SUMMARY OF DOCTORATE THESIS RESEARCH ON OVERALL MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FOR SURFACE COAL MINE RECLAMATION IN HON GAI CAM PHA REGION

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HANOI UNIVERSITY OF MINING AND GEOLOGY DANG THI HAI YEN “RESEARCH ON OVERALL MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FOR SURFACE COAL MINE RECLAMATION IN

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI UNIVERSITY OF MINING AND GEOLOGY

DANG THI HAI YEN

“RESEARCH ON OVERALL MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FOR SURFACE COAL MINE RECLAMATION IN

HON GAI - CAM PHA REGION”

SUMMARY OF DOCTORATE THESIS

HA NOI – 2014

The research was completed at Department of Surface Mining, Faculty of Mining, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology

Doctoral supervisors:

1 A/Prof Dr Bui Xuan Nam, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology

2 A/Prof Dr Ho Si Giao, Vietnam Mining Science and Technology Association

Reviewers 1: Prof Dr Nhu Van Bach

Vietnam Association of Mining Science and Technology

Reviewers 2: Prof Dr Nguyen Cao Huan

College of Natural Science, Hanoi National University

Reviewers 3: Dr Lai Hong Thanh

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

The thesis will be defended at the council of doctorate thesis examiners held at: Hanoi

University of Mining and Geology, Duc Thang, Bac Tu Liem, Ha Noi

Time:………date……….month………year 2014

More detail about thesis can be found at Ha Noi National Library,

or Library of Hanoi University of Mining and Geology

INTRODUCTION

1 The necessity of the thesis:

Open-pit coal mining’s activities in Hon Gai - Cam Pha region (HG-CP) have been distributed in low hilly terrain (100 ÷ 300 m) areas, within the scope of critical water catchments; in the vicinity of urban and populated areas, estuarine and coastal ecosystems of Ha Long and Cam Pha city, Quang Ninh province, which have been developing dynamically with GDP growth is greater than 10%

Currently, the whole Hon Gai region has basically finished pit coal mining (OPCM), dramatically transferring to underground mining

open-The long history of OPCM has been remaining the long-term and comprehensive environment consequences, even if they end-up the exploitation, the mining and landfill sites continue to be the potential sources of environmental pollution and environmental hazards, such as: the risk of soil erosion, landslides, rock-mud flood and sedimentation, ambient air pollution; soil and water environment continue to be polluted While surface coal mine reclamation (SCMR) activities have not been being effectively, efficiently and sustainably maintained, will create significant impact to the people’s living, water quality, ecosystem of Ha Long bay – heritage, the new seven wonders of the world… and the development of other economic sectors from generation to generation

Otherwise, the management and implementation of SCMR have only been established 5 years ago Thus, people were lack of experience and especially inadequate with the mines which finished exploitation before 2008

Therefore, the thesis "Research on the overall management and

technical solutions for reclamation of open-pit coal mines in Hon Gai -

Cam Pha region" is a practical and urgent scientific problem

2 Objectives:

- Bonding harmonically the reclamation management of OPCM between each mine in the overall mines to gradually resolve the environmental pollution and create the obvious conversion towards multi-purposes to protect the environment and to facilitate the usage of land resource, serving for socio-economic development in each development period

- Implementing the technical management for SCMR of the areas which have contiguous mines and are adjacent to economic development areas, to converge environmental protection fund (EPF) resources, to invest for reclamation and transparency in evaluating the result of SCMR

3 Subject and scope of the thesis:

- Subject and the scope of the study: open-pit coal mines (OPCM) and reclamation activities in those mines in HG-CP region, in Quang Ninh Province

4 Scientific and practical significances: contributing to the

construction of the scientific basis for the formulation of management tools of the OPCM and orientating sub-area for land use resources after exploitation efficiently; contributing to improve the quality of SCMR and the efficiency of land use at OPCM after exploitation

5 Methodology: analyzing and synthesizing, collecting materials,

field surveys, mathematics, statistic and expert valuations

6 Defended points of the thesis:

1) Reclamation for the OPCM in the HG-CP region plays an important role in protecting and promoting the World Natural Heritage site - Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, simultaneously being the motivation for developing socio-economic of the region

2) The criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of SCMR will ensure the objectivity and transparency for each OPCM in the region 3) The technical SCMR activities integrated in the mining process are the main factor to reduce environmental pollution and environmental

hazards and reclamation cost after the exploitation in OPCM in HG-CP region

7 Innovations of the thesis:

- Proposing the necessity to supplement the “Integrated environmental Impact Assessment” (IEIA) in the legal framework of environmental protection tools for the first time; and simultaneously building orientation, content, tasks and implementation methods of IEIA report aim to ensure sustainable development of key industrial areas

- Proposing the specific quantitative criteria in the evaluation the operation consequences of the reclamation for OPCM in HG-CP region for the first time

- Proposing reclamation management solution based on orientation

of functional sub-area of land use after OPCM to use land resources in the study areas efficiently

- Proposing reasonable reclamation alternatives for each type of OPCM

- Proposing technical solutions which integrate SCMR activities into the mining process in OPCM in HG-CP region to ensure the SCMR technical criteria , saving time and reducing operation costs

8 Structure and contents of the thesis:

The thesis is organized into 4 chapters, excluding the introduction, conclusion, references and appendices

9 Literature review: Documents in SCMR work of mineral

exploitation of several open-pit mines in the world and in Vietnam; Coal mining industry development plan of Vietnam; Environmental Protection

of Quang Ninh province and environment engineering document; mining industry

10 Host university: Department of Surface Mining, Faculty of

Mining, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology

11 Acknowledgements:

During studying, researching and conducting the thesis, Instruction board, all the lecturers, scientists and colleagues in Department of Surface Mining, Faculty of Mining, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology always give the responsible and wholehearted supports to the fellow The fellow also is highly supported by Local Authorities, especially Managers

of Department Natural Resources and Environment to complete this thesis

The fellow also obtained valuable comments from many scientists

of Mining Technology and Science Associates of Vietnam; Mine explosion associate of Vietnam, Natural Science University – Hanoi National University, and many other opinions of scientists, professors in environment area in Quang Ninh

On this occasion, the fellow would like to show full and deep appreciation to organizations, scientists, colleagues, friends and family help me during the time of studying and researching the thesis

CHAPTER I

OVERVIEW OF SURFACE COAL MINING RECLAMATION

(SCMR) IN THE WORLD AND IN VIETNAM

1.1 SCMR activities in the world

Basically, analyzing and evaluating the results of SCMR activities

in developed countries (the Republic of France, Germany, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia) have achieved great results when reclamation and the rehabilitation of the mining areas into the tourism, entertaining, sports centers, on the basis of the following solutions:

- Having the right policies and goals for the reclamation: reclamation is an essential part of the mining process; defining criteria to evaluate the success of the SCMR; ensure adequate financial accounts and use them in a reasonable manner; especially focus on researching the conditions and preparing for rehabilitation right before the start of exploitation and being continued after the end of the exploitation

- Well-handling the relationship of interest related to land and environment, between enterprises and communities, encourage and attract the community to implementing SCMR jointly from the different perspective of favorable characteristics; the community has the right to supervise and complaint about the shortcomings in the reclamation process

1.2 SCMR in Vietnam

From the above researches and analyzing current status of the reclamation in OPCM in Vietnam, the SCMR now include several significant inadequacies as follows:

- Reclamation in mining in Vietnam is lack of technical standards, professional regulations, to perform; financial resources for the SCMR

is not enough and not reasonable; SCMR was only implemented passively in the final stages of mining without recognition and orientation from the investment project

- Reclamation is not oriented the land-use functions Consequently, when the region's socio-economic develops, to change the topography, landscape and the purpose of using reclamation in a more positive way than the current state of its reclamation , it takes a large financial resource which was not adequate and continues taking a large financial resource demolish and rehabilitate the areas which were implemented reclamation already, causing waste of land and financial resources of the society [45]

- The SCMR operation following the exploitation is only cared by the large companies and implemented in certain extent Many areas after mining are not restored and remain in barren state In some place they only implemented perfunctorily, low quality, without usage value, therefore, the areas also become barren The supervision, monitoring, editing, and maintaining the SCMR data’s quality is not implemented

- In general the awareness and responsibility in SCMR not high enough The consciousness and the role of the communities in demanding, supervising and participating in SCMR are very limited

CHAPTER II

CURRENT SITUATION OF SCMR

IN HON GAI - CAM PHA REGION

2.1 Coal mining activities overview:

Based on data of land inventory in 2010 of the administrative territorial units belonging to the study area, the total area of coal mining accounted for almost 20% areas of land use According to statistical data, the product of OPCM in HG-CP region in recent years accounted for about 55 ÷ 65% of the total output product of the whole coal factor

In coal mining areas, the environment in general, and land environment in particular have been degraded seriously Land exploitation destroyed terrain and landscape, simultaneously causing erosion and landslide with very high risk [26] Therefore, the amount of eroded soil in the area is quite big, up to 300 ÷ 500 tons / ha / year in average [37]

Recently, HG-CP region has happened many dangerous landslides and mudflows During the rainy season of 2005, in Cao Son Coal Mine, nearly half a million cubic meter of waste rock from the dumping site landslide, caused serious loss In rainy season in 2006, the water flow filled with mud and rock from dumping site of Khe Re coal mine generated large mud and rock flow which destroyed houses of the residential area living below

After the finish of exploitation, the environmental impact continues causing environmental pollution and degradation in different places; altering the topography and landscape, causing erosion, washout and soil erosion; affect to the economic development of tourism and urban development, consequently seriously affect people’s living

2.2 Reclamation for OPCM in Hon Gai - Cam Pha region:

In recent years, QNPPC and Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited (Vinacomin) have made great efforts in the state management function of the environment (including SCMR activities), solving urgent problems of the environment caused by mining waste dump site of OPCM However, the management, sanctions and SCMR implementation still contain inadequacies, have not directed toward multi-purposes (environmental protection and use land for economy development) in the key zones

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH ON THE OVERALL MANAGEMENT AND

TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FOR RECLAMATION OF OPEN-PIT

COAL MINES IN HON GAI - CAM PHA REGION

3.1 Administrative management solutions

Organization mechanisms and policies solutions, science and technology solution, solutions for propagation and education, raising awareness of the community

3.2 Technical management solutions

Currently, most of OPCMs come into operation and plan to deploy renovation, expansion projects, or mine capacity enhancement Thus, it is necessary to integrate reclamation tasks into the designing of renovation, expansion, or mine capacity enhancement projects according to technical management measures which are proposed in 5 main periods of reclamation (right from the beginning of establishment of investment

project and primary design of CPCM enlargement and renovation)

3.3 Management solution to enhance land use efficiency in areas of SCMR in Hon Gai - Cam Pha region

3.3.1 Applying adjustment coefficient of reclamation deposit cost

to improve reclamation in mining activities according to mining location

Adjustment coefficient of SCMR cost accoding to regions (Kd)is proposed to be identified as following:

Where: Kv - Regional coefficient (identified due to regional and area coefficient Kv which is regulated in accordance with Vietnamese Standards QCVN 19, 21, 22, 23 : 2009/BTNMT) in table 3.1

3.3.2 Reclamation Acceptance sollution according to criteria to evaluate the results of SCMR

Fellow propose some criteria to assess results of Reclamation for OPCMs in Hon Gai – Cam Pha, Quang Ninh as below:

(1) When SCMR belong to common reclamation areas (only meeting environment protection requirement) need to satisfy following criteria:

a Criterion 1: Satisfy boundaries, area, terrain, scale of SCMR in accordance with SCMR project

b Criterion 2: Satisfy index of environmental treatment efficiency index

When assessing efficiency of environment treatment, it is necessary

to consider each environment criterion individually

Pollutant treatment efficiency index of (A, %) has to satisfy:

 % 100 , %

o

s o

ni x dkr

% F

n

1 i

Where: d kr - the average width of grooves on the slope of waste layer i (m); ni - the number of grooves on the slope of waste layer i; l i -

the length of waste layer i (m); m i - the number of waste layers

(2) When implementing SCM belonging to multi-purposes functional orientation (protect environment and use land for economy

development), besides satisfying 3 criteria for normal SCMR, it is necessary to satisfy some following criteria:

d Criterion 4: satisfy consensus index N (%)

Consensus index denotes the conformity with the view of developing local community through the results referred to opinions of experts on economy, environment and adjacent units

It is an important criterion, always presents in assessing purposes SCMR, and is identified due to the formula:

s

 - the number of consultants without consensus

e.Criterion5: satisfy the stability of pit slope

Slope angles of pits, mining rock dump have to always ensure to be

in stability limit It is supervised during mining process, in order to ensure the implementation of technical solutions of reclamation intergrated during mining process (proposed in chapter 4)

f Criterion 6: satisfy economic efficiency index of multi-purposes reclamation

Index to assess economic efficiency of multi-purposes SCMR (Ki):

c

i p n p i

m n m i

G

G G

G G