From lake to mine and back to lake

[Silk]

We already have a lake in town that used to be an open cast mine, now they are turning another mine back into a lake that was originaly there. I was working on company vehicles up until last year when they finally pulled out. The town is being bypassed with an expressway, and they want a proper interchange rather than an off ramp 5km out of town.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/national...mp;gal_cid=1503075&gallery_id=203023

 

[Shannow]

Sweet...Oz groups are trying to get legislated that mine voids are backfilled...

 

[Silk]

The other mine has been turned into a nice park, and being over 160 metres deep, they have a deep sea diving school there. Still lots of planting going on...but I was talking to a guy looking after some seedlings there (how are they going to survive this summer dry spell?) and he said the fire clay it's built on is a really harsh enviroment.

I don't know if Murray will get to see his dream finished, they say it will take 20 years or more to fill. My eldest son had his first job at their computor shop, and now has a degree in IT, and been flating with the grandson for many years. Good to see good people putting back into the community.

 

[JLTD]

I suppose that debate will continue...is it best to return the land to what it was before the mining, or to turn the mine into a park-like open space.

I imagine the mining companies save a bundle of $$ by not having to return it to previous...

 

[Shannow]

In the case of returning open cut coal mines to original land form, rathre than leaving a man made lake is pretty weak.
To do so requires the same amount of fill as the volume of extraction.
Which means digging another similarly sized hole somewhere else to get the material to fill it in (yes, there's VENM from developments).

Most of the people who push for original landform are really just trying to add rehab costs to make the mine not happen in the first place.

 

[JLTD]

Yeah, the fill...there is that- a bit different depending on whether it's open pit or underground.

That's an interesting take...restoring being a tool to fight the mining before it happens. Never thought about it that way.

 

[Silk]

It was a lake originally, it was drained and then open cast, then they made an underground mine. Now it is going back to a lake...we will get Lake Kimihia back again. The whole town and surrounding area is a mine site.

After a mining disaster a few years ago which cost human lives, the blame trail went all the way to the top. As these mines were state owned, the big boys aren't going have that happen again...so, they are out of mines, for good.

 

[JLTD]

Thanks for the history.

Refilling with water and cleaning up the surrounding area sounds much better.

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted by JLTD
Thanks for the history.

Refilling with water and cleaning up the surrounding area sounds much better.



This is better then destroying two areas.