The main problems and solutions of mine ecological restoration

The Provisions on the Protection of the Geological Environment in Mines (hereinafter referred to as the "Provisions") promulgated in March 2009 apply to the prevention, treatment and restoration of ground collapse, ground cracks, collapses, landslides, aquifer damage, and topographic and geomorphic landscape damage in mining areas caused by mineral resources exploration and mining activities; At the same time, considering that the restoration and management of mine geological environment in the process of practical application may involve the management of "three wastes" and land reclamation, in order to avoid cross-functional problems, land reclamation is not within the scope of application of the Provisions. This is also one of the main reasons that land reclamation is considered to be the restoration of cultivated land, and the treatment of soil and water pollution in mining areas is generally called ecological restoration.

1.1.2 Wide application of the term "mine ecological restoration"

After the institutional reform of The State Council in 2018, the former Ministry of Land and Resources was adjusted to the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Department of Territorial and Spatial ecological Restoration was established, and the term "mine ecological restoration" has been widely used. Zhou Lianbi et al. defined mine ecological restoration as the action and process of restoring the ecological environment damaged by mining to the expected state according to local conditions [3], and the research object should be all the ecological environment problems damaged by mining. The Regulations on the Protection of Geological Environment in Mines amended in 2019 are defined as the prevention, treatment and restoration of ground collapse, ground cracks, collapses, landslides, aquifer damage, and topographic and geomorphic landscape damage caused by mineral resource exploration and mining activities. Where the mining of mineral resources involves land reclamation, it shall be implemented in accordance with State laws and regulations on land reclamation. At present, the mine ecological restoration project integrates land reclamation and mine geological environment restoration, but the control of soil and water pollution is still unclear.

In foreign countries, Reclamation, Rehabilitation and Restoration are commonly used to express land reclamation or ecological restoration [4]. Although the three words are different, their connotations all refer to the restoration and management of land and environment damaged by various disturbances. To achieve the same or better state of land use and ecological environment as before the disturbance.

Therefore, no matter "ecological restoration", "ecological reconstruction" or "land reclamation", no matter what specific technology or means is used, no matter whether the original ecological state of the mine is eventually restored or redesigned, the final elimination of mining damage and reasonable use of land value to achieve ecological functions can be achieved, that is, green development is the hard truth.

1.2 Problems in the field of mine ecological restoration supervision

The laws and regulations closely related to the ecological restoration of mines include the Regulations on Land Reclamation, the Regulations on the Protection of the Geological Environment of Mines, and the Measures for the Implementation of the Regulations on Land Reclamation, etc., which all put forward relevant requirements for the monitoring and supervision of the mine environment. For example, Article 23 of the Provisions on the Protection of Mining Geological Environment: the competent department of natural resources at or above the county level shall establish a mining geological environment monitoring system within its administrative area, improve the monitoring network, carry out dynamic monitoring of the mining geological environment, and guide and supervise the mining right holders to carry out mining geological environment monitoring. The owner of the mining right shall regularly report the geological environment of the mine to the competent department of natural resources at the county level where the mine is located, and truthfully submit monitoring data. The competent department of natural resources at the county level shall regularly report the summarized geological environment monitoring data of mines to the competent department of natural resources at the next level. Article 5: The administrative department of natural resources at or above the county level shall establish a land reclamation information management system, use the comprehensive land resources supervision platform, dynamically monitor the land reclamation situation, and timely collect, summarize, analyze and release data information such as land damage and land reclamation within the administrative region.

However, at present, the above operating mechanism still has not landed, resulting in the old account of China's mine ecological restoration problem has not been returned, and the new account is owed every year. It can also be seen from the "China Mineral Resources Report (2020)" and the "2020 Coal Industry Development Report" that about 40% of the old problems have not been treated, but the treatment rate of new ecologically damaged land is only about 40% every year. Therefore, it is imperative to strengthen the supervision of mine ecological restoration.