Recultivation - There are already sufficient stocks of earth for backfilling

Wienau: The inhabitants of Wienau may still remember the hustle and bustle of Max, the nearby quarry. From mid 2009, Sibelco Deutschland, based in Ransbach-Baumbach, has intensified its efforts to bring forward the backfilling of an area of about ten hectares. According to a statement from the Mayor of Wienau Ernst-Günther Wessler, sufficient soil has been delivered to completely fill the quarry.

Looking back over 16 months: At daily peak periods, numerous trucks shuttled back and forth, taking soil to the quarry and returning empty to the places where they had loaded the material. By utilising bulldozers with wide blades and large-wheeled loaders with big shovels, the earth was pushed and shaped so that bit by bit the area came to resemble the rest of the environment around Wienau.

The work continued last year: The Mayor commented that the restoration activities stopped at the beginning of the winter period, according to the planned schedule. In any case enough backfill material was already on site. The lull in activity will continue until the weather permits heavy equipment to move again over the area. Sibelco Deutschland will then restart the proper backfilling and grading of the former quarry as agreed with the community.

In addition: Starting in the spring, Sibelco Deutschland plans to create a biotope on the part of the area owned by the city of Dierdorf. As agreed with Mayor Wessler, the plan includes a wetland with relatively low water depth, which will be colonised by typical water plants, frogs and other small fauna. Then Max quarry will not only be a beautiful piece of nature but also a conveniently situated recreation place for the local inhabitants of Wienau and their visitors. The Mayor also reports that Sibelco Deutschland will create paths, and it is against this background that Mayor Wessler speaks of "the very good cooperation between community and company."

The part of the quarry which is owned by a landowner’s cooperative will have another use. Harald Pitzen stated in the late summer of 2009, that the cooperative wishes their area to be restored as pasture.

A reminder: Originally the recultivation should have been completed in 2003. However this plan was postponed because three other mines required backfilling at the same time, and it was difficult to obtain sufficient backfilling material.