RECLAMATION SUCCESS

Rüdersdorf Limestone Quarry, Germany

When Britain’s RMC bought the Rudersdorf limestone quarry in Germany in 1990, it invested heavily in the entire site to bring the quarry’s environmental credentials up to RMC’s own high standards. Important natural areas are being developed which provide habitat for wildlife such as bats and birds. Local residents are benefiting from the parkland development, and local watercourses are much cleaner as a result of the quarry operations. A well planned recultivation scheme means that all these areas can be developed and preserved while the quarry is still in use.

Limestone is extracted below the surfaces of the surrounding lakes and water table. Within the quarry boundary are several fenced off areas containing artificial trout ponds. RMC has invested heavily in draining the quarry to guarantee continued limestone extraction. Water runs off from the quarry to nearby waterways, via an extensive network of underground tunnels which run through the walls and floors of the quarry. The drained water is collected and pumped via an automatically controlled pumping station. This station discharges water into the nearby Kriensee Lake, and supplies the vast system of watercourses around Berlin.

"Residents local to the Rudersdorf limestone quarry are benefiting from the parkland development, and local watercourses are much cleaner as a result of the quarry operations."

This discharge of quarry water is extremely beneficial to local ecosystems. A study was carried out in 1998 and showed that the water is free from anthropogenic pollutants, heavy metals and particulate. It is biologically uncontaminated and is low in nitrates, nitrites, and phosphates. When compared to ground-water guide values, only the sulfate content is high – due to geological conditions.

The hard water discharge with its high pH causes neutralization and purification effects to occur in downstream lakes. For example, the Kalksee Lake near Berlin is the clearest lake in the region. It has a visibility depth of 5m due to the low density of blue-green algae and the exceptional phosphate sludge precipitation that takes place in the lake. The effect is directly initiated by the hard water coming from the Rudersdorf quarry pumping station. There is even oxygen distribution down to the bed of the lake. The flora and fauna in the area are thriving. The water supports an increasing number of species of fish and invertebrates as they feed on the plankton and macrophytes present in the water. A wide variety of birdlife is also drawn to the area with its plentiful food supply.

From Mining Environmental Management, November 2000

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