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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.
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"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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