The extraction of mineral raw materials is accompanied by considerable intervention in nature and the landscape. In the scope of licensing processes, mine operators have to explain how damage can be avoided, mitigated, compensated or made up for. Compliance with extensive statutory regulations for the protection of species and European conservation areas is putting companies under pressure.

On the other hand, many mine operators can report how clay mines have developed into a refuge for animals and rare plants. What influence do these natural developments have on the licensing process? From what perspectives do the voluntarily working nature conservation organizations and the general public see the extraction sites? How can companies take the requirements of nature conservation into adequate consideration?

Rüdiger Schäfer, Fugro Germany Land GmbH, Berlin