The Mosaic Company, 2012 Sustainability Report
natural systems to ensure viable ecosystems
and to maximize biodiversit y. Mosaic has
reclaimed former mining areas for habitat and
public recreational uses. We have successfully
reclaimed mined land for use as wetlands, lakes,
uplands, wildlife habitats and pasture lands.
Reclaimed land has also been used for housing
developments, agriculture, industrial sites,
power plants, parks, golf courses and pine tree
plantations.
There are three primar y methods that are used
to reclaim mined land: sand tailings fill, land and
lakes, and clay set tling area reclamation.
Sand Tailings Fill Reclamation
Sand that is separated from the phosphate ore —
referred to as “sand tailings” — is pumped back
into a mined area and used to contour mine
cuts to a specific elevation. Once pumping is
complete, topsoil — or overburden if topsoil
is not available — that was moved during the
mining process is placed over the sand tailings
to match the elevations in the reclamation plan.
These areas are then graded to var ying elevations
and planted with native species to become
upland or wetland areas. In some cases, stream
systems are constructed to connect reclaimed
wetlands to preser ved wetland systems.
Land and Lakes Reclamation
Extracting phosphate rock and clay results in less
ear th material at a site compared to the
pre-mined landscape. To account for the
reduction in materials at the site, lake systems
are incorporated into the reclamation plan.
During the land and lakes reclamation process,
excavation equipment contours the mined land
to create a mix of uplands, wetlands and lakes.
The shallows of the lakes are then planted with
herbaceous wetland plant species to enhance
water qualit y and encourage wildlife use.
Reclaimed lakes are designed with over flow
features that allow excess water to flow from
the lakes during significant rainfall events. These
features are specifically designed to provide
properly timed hydration of connected wetland
systems. Upland forested buf fers are t ypically
constructed around the lakes’ edges to create
additional wildlife habitat. Mosaic’s reclaimed
lakes are known for their excellent fish habitats.
Our Florida Phosphates operations mined
2,255
acres and reclaimed 6,474 acres in 2011.
2,255
ACRES
ACRES
MINED
6,474
RECLAIMED
Information displayed in summary is available in full form in GRI:
Environment
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