Mosaic Florida
 
 
 
 

Reclamation Process

Mining and reclamation occurs in phases throughout the life of mining operation. As mining occurs, reclamation follows behind it. In fact, phosphate companies are required by law to meet initial revegetation standards within two years of mining, and must also provide financial assurances that the work will be completed.

There are three basic types of reclamation:

Sand-tailings-fill reclamation
Sand separated from the phosphate ore is returned to the mined-out area to a specific elevation and capped with "overburden" (the original soil and sediment layer removed to extract the phosphate matrix). These areas are then graded and planted to become upland or wetland areas, supporting a variety of land uses and vegetative types. Upon completion, both forested and herbaceous wetlands are reclaimed on an acre-for-acre, type-for-type basis using a mix of trees native to the region. The current trend is toward the reclamation of increasingly larger acreage of upland habitat areas as well.
 

 

Land-and-lakes reclamation
Here, the mine cuts are not filled with sand, but rather the overburden is re-shaped to form a designed lake. Lake edges are ringed with an herbaceous shoreline and frequently have a forested green belt. The result is a mix of wetlands and uplands and forested and herbaceous systems suitable for both habitat and recreational uses.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Clay settling area reclamation

The clays separated from the phosphate matrix are stored in large clay settling areas or CSAs. Once full, specialized equipment is used to facilitate "consolidation" of the clay by developing a crust and promoting drainage. These areas generally consolidate to a level just above the natural ground level. Studies by the state-sponsored Florida Institute of Phosphate Research and active projects by Mosaic demonstrate that nutrient-rich clay settling areas can be reclaimed for pastures, as well as for a variety of agricultural row crops including corn and zucchini, citrus, and ornamentals. There are productive sod and tree farms on reclaimed clay settling area. Perhaps most significant, clay settling areas have been reclaimed as functioning wetlands.