Rehabilitation, in other words nature reclamation, should cover the entire lifecycle of the planned activity: the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) phase, construction, operation, and closure. For rehabilitation to be sustainable and to achieve its intended outcomes, these four phases must be managed in line with defined objectives. Türk Altın İşletmeleri A.Ş. follows these four core elements in all mining operations to deliver nature reclamation work at the desired and targeted quality.
Before starting mining activities, Türk Altın İşletmeleri A.Ş. carries out a robust EIA process supported by strong baseline environmental data. In these reports, key factors that will form the basis for rehabilitation—such as soil characteristics, plant diversity, and other elements—are identified. When necessary, seeds of special species identified by experts are collected from the site and stored at public institutions for use during rehabilitation. During land preparation, special species are collected and relocated, and topsoil is stripped and stored in a suitable area in accordance with standards for later use in rehabilitation.
Within the framework of sustainable mining criteria, Türk Altın İşletmeleri A.Ş. has initiated rehabilitation in all areas where no work will be carried out or where activities have been completed, in order to demonstrate that gold mining and environmental protection can be managed together under the best conditions without causing adverse impacts on human and environmental health or agricultural activities, to accelerate reclamation works under the Mine Closure Plan, and to reduce the workload during the closure period.
In our mining operations, the operation phase is the period when reclamation works begin in practice. In areas where planned mining activities have been completed, rehabilitation starts as defined in the EIA process and continues throughout the closure phase until the targeted condition is achieved. Türk Altın İşletmeleri A.Ş.'s approach to nature reclamation is also included in its Environmental Policy and Environmental Management System.
The nature reclamation works carried out by our Company include the following:
- Restoring areas where open-pit mining has ended to a natural appearance close to their former condition,
- Creating and maintaining a greener environment,
- Minimizing erosion,
- Increasing oxygen in the air by planting more trees within the mine site,
- Preventing dust that may arise from mining activities,
- Encouraging local communities toward new agricultural activities,
- Enabling rehabilitated areas to be used for different purposes after mining ends through planned reclamation,
- Re-establishing flora and fauna populations,
- Creating more green areas and leaving fewer areas to be rehabilitated as the mine approaches closure.
OVACIK GOLD MINE
At the mine operated by Türk Altın İşletmeleri A.Ş. since 2005 and where mining activities continue, work is carried out within the rehabilitation concept based on defined general principles. In parallel with mining operations, stone pine and olive saplings have been planted on waste rock dumps and open-pit berms, and harvesting from these trees has begun. As a result of these efforts, not only have agricultural products been obtained, but natural vegetation has also returned to these areas.
These ongoing efforts are among the best examples showing that rehabilitation can start during mining operations. They significantly shorten the duration of works required in the closure period.
Mining is a process that uses land for a temporary period. Lands where mining has taken place can be returned to a condition suitable for agriculture and livestock after reclamation measures are implemented. The most accurate examples of this can be seen at the Ovacık Gold Mine.
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At Ovacık Gold Mine, another rehabilitation process is being implemented at the first tailings storage facility. Deposition operations in this area have ended and dewatering has been carried out. After surface water evaporated from the tailings facility, as committed in the EIA report, engineering and design works were performed by an international expert firm, and filling works were initiated. Filling works have been completed and revegetation will begin.
ÇUKURALAN GOLD MINE
At the Çukuralan site, ore is produced through open-pit and underground mining methods and sent to the Ovacık Gold Mine for processing. After the necessary shaping works, red pine saplings were planted on the benches of the open pit where ore was extracted. These saplings achieved high survival rates and provided valuable data for the final rehabilitation to be carried out in the area. At the main waste rock storage area, production activities have been completed and, after rehabilitation works were finalized, the area was handed over to the relevant Forestry Directorate.
HAVRAN GOLD MINE
At the Havran Gold Mine located within the boundaries of Büyükdere and Küçükdere in Havran District of Balıkesir, ore production was carried out via open-pit operations between November 2006 and March 2010. In Havran-Küçükdere, 3.5 million m³ of excavation was performed and 1.7 million tons of ore were transported to the Ovacık Gold Mine facilities and processed into doré bars; backfilling works in the mined areas were completed in November 2010.
At the Havran Gold Mine, where production ended as of March 2010, reclamation works were initiated on 02.09.2010 and completed on 22.03.2011. As one of our priority principles, saplings that would contribute economically to the region were selected; accordingly, a total of 2,476 Ayvalık oil olive saplings were planted in our titled lands between September 2010 and January 2011.
After the completion of production, the forest lands where mining activities took place were reshaped in line with the conditions set by the relevant authority (backfilling, ripping, and terracing) and transferred to the Havran Forestry Operations Chiefdom.
Planting in forest lands was carried out under the supervision of the Forestry Operations Chiefdom. Saplings were selected and supplied by the same authority. Planting started in February 2011 and was completed by the end of March 2011. In total, 33,733 saplings were planted: 18,150 red pine, 4,950 oleaster, 7,450 ash, 1,983 stone pine as a surrounding belt, and 1,200 black locust along road routes.
Thus, the Havran Gold Mine site—where mining activities have been completed—was reclaimed with a total of 36,209 saplings. Havran is a good example representing the final stage of a rehabilitation process. Today, the Havran Gold Mine site is used by local communities as a "honey forest".
MASTRA GOLD MINE
Rehabilitation works that started in parallel with ongoing mining activities have begun to bear fruit. During reclamation activities, the tailings facility embankment (1st TSF) and the waste rock area were greened in harmony with natural vegetation. In addition, walnut seedlings were planted to provide economic benefit in later stages of rehabilitation.
The most important reclamation effort at Mastra Gold Mine is achieving a landform close to the natural topography prior to mining by backfilling open pits with waste rock.
Due to topographic and meteorological conditions, Mastra Gold Mine is a challenging area for both mining and rehabilitation works. This required special measures. Topsoil spread over prepared areas was protected against erosion with specific precautions, different seed mixes were tested, and the most suitable species were selected.
One of the foundations of correct rehabilitation at Mastra is the reuse of separately stored topsoil. The Company's policy of conserving topsoil across all mining sites is one of the strongest tools during the reclamation phase. The presence of soil demonstrates the strength of rehabilitation.
KAYMAZ GOLD MINE
In line with sustainable mining criteria and within the Mine Closure Plan, Türk Altın İşletmeleri A.Ş. has started reclamation works in all areas within the Kaymaz Gold Mine boundaries where no activity will be carried out. Rehabilitation has begun and continues in the most appropriate manner, based on our Environmental Policy, the prepared guidelines and procedures, and accumulated experience.
HİMMETDEDE GOLD MINE
Production activities at the Himmetdede Gold Mine open pit began in 2013. It can be considered a relatively new operation. Therefore, as the units such as the open pit and waste rock storage areas have not yet reached their final boundaries, no rehabilitation works have been carried out within those unit boundaries.
However, tree and shrub planting suitable for the regional climate is being carried out in designated areas within the operation as part of rehabilitation.
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