Imerys SA

03/31/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/31/2023 02:09

Land restoration project creates habitats for flora and fauna at closed quarry site in Provins, France

Reversing the impact of a quarry on the environment is a fundamental aspect of Imerys' work and its responsibility to preserve biodiversity and promote the sustainable use of land and ecosystems. In its restoration of the Savins quarry in France, Imerys has put biodiversity and education first.

Occupying a 13.7-hectare area, the rehabilitated quarry is located around the medieval town of Provins, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and approximately 20 kilometers from the national natural reserve of Bassée, an area of ecological fauna and flora interest.

The quarry was operated by Imerys for 25 years, used to extract clay to serve the floor and roof tile markets primarily. The reshaping of the quarry was completed in 2020. Now, the site is a sprawling biodiverse area that exemplifies Imerys' dedication to sustainability and which is now being used to educate local communities and schoolchildren.

The results of this project highlight the impact of Imerys' continued dedication to sustainability and the effectiveness of a robust Life Of Mine plan, which aims to mitigate and minimize the long-term environmental impacts of quarry activity. The rehabilitation plan for every Imerys extraction site forms part of the environmental impact assessment. This plan is built in association with local stakeholders and included in the permit request necessary to start operation. These plans seek to return land to its former state or transform the land to another use.

The reclamation of the site and the profiling of the quarry was carried out by the contribution of inert materials - for safety, to reduce the risk of erosion and to facilitate the growth of plantlife.

Restoring a three-hectare area of water was key to the rehabilitation project at Provins. This water returned naturally to the quarry hole once Imerys' operations ceased. However as part of its rehabilitation plan, the site team created an island within the body of water, and reshaped the banks with gentle slopes, using topsoil originally excavated and properly stored when quarry operations first began. These new banks are not only safer for people to walk on, but they also enable fauna to thrive, and favor the growth of flora such as purple osiers, white sweet clover, greater butterfly-orchids and woodland strawberries.

To optimize this process, a model of the topography of the site was created to allow for the creation of three distinctive water zones: a coastal zone - a shallow area where the vegetation provided a course of food and hiding places for wildlife breeding; the pelagic zone - a deeper zone which allows fish to feed and develop; and the terrestrial zone - or the island - which is a nesting, resting and breeding area that is easily accessible to migratory species. The new quarry structure made it easier for birds to establish habitats.

This water area was the foundation for increasing biodiversity - and the plan succeeded.

Along with 10.7 hectares in grassland, several species of amphibians have colonized these new habitats, including the common frog, female palmate newt, female crested newt, spotted salamander, green frogs and frog tadpoles. Meanwhile, more than 90 bird species have been listed, including goldfinches, kingfishers of Europe, little grebes, black storks, Eurasian sparrowhawk and common pipistrelles.

Additionally, around 167 plant species have spontaneously colonized the created habitats.

The amphibians were recovered from nearby roads by specialist environmental association PieVerteBio77, while the flora naturally reestablished itself on site - with the exception of the sea buckthorns, which were planted by Imerys.

Although water was the most important element, many other actions went into obtaining these results and raising awareness of the site's biodiversity plan, including the creation of a bird observatory, which will also serve as a pedagogical instrument, and the hosting of eight beehives managed by a local beekeeper.