Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Permit
As required under regulations for BAT for the mine, a plan setting out measures and deadlines for gradual emission mitigation has been developed in 2017.
Following the completion of the aforementioned development plan (which included plan approval, public presentation and evidence reporting), the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology in RS issued the Environmental Permit for the Mine on 5 October 2007.
Environmental Permit Renewal
In accordance with regular procedures, the Environmental Permit for the Mine has been renewed twice, in 2012 and 2017. On 29 September 2017, the competent ministry extended the expiry date of Environmental Permit to 5 October 2022.
Reclamation
The reclamation process is designed to restore temporary interrupted components of ecological community. The development of agriculture and planting of forests are emphasized in the mine reclamation process in the Quality and Environmental Management System.
Land reclamation activities have already started at overburden disposal areas of the Raskovac open pit covering 50 hectares of newly formed technogenic soils – deposol and recultisol.
The experience and results gained through surveys performed on this field in an earlier period support the reclamation process of degraded land. Both field and laboratory surveys of land and plants have been continuously conducted in the reclamation process resulting in the establishment of optimal reclamation measurements. Significant attention has been paid to ecosystem restoration including the formation of a “green corridor” with 3,500 flora seeds located at the border of the coalfield.
