Baku: A requirement is being established for the recultivation of land plots where mineral deposits are located in order to restore them to their previous or alternative usable condition, APA reports. This is reflected in the proposed amendments to the law ‘On Subsoil,’ which were discussed at today’s meeting of the Natural Resources, Energy and Ecology Committee of the Milli Majlis.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Article 13-1 (Reclamation of Subsoil Areas) is proposed to be added to the law. It mandates that subsoil users ensure the recultivation of these lands based on a reclamation plan to protect, restore, and improve the fertility and other beneficial properties of the soil in the area where the work is conducted, as well as to enhance the state of the environment.
The reclamation plan must be submitted to the body designated by the relevant executive authority within three months after obtaining the right to use the subsoil. This applies to individuals and legal entities engaged in the exploitation of minerals and the construction and operation of underground facilities, along with a positive opinion from the state ecological expertise on the plan.
Depending on the characteristics of the subsoil use area, the chemical composition of the rocks, and the type of contamination, the methods of reclamation (mechanical, biological, chemical, thermal) and their directions, including the duration, will be determined. A reclamation plan will be prepared in accordance with the depth of exploitation, type of mineral resource, and volume to be extracted.
When preparing the reclamation plan, several factors will be considered, including the volume of the fertile layer of the soil and the area where the soil is collected, characteristics of mineral resources and associated rocks, hydrogeological and engineering-geological conditions, potential changes in rock properties during storage, environmental impact, inadmissibility of groundwater pollution, duration of mineral exploitation, methods and sequence of restoration, and duration of restoration.
The procedure for reclamation in areas where subsoil-related activities are carried out will be determined by the body designated by the relevant executive authority.