoring is constantly performed and, depending on the evaluation results, containment procedures are repeated.

– Soil quality correction: to improve the conditions of soil fertility and quality in the recovered areas, correction and fertilization are carried out by way of soil liming and organic and mineral fertilizers.

– Revegetation: revegetation is the stage of implementing new vegetation, promoting the actual recovery. The choice of the adopted species is based on previously obtained results and on location criteria.