The Mosaic Company, 2012 Sustainability Report
Clay Settling Area Reclamation
The clays that are separated at a mine’s
beneficiation plant are stored in aboveground
impoundments known as clay set tling areas
(
CSAs). Once a CSA has reached its clay storage
capacit y and is ready for reclamation, specialized
equipment is used to facilitate the consolidation
and dr ying of the clay. Reclaimed CSAs, which
t ypically appear only as a subtle hill in the
landscape, are of ten used for cat tle pastures
and other agricultural activities such as row
crops. While the clay contained beneath the
sur face of a reclaimed CSA continues to set tle
for many years, which limits the potential for
immediate development, Mosaic is developing
other agricultural uses for CSAs, including tree
plantations, hay crops and tur f. Many reclaimed
CSAs also ser ve as green space, containing
wetland systems that provide valuable
wildlife habitat.
Additional Reclamation Highlights
•
In 2011, Mosaic planted more than 2.3 million
trees as par t of our reclamation activities. As
of December 31, 2011, our Florida Phosphate
operations owned 19,709 acres on which we
have commit ted or executed a conser vation
easement, in order to ensure the long-term
protection of lands or waters of par ticular
sensitivit y.
•
In 2011, our potash mine in Belle Plaine,
Saskatchewan, continued the process of closing
and returning the land to an environmentally
sound condition at various solution mine cluster
sites. We are in the process of decommissioning
inactive production wells and restoring the land
to a high-functioning ecological system. These
ef for ts are coordinated with the Saskatchewan
Ministr y of Energy and Resources, as well as the
Saskatchewan Ministr y of Environment.
•
In May 2011, Mosaic dedicated a new
8,785-
square-foot fire station and adjacent
75-
acre communit y park on reclaimed land
in Manatee Count y, Florida. The communit y
now has access to spor ting fields, picnic
areas, a walking trail, playground, and an
accessible canoe launch and dock for fishing,
in accordance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act. The new fire and rescue station
features four enclosed double apparatus bays,
a dayroom with kitchen facilities, a meeting
room, several storage rooms, showers and
Environment
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