A massive South Pacific nickel mine needed to reclaim more than 20 hectares of exhausted land each year under government regulations requiring a return to native vegetation. Remote location, mountainous terrain up to 3,000 feet, acidic soils with excess metals and little organic matter, steep slopes and intense downpours created extreme erosion risks. Profile® Products specified Hydraulically-applied Erosion Control Products, using Flexterra® HP-FGM® and CocoFlex® ET-FGM™ selected for their functional longevity. Applied across 20 hectares, these mulches held soil and seed in place through monsoon-like rains and continued protecting slopes and reclamation plantings over 13 months.
Key Points
- South Pacific nickel mine annually produces 60,000 tonnes, with more than 20 hectares of mined land requiring reclamation each year and a mandate to return land to its natural vegetative state with endemic species.
- Site challenges included remote access, elevations up to 3,000 feet, acidic soils with pH 5.5, excess metals, minimal organic matter and nutrients, steep slopes over 60 degrees, compacted slick surfaces and unpredictable heavy rains.
- Flexterra HP-FGM and CocoFlex ET-FGM were chosen for functional longevity of up to 18 months and up to two years, 99% effectiveness in minimizing soil loss or controlling erosion, and 1500% water-holding capacity.
- Twenty hectares treated with Flexterra HP-FGM and CocoFlex ET-FGM held bare soil in place through monsoon-like rains, with slopes and seeds still protected after 13 months as vegetation establishment progresses.
