Rehabilitated mining dumps in Khakassia, a place where trees grow and hares live
Today, in the republican library, the Research Institute of Agrarian Problems of Khakassia, with support from the regional government, presented its scientific achievements in the field of rehabilitation of coal dumps. The event was attended by representatives of the executive and legislative branches, coal miners, students and teachers.
Thanks to the unique technology developed by the Institute, the lunar landscape at Chernogorsky open-pit mine over the past ten years has turned into a forest with hares and partridges. Aleksey Lavrinenko, Head of the Institute's Land Rehabilitation Group, spoke about the technology for creating hollows and planting trees in them. Moisture and snow accumulate in the canals. Sweet clover contributes to the formation of soil. Then trees grow. A larch planted in 2007 is already producing cones.
"Where there is no such system, nothing grows," Alexey Lavrinenko said.
The rehabilitation technique offered by the Research Institute of Agrarian Problems costs RUB 80,000 ($1,100) per hectare, while the standard, generally accepted one costs two million ($27,000) per hectare. It has all the necessary patents and documents.
"It is cheap, effective and environmentally friendly. I am surprised that only a few coal companies in Khakassia use this technology."
So far, only two companies have been cooperating with the Institute, SUEK and COALSTAR, and the partnership with SUEK has been long-standing and successful. Acting Deputy Head of Khakassia Olga Ponomareva expressed regret over the lack of interest in technologies that are important for solving the republic's environmental problems on the part of some coal producers; they did not even attend the presentation. The event was made for them and organised to expand cooperation between scientists and coal companies. Oksana Razvarina, Chairman of the Khakas Supreme Soviet's Committee for Culture, Education and Science, said:
"Business leaves wounds on our land, and they take a long time to heal. The techniques developed by the Research Institute of Agrarian Problems are worth using".
