CASE STUDY FILE

BASELINE STUDY REPORT (BSR) OF Fushe Kruje QUARRYActivity 3.2 (Illegal quarrying)

Final VersionOctober 2010

DISCLAIMER FOR CASE STUDY REPORTS The present report was prepared in the framework of the project SARMa –

Sustainable Aggregates Resource Management, which is co-financed by the EU within the South East Europe Transnational Cooperation Programme.

The information reported is accurate according to the best knowledge of the authors and is the sole responsibility of the authors of this report.

The publication reflects the views only of the authors; and therefore the rest of project partnership and the South East Europe Programme Managing Authority cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

DELIVERABLE SUMMARY PROJECT INFORMATION Project acronym: SARMa Project title: Sustainable Aggregates Resource Management Contract number: Starting date: 1. 5. 2009 Ending date: 31. 10. 2011 Project website address: www.sarmaproject.eu Lead partner organisation: Geological Survey of Slovenia Address: Dimi�eva ulica 14, SI-1000 Ljubljana Project manager: Slavko V. Šolar E-mail: Slavko-Vekoslav.Solar@geo-zs.si DELIVERABLE INFORMATION Title of the deliverable: Activity 3.2 Baseline study report of Fushe Kruje Quarry WP/activity related to the deliverable: WP3 / Activity 3.2 Illegal quarryring

Type (internal or restricted or public): Public

Location (if relevant): - WP leader: Institute of Geology & Mineral Exploration, Greece

Activity leader: Department of Mineral Resources Engineering, Technical University of Grete, Greece

Participating partner(s): METE Author(s): Sokol Mat, Lavdie Moisiu E-mail: DELIVERY DEADLINES Contractual date of delivery to the JTS:

Actual date of delivery to the JTS:

TEMPLATEFOR BASELINE STUDY REPORTS (BSR) OF SARMa MODEL SITES

1. Description of location

� Geographical data/coordinates Municipality Fushe Kruja is part of the District of Krujë. It is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Durrës County. Fushe- Kruja is situated on the north part, 25km from Tirana and 30km from the main port of Albania, Durres.

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� Administrative and legal framework (e.g. permit process for extraction)

Table 1: Companies with legal activity*1

All permits are given based on Mining Law Nr 7796 dt. 17.02.1994.

1 Production data 2006 – 2008 is from METE; partly confirmed by the field trips

� Demographic issues Fusha-Kruja has a population of 18.619 habitants (Census 2002), and an area of 372 km². only in the city of Fushe Kruja the number of habitants is 8000. The Nr Name

of subject NoPermits

Year issued

Mineral reserves in m3

Areain km2

Type of permit

East Nord

1 XHULJO 540 17.02.2000 limestone 59532 0.013 exploitation 4397450 4597270 2 KASTRIOTI 558 24.05.2000 limestone 123750 0.005 exploitation 4397230 4596682 3 BABAJ 648 25.09.2001 limestone 28096 0.005 exploitation 4396859 4596314 4 MAKARESH 666 05.07.2002 limestone 1170000 0.028 exploitation 4396850 4596590 5 XHULJO 669 18.07.2002 limestone 59532 0.005 exploitation 4397400 4597100 6 DOKU 681 26.11.2002 limestone 37040 0.004 exploitation 4397725 4595870 7 SELIMI 2001 682 26.11.2002 limestone 65284 0.005 exploitation 4397415 4595295 8 GEZIMI XX 841 26.01.2005 limestone 158000 0.0056 exploitation 4397240 4596350 9 Shkodra

Inert 851 07.04.2005 limestone 53226 0.005 exploitation 4397240 4596880 10 Santara 872 22.06.2005 limestone 3272950 0.0685 exploitation 4398000 4595980 11 PRISKA 874 23.06.2005 limestone 1841665 0.047 exploitation 4398028 4596561 12 MILIS BRICK 877 23.06.2005 Clay 5480425 0.0357 exploitation 4393960 4596720 13 LOTI 894 03.08.2005 limestone 66500 0.01 exploitation 4396840 4596260 14 BABASI - 2 899 08.08.2005 limestone 301215 0.023 exploitation 4396380 4596320 15 ALBO - 2004 900 08.08.2005 limestone 39316 0.005 exploitation 4397035 4596970 16 LATOMIA

TIRANA 926 19.01.2006 limestone 3646674 0.09 exploitation 4397664 4595428 17 KASTRIOTI 936 17.04.2006 limestone 364840 0.02 exploitation 4397230 4596620 18 SHKODRA

INERT 971 05.09.2006 limestone 0 0.035 exploitation 4397150 4596870 19 SALILLARI 597 01.02.2001 limestone 4381376 0.098 exploitation 4397020 4596200 20 SHALA 612 26.03.2001 limestone 42500 0.005 exploitation 4397792 4595942 21 SHEHU 614 26.03.2001 limestone 50800 0.005 exploitation 4397660 4595806 22 NADI 616 02.04.2001 limestone 76900 0.005 exploitation 4397520 4595290 23 Babasi-2 622 28.05.2001 limestone 389500 0.01 exploitation 4396704 4596548 24 VOGLI 631 10.07.2001 limestone 13565 0.009 exploitation 4397870 4596150 25 ART

NDERTIM 695 26.02.2003 limestone 3728066 0.07 exploitation 4396240 4596610 26 LOCI 702 29.05.2003 limestone 659960 0.023 exploitation 4396580 4596440 27 KARAJ 708 08.07.2003 limestone 17000 0.005 exploitation 4397250 4597350 28 ALFA - 7 764 21.05.2004 Clay 89339 0.014 exploitation 4393731 4596900 29 BABASI CO 782 29.07.2004 limestone 97000 0.058 exploitation 4397440 4595420 30 F.Kruja

CEMENT FACTORY 795 08.09.2004 limestone 143194258 1.195 exploitation 4395100 4598210

31 F.Kruja CEMENT FACTORY 796 08.09.2004 Clay 3397400 0.216 exploitation 4393900 4597600

32 Bledi - S 1015 11.05.2007 limestone 0 0.005 exploitation 4397753 4595540 33 Gener 2 1045 30.07.2007 limestone 9735383 1.395 exploitation 4398660 4594815 34 Gener 2 1072 21.09.2007 Clay 26029597 0.7159 exploitation 4397470 4592057 35 Gener 2 1073 21.09.2007 sandystone 7203450 0.2323 exploitation 4396503 4592348 36 Kronos 1083 06.11.2007 limestone 935024 0.112 exploitation 4398110 4594510 37 S.E.A 1120 13.12.2007 limestone 656818 0.198 exploitation 4398654 4595876 38 Babasi-2 1166 19.03.2008 limestone 994122 0.047 exploitation 4396660 4596900 39 Prespa

Import Eksport 1192 20.06.2008 limestone 1358490 0.056 exploitation 4397140 4597040

40 Arvo 1330 17.03.2009 limestone 106170 0.01 exploitation 4396910 4596140 41 Xhuljo 1341 11.05.2009 limestone 2213413 0.078 exploitation 4397370 4597130 42 Santara 1343 11.05.2009 limestone 6262900 0.284 exploitation 4398220 4595519 43

communes that take place into the municipality of Fushe-Kruja are as following: o Bubq o Cudh o Koder-Thumane o Nikël

� Infrastructure

The new highway that starts in Fushe Kruje up to Milot and Lac- Lezhe passes 2-3 km at the west of the region where the exploitation is made. This highway links Kruja and Fushe Kruja to the old road with a length of 3-4 km.

Within the region there are secondary roads that are used primarily to transport stones and gravel.

At Fushe Kruje there is also a branch road of 5km long from the main road to the existing cement factory and a railway station of Tirana-Durres-Lac-Lezhe-Shkoder railway.

� Land use planning (e.g. spatial relation to protected areas)

The Fushe Kruja area is near the historic centre of Kruja City and the protected area, but lies out of its borders.

� There is a presence of integrated land-planning framework seeking to balance competing interests between national and local levels, and between quarrying and conservation.

� Biodiversity features

The climate of the region is Mediterranean one with the weathering characteristics of the region of central Albania. The study area in general is absent of vegetation in over than 50% of its quarries zones.

Droja River passes through the north – north eastern area of the region, formed by the Vaja stream and of its branches, which descend from the eastern part of the Kruja and Rakshani Mountain and that of Shemris and Breti hills. The river then passes from west to Shperdhet. The river lies from the village of Droje up to Shperdhet one with a length of 4km, through a canyon of 50-70m to 200-300m wide, toward the east-west and with gorges about 200m high.

Water sources are relatively small, especially in the hills where the limestone comes in contact with flishore formations.

Forestation is scarce. In the mountains where private entities develop activity there are mainly shrubs, thorns, grass, sage and pastures.

� Operational status (e.g. active or abandoned, legal or illegal)

The beginnings of private mining activity in the District of Fushe Kruja go back to 1995. By March 2010, 44 subjects were registered; of which 43 were holding mining exploitation permits and 1 were holding prospecting-discovery permits. The largest number of permits was issued between 2005 and 2006.

Year Permits 2000 2 2001 7 2002 4 2003 3 2004 4 2005 8 2006 3 2007 6 2008 2 2009 4

ID number of permit

date of permits 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

5 669 18.07.2002 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 926 19.01.2006 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 32 1015 11.05.2007 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 33 1045 30.07.2007 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 34 1072 21.09.2007 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 35 1073 21.09.2007 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 36 1083 06.11.2007 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 37 1120 13.12.2007 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 39 1192 20.06.2008 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 40 1330 17.03.2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 43 1394 13.08.2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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2. Geological setting and resources

� Type of aggregates (e.g. crushed rock or sand or gravel composition)

Mainly are crushed limestone rocks, clays and sands. It should be noted that as clay with high sulphur content, as well as surface dirties are easily identifiable in quarry and could be selected during their exploitation.

� Structural geology conditions

In this area, are met the Upper Cretaceous limestone in the mountains of Renci, Kakarriqi, Kruje - Dajt, Tomorr, which are represented by thick limestone tile mass, combined with dolomite limestone and dolomites. With this area, is related the Fushe Kruja source of limestone used for cement production, limestone sources of Lac, Balldre, Torrovice, which have substantial reserves, established infrastructure and chemical composition of raw materials within conditions for cement production.

The Eocene limestone follows everywhere on the Cretaceous limestone, starting from Kakarriq to Renci, on the Kruje-Dajt Mountains to the Mount of Melesini (Leskovik) in the south. At this area, is connects the Letani source that is currently used for the production of cement in Elbasan.

Tortoniani’s limestone spread on the area at the west of Mount Dajti and Kruja as well, forming Priska suite. These limestones spread even in the region of Lushnja, Roskoveci and Ballsh. Among the objects discovered are mentioned the objects of Ferraj-Babrru, Zall Herr, Linz, Tufina, Dorez, Kule, Karbunare, Kanina, Aranitas, Greshice etc. Limestone found in this area is of good quality: CaO 50-55 %; MgO – 0.25-4 %; SiO2 – 0.1 – 3%; Fe2O3 – 0.1 – 0.8% Clays found in this area register the following quality: SiO2 – 52 – 78%; Al2O3- 8.5-27%; Fe2O3 - 0.67 – 11.97%; CaO – 0.2-3.33%; MgO – 0.5 – 6.14% Indicative of the very good quality of limestone and clay in the Kruja zone is the large number of exploitation permits issued. Permits issued for this area comprise nearly 30 per cent of all the limestone exploitation permits issued at a national level.

Three other cement plants have also been designed and licensed for three other subjects, including Gener 2 Sh.p.k, Aquila Sh.p.k and Antea Cement Sh.a. The Antea Cement Sh.a. has started investment for building a cement plant for preparing limestone and clay quarry.

This company is planning to ensure that the cement plant becomes operational towards the end of the first six months of 2010.

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� Estimated reserves and ore resource potential

The geologic deposits of limestone minerals in the Kruja zone are estimated at 500 million tons, and clays at 30 million tons. Production in 2008 is as follows Clays 267.927 Limestones 1 254 835 m3

3. Operational and market characteristics

� Quarry infrastructure (e.g. road network, transportation facilities)

This area recently has been under significant development of the infrastructure which has an impact on increasing the requirements of entities seeking to carry out investments in the sector of exploitation and mineral aggregates. If we refer to the map with quarry’s locations most of them, about 70-75%, lies on the both sides of the road Fushe Kruje - Kruje. This has a direct impact on the transport cost of the ready product. It should be noted that areas of Fushe-Kruja geographically located near port of Durres which is the main port of country. Also, besides the old Cement factory there are set up even two other new factories for the production of cement in the same area.

� Extraction methods and processing techniques (e.g. energy aspects)

The majority of the companies involved in limestone extraction register surface mining workings (open quarry). The big companies employ the same technology for extracting limestone. For the drilling of holes, they employ well drilling rigs designed to mark limestone, excavators and heavy machinery. For the transportation of limestone, they employ vehicles of different tonnage.

Very small companies only have not invested in purchasing well drilling rigs for drilling holes for mine explosion, and still do break up the limestone in small galleries containing mine chambers.

View of site +254

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The scale of investments is different by companies. A part of them has enlarged their productions applying new technologies. 15 be 43 have done investments generally in infrastructure and equipments. In the chart below are shown the scale of their investments expressed in euro

� Existence of codes of practice to achieve technical excellence

In all the legal frame of the mining legislation is promoted the best experience national and international in implementation of the mining activities. There is not any code by law or regulation but during the supervision of the mining activities and through different workshops and seminars organized for this reason is supported the best practice in exploitation.

� Providing an overview of production figures (e.g. volume of extracted rock)

� Uses and present market destinations

Uses and present market destinations are as follow: - in the infrastructure sector

- Using it as building rock and lime rock.

- The companies sell their products to the building companies operating in the Kruja, Tirana and Durrës area.

� Operating system for remote monitoring of illegal quarrying

There does not exist an operating remote system for monitoring illegal quarrying. The mining activities are supervised through different institution national and local. The National Agency of Natural Resources, Environment inspectors, as well as the local authorities’ inspectors are responsible for supervision of illegal quarries.

4. Waste and post-closure management

Treatment of waste includes all the steps from planning to the management of mining waste. In the new draft law( under approval in parliament) is adapted the directive of EC on mining waste, as well some provision are taken on financial surety for the management of waste. In the management plan are taken in consideration:

1. Disposal and handling of quarry waste 2. Quantification, characterization, feasibility and potential applications of

recycled Wastes ( e.g. by-products from natural stone quarrying) 3. Fit-to-purpose re-use opportunities of wastes/by-products ( e.g. waste rock from

Ornamental stone quarries can substitute other aggregate production) 4. Presence of quarry closure, rehabilitation and after-use plans, Remediation

practices Restoration, post-closure planning and immediate aftercare works 5. Treatment of waters coming from disposals.

6. Evaluation of the financial surety to guarantee such activities, in case when the mining permit holder abandons the quarry.

5. Environmental impact assessment

The large number of mining exploitation permits, with the respective allocated surface areas being very close to one another, remains a problem in the Kruja zone. Mining exploitation permits are issued for individual projects, which are not coordinated among them. This creates great difficulty in handling the rehabilitation of this area.

For each permit before the issue of the mining permit the subject is obliged to present to the Ministry of Environment the EIA (fulfilling all the requests described by law and decision of Council of Ministers for the EIA) as well as the management plant of the mining waste in order to receive the environment permission. During this process he is obliged to take two hearing with community and local authorities.

� Geomorphologic exposure and visibility aspects (e.g. landscape change)

� Protected areas status

There is no a protected area in the area.

� Water (surface and groundwater), soil and air quality conditions

The water’s surface and underground are under the supervision of the Geological Survey of Albania and National Agency of Natural Resources. The plan, projects and the exploitation system include the evaluation of them before, during and after the mining activities. Every year a whole report is realized for the evaluation of the impact of mining activities on the waters.

� Existence of codes of practice to achieve environmental excellence

There is no written codes for the best practice on the environment excellence. But through the implementation of the environment legislation and expression on the legal frame to be friendly to the environment is promoted the environment best practice. Through different workshop, dissemination of the reports on best practice for the environment protection distributed through mining subjects we tend to promote and disseminate these best practices.

� Systematic operation of environmental monitoring and control programme

There is a systematic control and monitoring of environment aspects from two mining institution Geological Survey of Albania and National Agency of Natural Resources. A part of that through Ministry of Environment by their inspectors which are in each province, there is a day to day monitoring of the environment issues.

� Engineering geology issues (e.g. landslides risk assessment)

No Geodynamic phenomena are generated by the use of quarries on the limestone rocks, because the rocks that form these slopes are strong and sustainable. In the Quarries where clay and sand are exploited, as a result of this exploitation is generated soil sliding on the slopes as e.g. Derven clay quarry and sand quarry near the old cement factory of Fushe-Kruje

� Noise, visual impacts, dust and emissions

This is a very sensitive (hot) problem for the area as several private companies are using car tires as fuel for furnaces burning Limestone (Karaj nr.708, two companies of BABASi nr.622) causing air pollution to the people of surrounding villages. This constitutes disquietude for the people that often block the road to attract the attention of local and central government for taking the necessary measures. Since in the quarries are used explosive mines that cause noise to the local residents.

The plant built by “SHIMA ”company is located very near the residential area in the Burizana village. Hence, concerns have been raised regarding environmental pollution, detrimental both to residents and farming crops.

PHOTOS OF PLANTS PERTAINING TO SUBJECTS BABASI COO AND BABASI 2

View of site. Pollution caused by the burning of tyres used in producing limestone.

� Aggregates extraction vs environmental management and pre-, syn -, and post-quarrying land use.

Aggregates by law are extracted only for environmental reason, in order to prevent flooding, erosion, etc. By law is prohibited the extraction of the aggregates from the rivers. This issue is monitored from the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forestry Administration.

6. Socioeconomic impacts assessment

� Local/regional employment situation The main sectors of the economy of this area are the extraction and processing of aggregates and Fushe Kruja cement factory.

In the Kruja zone, under consideration in this study, 41 private subjects (companies) holding mining exploitation permits, are involved in underground mining. These companies altogether register around 600 employees (workers, technicians, engineers, administrators and owners).

� Workforce directly and indirectly related to local aggregates extraction

Currently an important economic activity in the Fushe-Kruja town and its surrounding communes is the construction and trade activity. However, with the above mentioned activities the population cover not more than 35-40% of its economic needs.

The rest and the more important either of the activities is related to the production of the construction materials and lime production, activity which occupies almost 50-55% of the economic incomes of the population and, because of

many years tradition of the population in the area and favourable geological-mining conditions, it is the basic activity for this zone. A sudden interruption of that activity would cause severe consequences as the increasing of local population poverty level and the growing of the workforce emigration abroad, over passing the present rate.

� Health and safety aspects (on- and off-site)

Addressing workplace safety issues is high on the agenda of the private companies. This is the responsibility of the technical supervisor(s), including the mining engineer, and the respective mining technicians, geologists and surveyors. While following the project for the opening and exploitation of a quarry, they handle the implementation of the project and its adjustment to the concrete conditions. This is preliminary reflected in the business orders and the respective instructions issued by a company’s technical supervisors (of the mine), under their responsibility, and is enforced by the brigade leader and the quarry workers.

In this framework, for all the sectors foreseen to be involved in work at the new facilities where no exploitation has been registered in the past, technical passports for the exploitation of the limestone blocks are drafted.

Technical passports for the exploitation of limestone blocks are drafted by the technical supervisor pursuant to the [mining] exploitation project to be submitted in applying for a mining exploitation permit.

What is a problem in this zone is that many mining exploitation permits have been issues [for areas] very close to one another. Many of the first mining exploitation permits’ holders were allocated as much as 5 hectares (they were conditioned by the limits set by the local government.)

Closeness of companies involved in limestone exploitation is a hindrance, attributable to lack of coordination among them in regard to timing of mine explosion.

� Capacity building (e.g. training courses and quarry visits)

The new workers’ training system, according to the main specialties in open-pit mining (quarries), is not regulated. So far, such jobs have been filled by workers, who had acquired their skills in the past, and have been trained by experienced technicians and engineers coming from this area where limestone is manufactured and processed.

Care should be taken to regulate a common grounding and training system for new workers, by opening schools-courses of variable duration for the required specialties, by creating conditions to retain them at work, as well as normal working and living conditions, by offering them higher salaries, with the financial contribution by the companies themselves.

� Relevant vulnerability issues (e.g. human health risk assessment).

In the exploitation of the limestones of the Fushe Kruja area, from all the study and monitoring reports the main issue regarding the human health has been the

percentage of solids at the crushing plant and presence of smoke at the lime preparation plant. There are different legal acts from the environment ministry which are taking in consideration these issues. In the new draft law some preconditions are make for the installation of the crushing plant in order to ensure the quality of air.

� Local communities’ engagement and involvement in decision making.

Local authorities and community is involved in the decision making base in the development plan they are parts of the working groups for determination of the developing area. During the hearing of the environment permit they are able to express their views on such activities. All the laws regarding mining activities even the last one is realized through a wide hearing process with the local authorities, all their comments and suggestions are taken in consideration.

� Benefits of improving the knowledge base at a local level should be mentioned and highlighted

The process of involvement of local authorities is for sure the increase of the capacities in them. Until now most of the authorities of the mining area has two or more mining specialist, through different meeting with them is explained the mining strategy, there is disseminated some of the reports regarding their communities, etc. These reports are distributed to establish the role and responsibilities of all involved parties (government, mining company and community) and include services and benefits that will be provided in the project’s affected area. These include the provision of community infrastructure and the sharing of project’s financial benefits. In return for the benefits, the landowners commit themselves not to disrupt the project development and to work together with the government and the developer. It also commits the parties to an ongoing consultation process where development related issues could be discussed and resolved as they arise. This initial consultative process and the establishment of the various agreements take place prior to the Development/Concession Contract be signed between the Government and the mining company.

� Presence of effective and regular dissemination of information to particular stakeholder groups.

This process mostly has been developed with the local authorities where the government has problems, and it is not a general rule. Through new Extractive Transparency Initiative where Albania is part as candidate country from one year the dissemination report will be regularly as well the reports will be open to the whole public, especially regarding payments from the companies and environment issues.

� Available mechanisms to increase communication and discussion between stakeholders.

We are under the preparation of the communication strategy which will include not only the media but also different ways of communication to the public. This strategy will be available in the METE website in the future months.

It will be included not only the publication of the reports but all the ways of communication with the public such as road shows, leaflets, meeting with the mining communities, discussion in TV and radio, etc. Some of the issues which will take in consideration on this strategy are: Impact and benefits: How to communicate, Challenges in communicating, communications programmes, Step by Step:

• The state of play • Setting objectives • Identifying constraints • Prioritising stakeholders • Strategic approach, timing: What to communicate? When? • Mapping stakeholders • Top messages for each stakeholder group • Timing initiatives

Communications Programme: and Turning the Strategy into Action, Choosing the best tools & approaches:

� Dissemination vs. Dialogue � When, how to use the Media � When, how to use non-Media tools � Costing communication initiatives � Making the most of the funds available

Creating a communication plan ,Organising effective dialogue , Introduction on Media events / Non-media events: Regional Dialogue Events / Roadshows - Case Study: Radio programmes, Maximizing impact, broadening dialogue Using the media to raise awareness, deepen dialogue and improve stakeholder engagement, Working with CSOs and the private sector to broaden awareness engage stakeholders and deepen dialogue Creating networks.

7. Sustainable development options

� Early stage evaluation with respect to the seven questions framework to sustainability.

At this stage the evaluation of the mining activity based on the concept of sustainability is most for the first pillars because these activities are helping in the economic development of the area. There are some good steps towards the environment protection and these activities are mostly supported from the community and totally from the local authorities.

� Way forward e.g. LCA study approaches (maximise the benefits and minimise the impacts).

Looking forward to the life cycle assessment for the area which can be developed from a long time through the existing of big reserves one of the approaches have been from one study realized on 2006 where for mineral production units the necessary investments, particularly when the cycle continues by processing, , etc., is considerable and difficult to be faced from domestic investors even if they are

grouped. Nevertheless, presently in the field of mining industry is observed a vigorous growth (augmentation) of private subjects which regardless the starting with minimum financial means, modest investments and production, they have achieved such results that in the past 10 years could be seen as utopist. Regarding the foreign investors, the challenge of investments in the mining industry seeks a more attractive policy that through the existing legislative framework, Albanian Mining Law-AML, sub-legal acts, Concession Law, fiscal facilities (easiness) and of a continuous and serious campaign for our mineral wealth’s promotion, to be incited and facilitated the procedures of mining activity growth.

The main question in the field of industrial minerals is, without doubt, the demand for them. The most important thing in the planning alternatives is the taking into consideration of some factors as, mine wastes created by the exploitation (from overburden rocks displacing) or mineral processing, the impact of the mine workings in the environment, duration of operations, waste stock-piles, the continuity of the offer, saving of the quality parameters against the offer, rehabilitation workings of the terrain where is going on the exploitation, etc. It is important to be stressed that the policy must be set up on the concrete aspects taking into consideration information as full as possible, on the economic importance of particular industrial minerals and for their role in the country economy. The studies on the industrial minerals must follow a determined scheme to enable so the proper decision-takings. These studies must include an observation on the sector of industrial minerals, their economic importance, planning questions, programming and planning alternatives for every mineral, environmental impact of mining works, application of the principle for a sustainable development and intervention of the Government in the planning policies

The limestones of the content CaO over 50%, the reserves of which are in very huge quantity could be used successfully in the cement industry, lime production and the task is to be extended the production of carbonatic aggregates (rock quarries), which in the last years is operating through small-scale quarrying to fulfill the demand of construction industry.

Practically the construction industry is presently the most important economic direction and closely connected with it, is the production of building materials. It is a sector entirely privatized and liberalized, operating with or without mining permit, and extended overall territory of Albania. It has an important accumulation of financial means in the hands of not small numbers of businessmen, a considerable employed manpower growing day-by-day and a real well-marked (obvious) part in the State budget.

We have to accept that regardless actual developments of building materials production, the backwardness exists and not yet overpassed as, in the recognition aspect and in the using fields. For this reason it is necessary to be worked intensively in accordance with the needs of the domestic market and more, in the following directions: • Intensification of investments on consuming raw materials of building industry,

and increasing of productions of building materials to achieve, in not more than 4-6 years, a production level of more than 15 million tons or otherwise said to achieve the level of developed countries in this direction (cement, processing of limestones, bricks, tiles, decorative stones, etc.)

• Increasing the sorts of raw materials to be processed (basalts and other high-strength rocks as building material for high-speed railways, upper layers of the highways, olivinites, granites etc.)

• Decreasing of the import and increasing of the export of the high-quality building materials to seize a place in the international market.

• Complex studies of physical-mechanical-technological properties of all mineral raw materials and selection of the more qualitative deposits to apply the modern technologies of extraction and processing of such building materials. Increase the capacity of production in one quarry by gathering some activities in one.

8. Best practices approach

� Possibilities for new technology applications

In the technology application there is room to increase the application of the new technology specially in mining during drilling process , explosion, as well as in the crushing plant regarding the catching of solids through new techniques of hydro cyclone, wet catching, etc.

� Sought operational improvements

Most of the improvements have to be taken in the preparation of steps in the quarries, application of new machines during drilling process for preparation of the blasting, in the equipments of the crushing plants by using the complete close catching cycle of solids, and preparation of a wide number of products needed to the market.

� Expected impacts towards sustainability

By intervention on technology and mitigation measurements towards the environment these activities will be more sustainable and more accepted from the communities.

� Optimising the efficiency of primary aggregates production e.g. water & energy consumption, transport.

New investments for the machineries specially in crushing plants will help in the reducing the energy consumption, use of hydro cyclones will help in reducing the consumption of water.

� Targeting better practises that can help achieve a better relationship between protected areas and other land uses, such as how to incorporate areas of known aggregates potential into decision-making about new protected areas

In the new process of planning of mining activities the territorial planning will take place through the fourth year program which will be approved by Council of Ministers. In this program will be evaluated and promoted the mining areas through different approaches from technical, economical , financial, environmental points of view from different institutions taking in consideration strategic objective of the

country, cultural heritage areas, protected areas, etc as well as the local authorities. Geologic Survey of Albania, in its’ continuous activity has to plan complex studies for the compilation of the metallogenic map of depth and the projects which enable the further developments of the Permits of prospection, exploration, in accordance with the development policies undertaken by the Government which could offer better planning for growing of mineral wealth’s of State and increasing of the mining activity for the private subjects.

� Collect information on best practices and failures for aggregates extraction, e.g. environmental management.

Cooperation between different institutions such as environment, mining, local authorities is one of the best ways to have a good information on mining activities and best practices and failures for aggregates extraction

� Develop guidelines for post quarrying restoration

In the new mining law are prescribed some new regulation for the post quarrying restoration, which includes not only the remediation of the quarry but also the management of the mining waste, Some new sub laws will be applied for this issue. The guidelines

It is now accepted practice that when a company relinquishes a mining title, whether for an exploration or mining site, it is responsible for carrying out the rehabilitation of that site prior to departure. To ensure this is the case, most jurisdictions now require some form of closure plan or rehabilitation program to be submitted to the regulatory authority prior to the start of any work on the site. It is an increasingly common requirement for the closure plan to contain details of the estimated cost of rehabilitation and for a financial surety to be established at the same time. Closure costs for environmental issues range from less than US$1 million each for small mines in to hundreds of millions of dollars, because of these large price differences, the required level of financial surety should be established site-by-site basis; it is not feasible to establish a definitive guide. But the regulatory authority does need to be consistent in its approach both to determining end goals and rehabilitation standards and to assessing the financial surety requirements. Goals should include, but not be limited to, removal of all plant, equipment, and, where it is no longer needed, infrastructure; removal of all hazardous materials; stabilization of all surfaces; revegetation of all surfaces; restoration of surface and groundwater flows; and prevention of long-term pollution.

In some instances the mining community may have become reliant on cash flows, infrastructure, and facilities provided by or connected with the mine. It is becoming accepted for these social assets and services to be taken into consideration when establishing the financial implications of mine closure and when funds are being set aside for this purpose.

Closure and post closure activities should be considered in the planning and design stages as early as possible. Mine sponsors should prepare a mine reclamation and closure plan (MRCP) in draft form prior to the start of production, clearly identifying allocated and sustainable funding sources to implement the plan. For short-life mines, a fully detailed MRCP (with guaranteed funding) as described below

should be prepared prior to the start of operations. A mine closure plan that incorporates both physical rehabilitation and socioeconomic considerations should be an integral part of the project life cycle and should be designed so that: Future public health and safety are not compromised; The after use of the site is beneficial and sustainable to the affected communities in the long term; and Adverse socioeconomic impacts are minimized and socioeconomic benefits are maximized. The MRCP should address beneficial future land use (this should be determined using a multistakeholder process that includes regulatory.

� Determine impediments to best practice, e.g. lack of knowledge, regulatory blocks

The lack of dissemination of the reports for the best practice, sometime subject itself they don’t want to develop the quarry thinking that their investment is enough, they do not want applied new technologies, and in such case new rules for environment protection will help in this direction.

� Prepare recommendations for industry and government actions to encourage best practice.

By all these studies conclusions and recommendation will be served to the government, decision makers and other stakeholders in order to realize that best practice in mining activity specially for quarrying of limestones is very useful and will direct this industry toward the sustainability.

Dissemination of the best practice will intervene in Reforming the Policy, Legal and Regulatory Frameworks, including Enhanced Administrative Capacity and Sector Promotion, Improve the Development Outcome of the Mineral Operations through Addressing Environmental and Social Issues, as well as Improving Sustainability at the Community Level and Benefit Sharing.

ANNEX I

Short description of some comanies with mining activity in the area of Fushe-Kruje

No. 796 CLAY

This company has privatised the old cement plant, the limestone quarry and the clay quarry in Fushë-Kruja.

It has reconstructed the cement plant in Fushë-Kruja, which employed an outdated technology.

It has modernised and automated the cement plant by applying up-to-date technology.

It has invested in the limestone quarry and the clay quarry, with investments being made in up-to-date drilling machinery, rock-moving machinery, loading and transport machinery shuttling to and from the quarry and the cement plant.

The three facilities are run by a qualified staff inclusive of experts in all areas. They employ around 250 individuals, with all of them being insured. Those doing hazardous jobs in the quarries are also insured against accidents at work.

Minimum salary ranges from 20,000 lekë/month to 50,000 lekë/month. Workers are entitled to partial treatment, according to the job they do. Production cost amounts to around 230 lekë/m³ per quarry. They have put in place an environment protection project, which has not been carried out, given that the area, which has reached ultimate limits of exploitation, is impacted by mines.

There is need for rehabilitating the clay quarry environment, given that they are not making use of mines during the exploitation process. It is quite easy to rehabilitate the area, which has reached ultimate limits of exploitation. Limestone production is estimated at 719,235m³, and clay production at 107,527 tons. They processed the whole production, and employed it in the cement plant.

View of site +254

View of site +242

View of quarry

MILIS BRICK no. 877

In the vicinity of the quarry, this company has built a brick factory, which was finished in February 2008.

The brick factory was constructed on top of clay formations. The construction of the factory created a reserve, which was used in 2008. Preparations for the clay quarry to be operational got started in 2009. The brick factory and clay quarry employ around 50 people, who are insured.

Treatment is offered to workers exposed to dusty environment.

The quarry workers are insured against accidents at work.

In 2008, they turned out 120,200 tons. The whole production was processed and used in the factory. They are left with a reserve of around 40,000 tons.

The company should first put in place measures to ensure the rehabilitation of territory near the brick factory.

View of site +45 at the clay quarry

View of quarry

ALFA-7 no. 764

In 2008, clay production was estimated at 15,200 tons. The whole production was transported to the brick factory in Tirana, where it was mixed with the clay taken from Rubjeka deposits, in Durrës, and used for the production of tiles and bricks. It is around five years now that this quarry is being exploited and is supplying the brick factory in Tirana.

This quarry operates one excavator and a bulldozer only.

The quarry workers have both social insurance and insurance against accidents at work.

Average salary varies from 30,000 to 40,000 lekë/month.

The company should put in place measures to ensure rehabilitation of the area where mining exploitation is over, which they have not done so far.

Position of quarry by the main road

Close-up view of quarry

* Work front

NADI no. 616

In 2008, production is estimated at 3,600 m³. Production cost is 310 lekë/m³. This is a small quarry, with a surface area of 50,00m². Three persons are working there. Quarry workings are not mechanised. They manufacture mainly limestone and rock employed in house building. A part of it is crushed in the plant. Workers are insured. All workings are manually operated. The company has invested in a small plant, one excavator, one vehicle, one motocompressor, as well as equipment and materials.

They do not work on the basis of a mining exploitation project. They do not comply with the technical conditions. They make use of high stopes, in a very steep terrain. The territory, where they work, has not been rehabilitated and tidied up.

View of former quarry and monitoring of plant

View of facility

SELIMI 2001 no. 682

In 2008, production was estimated at 2,800 m³. Production cost is 320 lekë/m³. They manufacture limestone for building purposes, and limestone for private limestone furnaces. Three workers, with all of them also being insured against accidents at work, are working at the quarry.

Average salary varies from 25,000 and 40,000 lekë/month.

The quarry surface area, for which a license has been issued, is estimated at 0.005 km².

This is a small quarry, but they make use of stopes, and work in very steep terrain, with the risk for accidents being very much present. During its seven years of life, this company has not put in place any measures to ensure rehabilitation of the area being exploited.

Overall view of quarry

View of quarry

*High scarp without a stope

LATOMIA no. 926

The company has invested in connecting the quarry to the main road, and has built a limestone crushing and fractionation plant.

This company obtained a mining exploitation permit on 19 January 2006. Aside from the above-mentioned investment, not a single cubic metre of limestone has been manufactured.

View of plant under construction

BABASI CO no. 782

Company’s administrator is Pëllumb Babasi.

In 2008, production was estimated at 89,900 m³. Production cost is 300 lekë/m³. It registers seven employees. Quarry workings are fully mechanised, including drilling, loading and transport processes. Employees’ average salary ranges from 30,000 to 50,000 lekë/month. Employees are insured. Employees are offered protective working equipment and transportation. Those exposed to dusts receive antidotes.

Limestone manufacture in this quarry is processed in the plant for which this company has made the investments.

The processed material is used for building constructions in the Kruja, Tirana and Durrës area.

As is the case with all the other companies, this company, too, has not put in place measures to ensure rehabilitation of the area already exploited where no exploitation workings will take place any longer.

Mine chamber in the process of opening

View of quarry

*Dangerous zone with hanging chunks

*Scarp over 10 m high

*Dock

SHEHU no. 614

In 2008, production was estimated at 2,000m³. Production cost is 3,200 lekë/m³. They have employed three workers, whose salary is in the range of 20,000–35,000 lekë/m³. They produce limestone for building and lime manufacture. The whole production is traded in the Kruja zone. The employees are insured. They do not comply with any technical conditions, and have no technical passport for the block under exploitation. No measure has been put in place to ensure rehabilitation of the area already exploited.

Quarry with shared boundaries with the DOKU Company

View of quarry

*High scarp without a stope

DOKU no. 681

Company’s administrator is Pëllumb Doku.

In 2008, production was estimated at 2,000 m³. Production cost is 325 lekë/m³. They have employed three workers with a salary varying from 20,000 to 35,000 lekë/m³. They produce limestone for building, and lime manufacture. The whole production is traded in the Kruja zone. The workers are insured. They do not comply with any technical conditions, and have no technical passport for the block under exploitation. No measure has been put in place to ensure rehabilitation of the area already exploited.

Quarry with shared boundaries with the SHEHU Company

View of facility

SHALA no.612

Company’s administrator is Haki Shala.

In 2008, production was estimated at 2,500 m³. Production cost is 320 lekë/m³. They have employed three workers, with their salary being in the range of 20,000–35,000 lekë/m³. They produce limestone for building and lime manufacture. The whole production is traded in the Kruja zone. The workers are insured. They do not comply with any technical conditions, and have no technical passport for the block under exploitation. No measure has been put in place to ensure rehabilitation of the area already exploited.

Close-up view of quarry

View of quarry

*High and steep scarp without stope

SANTARA no. 872

In 2008, production was estimated at 56,500 m³. Production cost is 310 lekë/m³. The company and the plant, together, register 18 employees. The salary varies from 25,000 to 50,000 lekë/month.

All the employees are insured. The quarry employees are also insured against accidents at work. The company has made a solid investment in the quarry for the purpose of extracting limestone, by spending on up-to-date machinery, including a well drilling rig, an excavator, heavy machinery and transportation vehicles. The company has built a plant in the vicinity of the quarry, and one in the city of Vora. The plants are intended to manufacture limestone. The processed material is largely used by the company itself, and a part is sold to other companies operating in the same area. This company has been in business for many years now, and has not put in place any measures to ensure rehabilitation of the area already exploited, which has reached ultimate limits of exploitation.

Upper stopes of quarry

Lower stopes of quarry

View of quarry

*Work front *Landing in front of the last step

VOGLI no. 631

In 2008, production was estimated at 25,600m³. Production cost is 320 lekë/m³. They have employed 4 persons. The employees are insured. The employees’ salary ranges from 20,000 to 40,000 lekë/month.

In the quarry, the company has committed investments to extract limestone, and to buy machinery, including well drilling rigs, and loading and transportation machinery. The plant the company has built is an investment in limestone processing business.

The processed limestone is traded in the Kruja, Tirana and Durrës area.

At the quarry, they do not comply with the technical conditions, and work in the presence of very steep stopes, scarps, and gradient.

No measures have been put in place to ensure rehabilitation of the area already exploited, which has reached ultimate limits of exploitation at the quarry.

Quarry and crushing plant

View of quarry

*Scarp at a height over 20 m

PRISKA no. 874

In 2008, production was estimated at 12,600 m³. Production cost is 310 lekë/m³. They have employed 12 persons, with all of them also being insured against accidents at work.

In the quarry, the company has committed investments to extract limestone, and to buy drilling, loading and transportation machinery for limestone. It has also committed investments to buy a crushing and fractionation plant.

The company manufactures processed materials, including grit, sand and rock for building, and for manufacturing lime.

It has been for many years now in the limestone manufacturing and processing business. However, it has put in place no measures to ensure rehabilitation of the area already exploited.

The company’s products are traded in the Kruja, Tirana and Durrës area. The company does not use them, because it is not a building company.

South-eastern wing of quarry and plant

North-eastern wing of quarry

Close-up view of stopes

View of quarry

KASTRIOTI no. 936

In 2008, production was estimated at 20,100 m³. Production cost is 305 lekë/m³. They have employed 14 people. Employees are also insured against accidents at work.

This company has for many years now been in business in the Kruja zone, and has committed investments both to extract limestone from the quarry, and process it at the crushing and fractionation plant. Part of the products is sold by the company, with the largest part of them being sold to building companies in the Kruja, Durrës and Tirana area. They do not meet the technical exploitation conditions, as the height of stope is greater [than necessary], and the stope scarp gradient very big. No measures have been put in place to ensure rehabilitation of the already exploited area, even though a part of the quarry has reached ultimate limits of exploitation.

Quarry and plant

GËZIMI XX no. 841

In 2008, production was estimated at 5,600 m³. Production cost is 340 lekë/m³. They have employed 3 persons. Employees are also insured against accidents at work.

In the quarry, the company has committed investments to extract and manufacture limestone, and purchase drilling, breaking-up, loading and transportation machinery.

The company has committed investments to build a crushing and fractionation plant for limestone processing. Overall, the quarry features regular stopes. They hold no permit for civil use explosives.

This company is selling its own products to building companies operating in the Kruja, Tirana and Durrës area.

The company has not put in place any measures to ensure rehabilitation of the already exploited area, even though a part of the said area has reached ultimate limits of

exploitation

Crushing plant

View of quarry

SALILLARI no. 597

In 2008, production was estimated at 66,900 m³. Production cost is 320 lekë/m³. They have employed 15 people. Employees are insured, and partly insured against accidents at work.

In the quarry, the company has committed investments to extract and manufacture limestone. Investments have been made to purchase drilling, breaking-up, loading and transportation machinery. At the quarry, they are working well. However, they should make sure to maintain the stope parameters. This company is employing the largest part of the quarry production to meet its own needs, and is selling a very small part of that to other companies.

The company has not put in place any measures to ensure environmental rehabilitation.

View of discovered surface area where mining exploitation will start

View of quarry

SHKODRA INERT no. 971

This company holds two permits for activities taking place in two adjacent locations, permit no. 851 and permit no. 971.

In 2008, production from both activities was estimated at 110,600 m³. Production cost is 300 lekë/m³. They have employed a total of 19 people. Employees’ salary varies from 25,000 to 50,000 lekë/month.

The employees are insured, and are partly insured against accidents at work.

The company has committed solid investments to buy machinery for the quarry, and build a modern limestone processing plant.

The company is employing the largest part of the processed products for its own [building] company, and is selling a part of them to [other] building companies.

In the quarry, they are working well. However, they should make sure to maintain the technical parameters, including height and gradient of stope.

The company has not put in place any measures to ensure rehabilitation of the already rehabilitated area, even though it has reached ultimate limits of exploitation.

View of quarry

Partial view of quarry

View of plant

View of quarry

*Area where they work

XHULIO no. 540

In 2008, production was estimated at 71,000 m³. Production cost is 305 lekë/m³. They register 13 employees. The monthly salary ranges from 25,000 to 50,000 lekë/month.

All the employees are insured. The quarry workers are partly insured against accidents at work.

The company has been running this quarry for over ten years now. It has committed solid investments in the drilling, breaking-up, and loading processes, as well as the transportation process to take limestone from the manufacturing area to the processing plant constructed near the quarry. The constructed plant processes limestone, converting it into sand and variable size grit.

This company sells the limestone and processed products to building companies operating in the Kruja, Tirana and Durrës area.

Even though a part of the already exploited area has reached ultimate limits of exploitation, no measures have been put in place to ensure environmental rehabilitation.

View of quarry

Overall view of quarry

View of quarry

KARAJ no. 708

In 2008, production was estimated at 7,900 m³. Production cost is 320 lekë/m³. The company registers 12 employees, with all of them being insured. The quarry workers are partly insured against accidents at work.

In the quarry, the company has committed modest investments in the drilling, breaking up, and loading processes, as well as the transportation process, so as to take limestone from the quarry to the crushing and fractionation plant. In the vicinity of the quarry, the company has built a limestone processing plant. Plant products are sold to building companies operating in the surrounding areas. This company used to employ a part of limestone in its lime manufacturing. At the quarry, this company had constructed a primitive lime furnace, creating pollution that was highly detrimental.

In the quarry, they fell short of meeting the technical exploitation parameters, including height of stope and scarp gradient.

The company had not put in place any measures to ensure environmental rehabilitation.

Overall view of quarry

View of quarry

*Scarp over 15 m high, without a stope

LOTI no. 894

In 2008, production was estimated at 7,000m³. Production cost is 320 lekë/m³. They have employed 7 persons, with all of them being insured. The quarry workers are not insured against accidents at work.

The company has committed investments to buy machinery for the quarry, and in its vicinity, it has built a crushing and fractionation plant.

In the quarry, they are delivering a poor performance, failing to comply with the elements contained in the exploitation passport, including distance among pits, height of stope, and stope scarp gradient.

This company’s products have been sold to building companies operating in the Kruja, Tirana and Durrës area.

No measures have been put in place to ensure rehabilitation of this exploitation area, even though a part of the already exploited area has reached ultimate limits of exploitation.

Overall view of quarry

View of quarry

*Scarp over 15 m high

Comminution plant

MAKARESH no. 666

In 2008, production was estimated at 31,600 m³. Production cost is 310 lekë/m³. A total of 17 people are employed with the plant.

All the employees are insured. The quarry workers are partly insured against accidents at work.

The company has committed solid investments in the quarry and the plant, by making sure that all the processes are mechanised. This company’s products are sold to the building companies operating in the Kruja, Tirana and Durrës area.

In the quarry, they are putting on a poor performance, falling short of regular technical supervision, and failing to meet any technical parameters. The company had built the processing plant in the vicinity of the quarry. The company has transferred this plant to environs near the Babasi COO Sh.p.k. Company, close to the Kruja-Fushë Kruja road. Both these plants, located in this area, create major pollution, which is a bad sight for tourists on visit to Kruja. No measures have been put in place to ensure environmental rehabilitation, even though a part of the already exploited area has reached ultimate limits of exploitation.

Rock production volume reported in 2007 was estimated at 22,242 m3.

Central view of quarry

View of quarry

*Without a stope, at a height over 10 m

BABASI 2 no. 622

The same company holds mining exploitation permits no. 622 and no. 899, issued one after the other.

In 2008, production was estimated at 32,900 m³. Production cost is 300 lekë/m³. They register a total of 13 employees, with all of them being insured. The quarry workers are partly insured against accidents at work.

Average salary varies from 25,000 to 50,000 lekë/month.

The company has committed solid investments in the quarry and the limestone processing plant. In the quarry, they are delivering a poor performance, failing to meet the technical exploitation parameters, including height of stope, gradient of stope, and safety lines. The plant constructed along the Kruja-Fushë Kruja road segment creates major pollution, detrimental to local inhabitants.

This company sells its products to the building companies operating in the Kruja, Tirana and Durrës area.

No measures have been put in place to ensure rehabilitation of the already exploited area.

View of quarry at a distance

View of facilities, Babasi 2 at the centre.

*Kurti HY * Makaresh * Without permit *Babasi 21166 * Babasi 2622