REHABILITATION

Returning land to its former state in other words rehabilitation process must entirely include EIA period, construction, and operational period and closure period of planned activity. Rehabilitation must be sustainable and should be managed in a way to achieve results from four different periods targeted. Koza Gold Operation Inc. has been following four basic elements mentioned above to carry out rehabilitation at acceptable level as required and targeted in all of its activities.

Prior to commencing mining activities Koza Gold Operations Inc completes a strong EIA process, which includes basic environmental data. Soil, variety of vegetation and other matters, which will base upon rehabilitation, are determined. If necessary, seeds of special species analysed by experts are collected from the field and kept by the public institutions to be used during rehabilitation period. During land preparation period, special species are collected and moved and surface soil is stored in accordance with the standards to be later used in rehabilitation.

Within the sustainable mining criteria and in order to prove co-existence of gold mining and environmental concepts in best conditions causing no adverse effect on environment, human health and agricultural activities, and to accelerate rehabilitation works in pursuant to Mine Closure Plan and to ease the workload during the implementation of mine closure,  Koza Gold Operations Inc. has began to rehabilitate all the areas where the there will be no activities or works had already been completed . Operating period of Koza Gold’s mining activities is the actual starting date of rehabilitation. Rehabilitation starts within EIA process in the areas, where the works were completed as planned and continues until it reaches to targeted date during the closure period. Koza Gold’s approach on rehabilitation is outlined in Environmental Policy and Environment Management System. Rehabilitation works carried out by our Company includes following points:-

  • Render and create better and natural beauty at the open pit mining areas upon completion of   mining activities there.
  • Have a green environment
  • Minimize erosion
  • Plant more trees at the mine site to increase amount of oxygen in air.
  • Prevent generation of dust due to mining activities,
  • Guide locals with new agricultural activities,
  • Carry out a planned rehabilitation to enable locals to use rehabilitated area for various purposes upon conclusion of operations.
  • Have a variety of flora and fauna,
  • Minimize the rehabilitation process prior to the mine closure period and leave more greenly areas

OVACIK GOLD MINE

Ovacık Gold Mine operated by Koza Gold Operations Inc. since 2005 pursues activities within a rehabilitation concept of defined principles. Mining works are concurrently are ongoing with plantation of olive seedlings on the waste and open pit embankments. Trees started to bear fruits. With these activities not only fruits were obtained from culture plants but also these areas have been covered with natural vegetation.

These works reflect the best examples that rehabilitation can be carried out while mining continues. It also shortens period of work that will be needed during the closure of mine.

Mining is temporary use of land. The land once used for mining can be rehabilitated and re-used for agricultural and stock farming. Ovacik Gold mine is a good example to this.

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A different rehabilitation process continues at waste storage facility at Ovacik Gold Mine. Waste storing was concluded in this area and surface water was evaporated. Following this, as commitment given in EIA Undertaking, engineering and project study was prepared by an international expert company and backfilling began. Reclamation will commence upon completion of backfilling

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CUKURALAN GOLD MINE
Ore mined at Cukuralan by open pit and underground methods are transported to Ovacik Gold Mine for processing. Necessary arrangements have been made for planting red pines on the steps, where ore was extracted. These trees have proven to be highly productive and provided valuable data for final rehabilitation.

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HAVRAN – KÜÇÜKDERE – BÜYÜKDERE GOLD MINE   

The ore production and open pit mining activities have been carried out between November 2006 and March 2010 at Koza Gold Operation’s Havran Gold Mining, situated in the boundaries of Buyukdere and Kucukdere location in the town of Havran, Balikesir.  Total of 3.5 million m3 tones of excavations were carried out resulting 1 million 700 hundred tonnes of ore being transported to Ovacik Gold Mine plant to recover dore gold. Back filling works in that area has been completed in November 2010.

Production at Havran Gold Mine was completed and rehabilitation works have started on 02 September 2010 and concluded on 22. March 2011. In line with our Company’s priority principle, seedlings were selected from the region to contribute local economy and total of 2476 Ayvalik type olive seedlings were planted on our own land between September 2010 –January 2011.

Upon completion of production activities, forestland, where mining was carried out has been smoothed in accordance with the conditions (filling, ripping and terracing) specified by the relevant government agency and transferred it to Havran Forestry Department.

Tree plantations on forestry land were supervised by the Forestry Department that also selected and supplied seedlings. Plantation works have begun in February 2011 and completed by the end of March 2011. 18150 red pines, 4950 oleasters, 7450 ash tree seedlings were planted and another 1983 stone pine seedlings were planted surrounding the plantation with  1200 acacia tree seedling on the roadsides. Total of 33733 trees have been planted overall at Havran Gold mine site.

Thus, Havran Gold Mine site has been rehabilitated with total plantation of 36.209 seedlings. Havran site is a good example for final stage of rehabilitation.

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MASTRA GOLD MINE 

Rehabilitation works concurrently started with mining four years ago already bear fruit. TSF walls and waste stockpile have been reclaimed with suitable vegetation during rehabilitation stage. Walnut tree seedlings have been planted for eceonomical gains in future rehabilitation phase.

The most significant effort spared at Mastra Gold Mine has been that open pit was filled with waste material to render natural topography back to its original state.

Mastra Gold Mine is rather difficult area to carry out mining and rehabilitation works due to its topographic and climate conditions. This has led to take special measures for rehabilitation works. Topsoil spread onto prepared area has been protected with special care against erosion and variety of plant seeds were tried to choose most suitable types.

One of the basic things to do correct rehabilitation at Mastyra Gold Mine is that reuse of surface soil started separately. The policy of Koza Gold on preserving surface soil in all its mining operations is strong argument it holds for rehabilitation period. Existence of the soil shows the ability of rehabilitation.

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KAYMAZ GOLD MINE

Kaymaz Gold Mine is the latest operations of Koza Gold. Operations Inc. The mining and rehabilitation works are new. Within the frameworks of Mine Closure Plan in accordance with sustainable mining criteria, Koza Gold Operations Inc has started to rehabilitate all areas where works are no longer required within the boundaries of Kaymaz Gold Mine. Rehabilitation activities have commenced and are ongoing at the mine site in compliance with Environment Policy, guidelines and procedures supported by vast experience.

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