introduction | site restoration | maximizing the natural resource | employee involvement in health & safety | sustaining a rural economy | renaturalization of a river area | innovative regional development | operational best practice | conserving natural heritage | working with a fishery association | reducing employee accidents | lowering emissions | developing geo-tourism | health & safety best practice | local community partnership | facilities for local organisations | protection of species - biotopes | decreasing environmental impacts | cooperation with regional authorities

Site Restoration

THE ISABEL CONCESSION PROJECT

BACKGROUND

Holcim's aim is to fully rehabilitate the areas affected by its activities.. One of its sites in Andalusia is the Isabel Concession, close to the village of Monda, 15 km. from Marbella in the province of Málaga. Since 1992, it has been carrying out a programme of restoration in harmony with the local environment.

The main difficulty encountered has been the tremendous height of an old quarry face, between 60m and 100m To reduce this and create terraces, it has been necessary to remove large amounts of rock through blasting, keeping part of this material where it fell to form the base, the rest of the blasted material has been used in building two barriers, one visual and the other for safety reasons. The newly created terraces are then covered with 50 cm. of topsoil ready for reforestation and the installation of an irrigation system.

ACTION

The restoration was carried out in four main stages:

- In the first phase it chose the highest part of the abandoned site face to reforest approximately 12.000m2 with very young pine trees.

- In the second phase, after preparing an area of 10.000m2 it planted more mature trees of up to 2.5m high.

- In the third phase it restored 30.000m2.

- With the restoration of the last 17.000m2 it completed the total restoration of the site face.

It has also been keen on improving the general atmosphere through:

- The creation of gardens around all the site buildings.

- The siting of a visual barrier at the top of the site.

- The siting of another visual barrier to hide the processing plant.

- The asphalting of all internal and external access roads

- The installation of a water spray system to control the dust.

- The seeding of the steep slopes with local flora to try and stabilize the soil erosion and increase biodiversity.

RESULTS

The landscape has been restored by moving 300.000 tons of dolomite, 30.000 tons of topsoil and planting 5.700 pine trees and other local flora.

This work strengthened the environmental commitment with the natural and social surrounding that Holcim Áridos has assumed since the beginning of its activities.

introduction | site restoration | maximizing the natural resource | employee involvement in health & safety | sustaining a rural economy | renaturalization of a river area | innovative regional development | operational best practice | conserving natural heritage | working with a fishery association | reducing employee accidents | lowering emissions | developing geo-tourism | health & safety best practice | local community partnership | facilities for local organisations | protection of species - biotopes | decreasing environmental impacts | cooperation with regional authorities