Environmental protection, renaturation and recultivation measures

The extraction of raw materials in Germany results in permanent interventions in nature and landscape. The statutory requirements of the Federal Mining Act guarantee that rehabilitation will be planned at an early stage and taken into account. A balance is achieved between the interests of the extractive sector and the environment in the approval procedure reflecting the Federal State’s plans and mining law. Citizens, the elected political representatives of mining regions together with sectoral authorities, environmental associations and other public interest parties have various opportunities to exercise influence and be involved in co-determination. In general, the principle that the burden on the environment must be kept to the minimum applies to both the planning and operation of mines.

Coal and mining

Rehabilitation during the operational phase

Where rehabilitation is carried out during extraction and processing operations, the areas taken for extraction are generally rehabilitated in parallel to the continuing extraction. In the course of extracting natural resources, the material on the site is piled up and the shape of the land changed whilst adhering to safety requirements. The land is rehabilitated by means of geotechnical, landscaping, hydraulic engineering, agricultural and forestry measures to restore the land usage or biotopes.

The objectives of reclamation and the measures to be taken and requirements to be met for this purpose are defined in lignite plans or the operating plans approved under mining law. Depending on the type of use, the topsoil used for restoration must be “cultivated” and the areas must be gradually looked after and developed:

1. Agricultural rehabilitation includes scientifically tested crop rotation to achieve the rehabilitation of the soil. Once successful rehabilitation is complete, the areas are made available for their subsequent use and released from supervision by the mining inspection authorities.
2. Rehabilitation through forestry aims to establish mixed woodland with a variety of uses. Depending on site conditions, native species of trees dominate an effective mix of broad-leaved trees and conifers.

Elements to benefit nature are incorporated to support integrated and widespread nature conservation, e. g. planting native trees, including dead wood and other small structures, hedge planting, planting solitary trees, including wild fruit, creating dry biotopes and wet scrapes, retention of small unplanned areas and small areas of succession sites. This work is undertaken according to locally recognised methods and in close cooperation with the specialist nature conservation authorities. It will still be necessary to dewater the surface, build paths and contour the surface for optimum site restoration in order to facilitate functional use after extraction has finished.

Rehabilitation during the closing-down phase

Once the natural resources have been extracted, renaturation will be undertaken in accordance with the specification in the final operating plan. In the large majority of cases, a remaining lake exists at the end once open-cast lignite mining has finished. The needs of future use after mining will be taken into account in the completion work, providing it has been agreed with future users before the mine was authorised. Underground coal mining has finally ceased in Germany since the end of 2018. After the cessation of hard coal extraction, the operator will withdraw from the operating buildings. Mechanical equipment, operating materials, pipelines and other operating equipment have to be dismantled and removed from the mine site. In addition, the isolation of mine fields and the backfilling of extraction holes may be necessary. Besides, waste must be disposed of properly. As a rule, the withdrawal from an underground mine site is followed by a rise in mine water. The mine water level must often be limited by removing excess water to avoid any risk to aquifers used to extract drinking water. This usually requires conversion work in mining shafts to be able to resume mine water extraction in due course to limit the rise in mine water.

Land used for mining activities above ground shall also be properly reclaimed with due regard to the public interest. Here, too, operational facilities and equipment must be dismantled, provided that they are not to be used later for any other purpose. If the result of a risk assessment indicates a need for remediation, any necessary remediation or safeguarding measures are planned and then implemented. Waste rock piles must also be made usable again so that they do no longer pose a danger even after filling of further material has stopped to enable a duly planned subsequent use.

Any temporary storage or outside heaps created during mining operations are removed or recultivated. Once checks have been carried out to ensure that the soil is safe, waste that had accumulated in heaps since the start of mining is recultivated to form features such as landmarks and also to meet regional planning criteria.

Potash and rock salt mining

Potash and salts are natural resources mined in underground mines at depths of up to 1,500 metres. In contrast to above-ground extraction of natural resources in open-cast mining, apart from the areas required for processing plants the mining of potash and salts does not take up large areas of the surface that would then require extensive rehabilitation of the surface used. For areas used for heaps of residues in potash mining, compensatory and substitution measures are implemented (e. g. reforestation, species protection measures). The heaps are established, operated and shut down (including possible rehabilitation, e.g. by covering and recultivation) in line with the relevant requirements under mining and environmental law and taking the relevant site conditions into account.

Drilling boreholes for crude oil and natural gas

Restoration and recultivation of operating sites after drilling and extraction

Once the drilling phase that lasts between two and five months depending on the depth has been completed, the operating site is reduced in size. As only the borehole seal and a few items of plant to separate, collect and transport the extracted crude oil/natural gas remain there, the production equipment is barely visible or audible any more during the entire period of usage.

The deposit is depleted after 20 to 30 years on average. The plant is then removed, and the whole borehole filled up and sealed. The production and processing plant as well as the operating site including the seal are completely removed and the area used recultivated. Aquifers therefore remain protected in the long term and the area can be used again.¹

Quarrying

Quarrying can be authorised both under mining law and outside mining law (cf. Approval practices in the extraction of natural resources). The regulations in the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG), Water Resources Act (WHG) and the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG) are important for the extraction of natural resources which, as what are termed free-to-mine and privately-owned natural resources, do not come under mining law as defined by Section 3 BBergG.

The provisions of these laws guarantee that the impact of the mining will be balanced out (see Managing human intervention in nature and landscape).²

The companies in the sector temporarily intervene in nature and the landscape because of economic considerations. A wide variety of habitats for plants and animals which we hardly ever find in our cultural landscape can already be created during the active extraction phase.

Even after the end of extraction, these former extraction sites can still represent important refuges for rare animals and plants. Valuable biotopes may develop here after a short time.

For this reason, nature conservation concerns often dominate the subsequent use of quarrying areas. In general, the areas on which natural resources were extracted are upgraded through recultivation and renaturation and returned to society.

¹ Bundesverband Erdgas, Erdöl und Geoenergie e.V. (Federal Association of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Geoenergy, BVEG) (2021): Verantwortung fördern. Für uns ein Muss (Promoting responsibility. A must for us.); BVEG (2023): Umsetzung vor Ort. Erfahren Sie mehr über unser Engagement für Umwelt- und Klimaschutz vor Ort. (Implementation on site. Find out more about our local commitment to environmental and climate protection).

² For more information on renaturation after quarrying, see “Corporate responsibility“