Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences

The rapid expansion and industrialization in major metropolises increases the demand for some raw materials (cement, iron, ceramics, etc.) in recent years. These raw materials are usually provided by the nearest quarries (stone quarries, limestone quarries, etc.) in economical point of view. Thus, this demand causes a rapid development and growth in quarries and raw material processing plants. The uncontrolled growth of these industries causes noticeable temporary and permanent environmental impacts. The minimization of environmental impacts due to mining activities and reinsuring the ecological balance in the mining site is achieved by rehabilitation or reclamation (restoring the site to an intended condition) practices. The reclamation studies were accomplished by plant selection and plantation geometry depending on the geological structure, climate and local flora and fauna. In this study, the parameters and cost analysis of the reclamation practices applied on a limestone quarry near Izmir are introduced. The success and the details of application are observed concurrent to the cost analysis. Moreover, the studies in the mining site are compared to similar reclamation studies in different sites regarding engineering practices such as planning, applications and unit costs.