Author(s)

J. de Vente & J.C.J.H. Aerts

Abstract

Surface mining has many severe impacts on the environment such as destruction of vegetation, a visual impact, change of surface and groundwater hydrology, erosion and landslide development. In order to prevent occurrence of irreversible negative impacts of surface mining on its environment European Union directives regulate the environmental restoration of the mining areas, which must be carried out by the mining companies. These directives state that in order to assure a proper restoration of the mining area after abandonment, mining companies must prepare a restoration plan that must be approved by the appropriate authorities before mining works can even start. Within the ASTERISMOS project (funded by the European Commission through DGXII/CEO, ENV4V-CT97-0373) a M

Keywords