What happens to the pits and quarries once they are fully extracted?
• The fate of a pit or quarry is often known even before it is ever developed. In fact, a mandatory part of applying for a license to begin extraction is to have a proposed rehabilitation plan in place. There is, however, a public planning process that must be satisfied prior to a new land use being established “post pit”. Just because a pit approval is sought it does not mean that the “after use” development is automatically approved. Regardless of what the end use will be for a pit or quarry, the rehabilitation process will still begin the moment topsoil is removed to uncover the aggregate deposits below. The topsoil is removed and preserved along with all its seed sources, returning to the pit or quarry when mining is completed. In this way, our industry is able to ensure the sites are returned to their natural state or are improved upon by turning them into lakes, golf courses or even college campuses.
