Geosystem Engineering

ISSN: 1226-9328 (Print) 2166-3394 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tges20

Mae Moh Lignite Mine and Environmental

Management

Chanin Teparut & Suthipong Sthiannopkao

To cite this article: Chanin Teparut & Suthipong Sthiannopkao (2011) Mae Moh Lignite
Mine and Environmental Management, Geosystem Engineering, 14:2, 85-94, DOI:
10.1080/12269328.2011.10541335

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/12269328.2011.10541335

Published online: 04 Sep 2012.

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Review Paper

ABSTRACT: Mae Moh Lignite Mine, in northern Thailand, is reign of King Rama VI); it was subsequently reserved for public
the largest open-pit lignite mine in Southeast Asia. It is de- use only by a royal edict from Rama VII in 1927. Lignite fuel
signed to produce some 16 million tons of lignite per year, to was first produced in 1955 for small factories and power plants
meet the 2400 MW requirements of Mae Mohs mine-mouth outside the Mae Moh area, then, in 1960, for a small (12 MW),
thermal power plants. The mine operation causes both direct newly-built power plant in the Mae Moh area. In 1969, a re-cal-
and indirect environmental impacts on land use, quality of life, culation of lignite reserves in Mae Moh Basin was done for
forests and wildlife; it has also caused pollution in such forms assessing the extent of possible expansion. Consequently, two
as dust, noise, water contamination, odors from the sponta- power plants of 75 MW each, designed for consuming lignite
neous combustion of lignite and vibration from blasting. from Mae Moh Mine, were constructed in 1972. Since then,
Recognized as a significant pollution source, regulations based Mae Moh Mine has been enlarged and developed for producing
on environmental impact assessments (EIA) have been strin- lignite used by the power plants located within the Mae Moh
gently applied. The mines controlling body has undertaken Basin (Chumroum, 1995).The Mae Moh Lignite Mine is now
responsibility for management of all impacts through its Mae
the largest open-pit lignite mine in Southeast Asia, with a total
Moh Mine Master Plan, an ambitious outline for further devel-
mining area of 9,260 acres and external dumping area of 10,240
opment of the lignite resources in Mae Moh Basin. Standard
management by ISO 14001, ISO9001, TIS18001 and CSR acres (Rheinbraun Engineering, 1998).
guidelines is at present under implementation. The transparency The coal produced, some 16 Mt/annum, is transferred for-
of the system has served to increase trust in Mae Moh Mines ward to the 10 Mae Moh Power Plants units, with a combined
environmental management, while contributing to an aware- total power generation of 2,400 MW. The Mae Moh Mine con-
ness of the environmental impacts and the continual efforts to tains geological coal reserves in the total amount of 1,140 Mt.
mitigate them. with the economic coal reserves amounting to 895 Mt., a strip-
ping ratio 6.09 BCM/t and a heating value of 2,810 Kcal/kg
Key words: Mae Moh Mine, Lignite, Environmental impacts, (Sompong and Teparut, 2004).
Mine reclamation, Reforestation

Presently, waste removed by EGAT is hauled to a con-

tractors crusher, and from there to dumping areas; waste
removed by contractors is also transported by the belt conveyor
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) systems. Almost all waste excavated in the future will be trans-
is a state-owned enterprise under the Thai Ministry of Energy. ported by contractors conveyor and dumped by spreaders in
Its Mae Moh Project consists of the Mae Moh Lignite Mine the outside dumping areas. Part of the waste, however, will later
(MMM) and Mae Moh power plants. The project is located in be backfilled on in-pit dumps whenever dumping space is
Mae Moh District, Lampang Province, approximately 630 kilo- available. The shovel truck system with the combination of
meters north of Bangkok. crusher and conveyor devices has been implemented for the
Lignite was found in Mae Moh Basin in 1923 (during the mining operation.
Overburden is removed by a combination of Bucket Wheel
Excavators (BWEs), which remove the upper softer layers, fol-
Received March 16, 2011; Revised April 4, 2011; lowed by truck shovel operations, in which rock is drilled and
Accepted May 26, 2011 blasted as required and then loaded by either hydraulic excavators
or rope shovels into rear-dump trucks. Uncovered lignite from
* Corresponding Author: Suthipong Sthiannopkao different mining faces is drilled, blasted and dozed as required
E-mail: [email protected] and loaded into rear-dump hauling trucks by electrically pow-
Address: Department of Environmental and Occupational ered rope shovels or large diesel-powered front-end loaders.
Health, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan The lignite is then hauled to semi-mobile in-pit crushers. The lig-
 Chanin Teparut and Suthipong Sthiannopkao

Table 1. Water quality of discharge water from mine site at Ban** Hang Hung Bridge from 2009 to 2011.
Parameters unit 2008 2009 2010 Effluent standards*
Conductivity S/cm 1946 2160 2177 -
pH - 7.51 7.59 7.49 5.5-9.0
Total Solids mg/L 2002 1695 1930 -
Total Dissolved Solids(TDS) mg/L 1736 1674 1734 3000
Suspended Solids(SS) mg/L 40 20 19 50
Total Hardness as CaC03 mg/L 779 779 672 -
Sulfate mg/L 1053 978 1082 -
Arsenic (As) mg/L 0.0036 0.0018 0.0031 Max. 0.25
Cadmium (Cd) mg/L 0.0036 0.0018 0.0031 Max. 0.03
Chromium (Cr) mg/L 0.0001 0.0001 0.0003 -
Copper (Cu) mg/L 0.0022 0.0012 0.0034 Max. 2.0
Iron (Fe) mg/L 0.0037 0.0036 0.0066 -
Manganese (Mn) mg/L 0.4391 0.6388 0.5139 Max. 5.0
Nickel (Ni) mg/L 0.4698 0.5139 0.4515 Max. 1.0
Lead (Pb) mg/L 0.0053 0.0045 0.0079 Max. 0.2
Selenium (Se) mg/L 0.0030 0.0012 0.0019 Max. 0.02
Zinc (Zn) mg/L 0.0016 0.0008 0.0020 Max. 5.0
Remarks: * The industrial effluent standards from Notification of the Ministry of Science and Technology No.3 B.E. 2539 (1996)
** Ban: Village in the near vicinity of Mae Moh Mine site

nite from different mining faces is blended at the crushers. The

planned blending ratio has been estimated previously from the
lignite quality analyses taken from exploration and pre-mining
drilling and the truck factor (weight of haulage). Crushed lignite
is transported by belt conveyor to lignite stockpiles.
At the stockyard, further blending is achieved by stacking
technique prior to being reclaimed by bucket wheel reclaimers,
then conveyed to the distribution bunkers of the power plants
(Sompong and Teparut, 2004).

To meet the 16 million ton lignite demand by the 10 power

units, the mine has to remove waste of about 85 million bank Fig. 1. Total suspended particulate matter, 24 hour averages from 2009
cubic meters annually, and dispose of it onto outside dump sites, to 2011 .
or on inside dumps in the non-active pit area. Furthermore, to
fulfill the customersrequirements of specific fuel quality, in the Thai government. For Mae Moh Mine, EIA programs have
compliance with the Lignite Sales Agreement, the blending of been implemented with great care, especially for mitigation of
lignite from more than 2 or 3 excavating faces is carried out. environmental impacts at their sources (EGAT, 2001; Rheinbraun
Spontaneous combustion of lignite and the accompanying un- Engineering, 1998; Sompong and Teparut, 2004).
pleasant odor frequently occurs in open cast mining. Covering
the in-pit inventory with clay or fly ash to prevent oxygen pene-
tration is therefore desirable, as fumes from spontaneous com- The activities of MMM create two main sources of pollu-
bustion may annoy the surrounding communities. tants, these being the dumping areas and the mine pit area. They
The utilization of enormous land tracts for open cast mining cause water contamination in the forms of high alkalinity and
and the outside dumps, including simultaneous excavation of conductivity. If contaminated water is discharged directly into
several mining faces owing to a low lignite quality and complex natural sources, the water ecology would be severely damaged,
geological structure, have inevitably caused direct as well as especially for shallow water sources (Teparut, 2010, 2011).
indirect environmental impacts on the Mae Moh Mine vicinity. Recent data for discharge water quality are presented in Table 1
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) must be undertaken and Fig. 1 (EGAT, 2010a).
and approval granted prior to obtaining a mining license from Preventive and remedial measures for water quality manage-
 Mae Moh Lignite Mine and Environmental Management

ment can be outlined as follows: Positive:

Reclaim inactive areas as soon as possible. - Providing work opportunities for nearby inhabitants.
Diversion construction around the mine pit to prevent flow - Building work force continuity for private and govern-
of outside water into the pit. ment sectors.
Provision of sumps adequate to collect mine water. - Raising inhabitants standard of living.
Utilizing in-pit water in related mining activities as much Negative:
as possible. - Inhabitants feel anxious about pollution and work security.
Have contaminated water controlled and managed by the - Decreasing participation in community activities.
drainage system before its discharge toward nearby natural Preventive and remedial measures for socio-economic man-
water sources. agement are as follows:
Construction of wetlands. Regularly informing the public of both positive and negative
impacts caused by mining activities.
Increasing work opportunities in mining.
The Mae Moh Basin is bounded by steep, rugged mountains Coordinating with concerned parties to encourage supple-
where the tropical climate is dominated by north-east and mental careers, as well as seeking potential job markets for
south-west monsoon winds. The activities of the project result residents who cannot work in the mine project.
in dust and gas dispersion over the project and nearby areas, Decreasing dust, fumes and noise pollution by improving
which is caused by: roads and controlling pollutants at their sources.
Mining activities Promoting quality of life in terms of safety in mining and
Coal excavation and crushing in other related work.
Waste removal and crushing Making clear in advance to residents the requirements of
Material transportation and dumping and possible problems caused by a large-scale mining operation.
Spontaneous combustion
Biomass burning 1VCMJD
)FBMUI
BOE
4BOJUBUJPO
Vehicular traffic increases The mining project has caused the following impacts on pub-
lic health and sanitation:
Increasing air pollution, which may cause annoyance, dis-
Odor is emitted from the spontaneous combustion of lignite eases and problems with the respiratory system.
when lignite is left exposed to the air for several days. It will start Tendency toward vehicular accidents.
combusting by itself and generate odors that may annoy the sur- Tendency to increased venereal diseases in connection with
rounding communities (EGAT, 2010b; Teparut, 2010, 2011). the growing workforce.
Preventive and remedial measures for odor management are Increasing soil, water and air pollution.
as follows: Preventive and remedial measures for socio-economic man-
The combustion of lignite can be prevented by disposal of agement are as follows:
the combustible material underneath the waste dump. Decreasing dust impacts.
Current mitigation of self-combustion at Mae Moh Mine Decreasing car accidents.
is by water spraying or compacting by track-dozers. Decreasing noisy activities.
The solution for long-term prevention is to cover the com- Strictly following safety rules for machinery.
bustible areas with fine, thick material blankets while com- Following remedial steps to decrease impacts on water
pacting the area with track-dozers. quality.
In-pit, stockpiling and dumping areas are daily investigated Training employees to realize the value of work safety.
for emission of odor from spontaneous combustion. Mitigation Participating with concerned departments to set up emer-
is carried out as soon as possible when the combusting area gency plans for coping with unexpected dangers, as well
is found. as regular practice and training.
Appointing a spontaneous combustion control committee.
4BOJUBUJPO
BOE
4BGFUZ
The current sanitation is appropriate and adequate. There
4PDJPFDPOPNJD should be an emergency plan to prepare for natural calamities
The mining project has caused direct impacts on several com- such as floods, earthquakes and uncontrolled fires, as well as
munities in the nearby areas since the project was initiated. calamities caused by human mining failures.
Many early impacts were positive ones, as the project provided Preventive and remedial measures for sanitation and safety
work opportunities for inhabitants who had mainly relied on management are as follows:
agricultural activities for their livelihoods. During the past 4-5 Emphasis should be placed on training the employees to
years, negative impacts have become more prominent, giving realize the value of work safety to decrease loss and damage
inhabitants bad attitudes towards the project(Teparut, 2010, from work accidents.
2011; Nuong et al., 2011). Project impacts have been: There should be coordinated planning among concerned
 Chanin Teparut and Suthipong Sthiannopkao

parties both inside and outside Mae Moh Mine and EGAT.
For example, with the Lampang municipality, army units,
provincial police, volunteer groups and medical units from
nearby provinces.
Also, there should be an operational plan in the care of by
an assigned coordinator.

5PVSJTN
BOE
)JTUPSJDBM
4JUFT
Mining activities do not have any impact on tourist destina-
tions or historical sites, as there are no such places of note around
the project area.

The forest resources in the project area consist mainly of Fig. 2. Noise nuisance from 2009 to 2011 .
mixed deciduous forest and of minor deciduous dipterocarp (of
some economic value), and bamboo forest. These types of for-
est occupy the areas for mining, waste dumping, and conveyor
lines. Most trees, graded as low quality, are used as fuel. Due
to extensive industrial and agricultural development, as well as
pressure from landless farmers and the establishment of teak
plantations, virtually no undisturbed forest remains in the proj-
ect area (Teparut 2010, 2011).
The changes of wildlife habitats from forests to mixed pine-
apple and fruit tree cultivation, water reservoirs and canals,
mining sites, overburden dumps, power plants and the over-
exploitation by illegal cutting could be the causes of a decrease
Fig. 3. Maximum vibrations at Ban Huai King and Ban Hang Hung,
in species of wildlife. Mining operations, too, directly disturb from Jan 09 to Jan 11.
wild animals.
Preventive and remedial measures for forest and wildlife
management are as follows: which comes from the following activities:
EGAT, since the start of the project, has developed and Operating equipment
reclaimed mined areas. Handling systems
Minimizing the felling of forest trees to meet the mining Blasting material
schedule. Some recent data for noise disturbance in the area is presented
Prohibition of hunting in the project area. in Fig. 2 (EGAT, 2010a).
Preventive and remedial measures for noise management are
as follows:
The topography and geology of the mining area has been Maintaining high standards of equipment and haul road
changed as follows (Teparut, 2010): maintenance.
Topography has altered in accordance with the mining pit Constructing noise absorbing barriers or greenbelts be-
structure. tween mine pits and nearby communities.
No ground cover crops are on pit slopes and the higher terrain Delaying blasting and controlling maximum charges.
of dumping areas. Requiring all operators to wear earplugs and not work over
Changes in geological structure may result in slope failure. 8 hours / shift / day.
Preventive and remedial measures for management of top-
ography and geology are as follows:
Adjusting mine area topography to be similar to the adjacent Vibration in the mines vicinity is caused solely by blasting
topography. hard overburden on excavation faces. Area vibration data over
Reclaiming post-mining areas for other appropriate uses. a recent two-year period can be seen in Fig. 3 (EGAT, 2010a).
Reforestation. Preventive and remedial measures for vibration manage-
Constructing water channels for drainage and for planting ment are as follows:
covering crops including perennial plants to maintain slope A delay blasting pattern of not more than 2 millimeters per
stability and avoid erosion. second has been designed to minimize vibration.
In addition, a green belt has been established to absorb noise
and vibration effects.
Operators and nearby communities are affected by noise
 Mae Moh Lignite Mine and Environmental Management

Table 2. Reclamation areas and reclamation activities.

Reclamation areas Reclamation activities
1. Side slopes and benches
1.1 Intermediate slopes - Covering crop planting and drainage management
1.2 Permanent slopes - Tree and covering crop planting
1.3 Dump slopes and benches - Tree and covering crop planting
2. Top of overburden dumps
2.1 Intermediate dump - Re-vegetation
2.2 Permanent dump - Covering crop and tree planting, infrastructure, settlement,
agriculture, water well and water route provisions
3. Surrounding dumping areas - Settling ponds and wetland treatment
- Green belts

these, the environment created on the reclaimed surfaces should

The large area used for mining purposes has caused the fol- be made to harmonize with the ecology of the Mae Moh Basin
lowing major changes in soil properties: (Rheinbraun-Consulting, 1982; Teparut, 2011).
Changes in the physical and chemical characteristics of soil When all economically feasible coal has been extracted from
in the mining areas. the mine for on-site power station utilization, the total area to
Increased risks of soil erosion. be reclaimed would be approximately 24,250 acres. Mine recla-
Changing land use from reforestation and agriculture to mation is crucial to prevent deterioration of this extensive
mining or other purposes. environment. The Master Plan for Mine Reclamation had been
Preventive and remedial measures for soil resources and soil prepared as an expression of EGATs strong intentions for the
science management are as follows: process of mine reclamation activities.It has been designed for
Planting covering crops like mixed species of grass and compliance with existent government acts and other relevant
legumes as well as fast-growing trees and environmentally regulations. At present, Mae Moh Mines reclamation is re-
beneficial cash crops. garded as a study center for mine reclamation for both Thailand
Application of soil amendments. and nearby countries (Teparut, 2010, 2011). The reclamation
thus far accomplished has been guided by some of the following
factors.
Land use in the project area has been changed from mainly
forestry and agriculture to mining and construction.
Preventive and remedial measures for land use management The intention of Mae Moh Mine's vision has been to strongly
are as follows: emphasize not only providing a good product for the power
Constructing roads, planting trees and covering crops, and plants but also good environmental management. At present,
developing water sources using biological technology. Mae Moh Mine has been certified as of international standard
Post-mining area development through: for ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS 18001 (Teparut, 2002,
- Developing certain mine pits as reservoirs, for fishing and 2011). Also, the Master Plan has been designed in compliance
recreation, and others for backfill, high alkalinity materials with government Acts and Regulations, such as:
and garbage disposal. The Mine Act of 1967, dealing with mining.
- Developing post-mining land as industrial areas with good The Forests Act of 1941, dealing with the protection and
water source availability. preservation of forests, and the clearing of forests or rock
- Providing upwind accommodations. blasting for mining.
- Establishing a "newly industrialized" community. The National Reserved Forests Act of 1964, dealing with
- Monitoring surface water, air, and soil qualities to ensure forest protection and preservation, and the permission to
appropriate land use. earn a living or dwell in reserved areas.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Mae Moh reclamation work has played an important role in After the organization's vision and policies concerned with
returning post-mining surfaces and outside dumps to econom- the environment had been issued by the top management, their
ically and socially profitable use by the community of the concrete targets were committed to. The Reclamation Master
region. Reclamation activities at Mae Moh Mine started in 1981 Plan is the most concrete commitment, and contains significant
and have been carried out continuously to the present time. Also, planning preparation for mine reclamation. The Reclamation
some Mae Moh reclaimed area will be gradually developed for Master Plan for Mae Moh Mine has been implemented for every
educational tours on geology and mine history. To achieve 5-year period of revision, or whenever major changes in mining
 Chanin Teparut and Suthipong Sthiannopkao

Table 3. Reclamation master plan criteria.

Land Use Percentage Purpose Proposed location
1. Reforestation 62% - For replacing teak forests of the FIO - On the western dump
1.1 Teak forest - For any areas not suitable for - On slopes and in additional areas as
1.2 General forest infrastructure, resettlement, and teak available
forest - Permanently available areas
- For soil erosion prevention
2. Water storage and run-off control 19% - For land utilization and soil erosion - On dump sites of the mined pit and
prevention tops of dumps
3. Recreation 8% - For village settlement, community and - Tops of dumps
public use
4. Settlement and agriculture 11% - For settlement, based on criteria from the - Tops of dumps
Royal Forestry Department

Table 4. Details of the mine reclamation plan according to environmental impacts.

Environmental Impact Reforestation Revegetation Agriculture Water storage Settlement Recreation
1. Water quality
2. Air quality
3. Socio - economics
and resettlement
4. Land resources

plans are made. Mine reclamation activities will continue to be Disturbed areas: Dumping has been designed to minimize
carried out following mining operations as set out in the five disturbed areas. For the western dump, this means com-
year stage plan, from 2002 to 2028. The mine reclamation mas- pletion of the northern and southern margins first, because
ter plan will end in 2032. The reclamation areas and reclamation early achievement of the final level will allow progressive
activities are given in Table 2 (Rheinbraun-Consulting, 1982; reclamation to be carried out as early as possible.
Teparut, 2010, 2011). Run off control: This is managed by division into two
The final land-use concepts of the project use basic principles systems.
for implementation established by the Royal Forestry Department, - Uncontaminated water: This will be discharged toward
such as reforestation and developing soil quality to maintain the natural water sources without passing through the mining
ecological system and environment. The Mae Moh Reclamation site.
Master Plan has classified land use according to these concepts - Contaminated water: This refers to water from the mine
as follows: site or dumping areas. The water will be channeled into
Reforestation 62% settling ponds located around waste dumps. It will then
Reservoirs 19% pass through the wetland treatment before flowing to nat-
Living areas 11% ural water sources.
Recreation 8% Green belts: Tall and faster-growing species of trees have
been selected for planting in belts around the mine. Also,
these green belts will be expanded onto dumping areas as
&OWJSPONFOUBM
$POTJEFSBUJPOT soon as the dumps have reached their final elevations, as
The expansion of the mining project to produce sufficient they can assist in limiting wind-blown dust from mining
lignite to cope with the requirements for Mae Moh power plants activities.
has inevitably caused direct impacts on the environment. These Settlement: Resettlement zones as well as areas suitable for
impacts may, however, be used as base data for designing mine agricultural use are provided within the dumping areas for
reclamation strategies which give detailed consideration to the inhabitants who have been displaced by mining activities.
following environmental factors: This provision also includes the establishment of surface
Teak forests belonging to the Forest Industry Organization drainage and water storage. In addition, forest areas will be
of Thailand (FIO): These are situated in the northern area, provided for the maintenance of these villagers, using the
specified to become the western dump. The commence- same criteria as used by the Royal Forestry Department.
ment of dumping in this area, therefore, has been deferred
to allow harvesting to be carried out. The teak plantation .JOF
3FDMBNBUJPOT
&OE6TFT
is scheduled for eventual replacement on the completed The final landuse concepts of the project are:
western dump. Reclaiming the mined areas according to the original pur-
 Mae Moh Lignite Mine and Environmental Management

Table 5. Reclamation research and analysis.

Programs Objectives Method Results
1. Reforestation test - To find suitable areas to prepare - By preparing top soil and mining - Most species, especially local
for reforestation. material of different thicknesses. species, can establish themselves.
- To select various plant species - Planting various trees - The growth rate depends on the
suitable for replanting thickness of topsoil; the thicker the
topsoil, the faster the growth rate.
- Ripping is helpful for the growth
rate.
2. Covering crops test - To investigate productive, high - By cultivating several legume - Suitable species are kudzu, ceratro,
growth rate species species in top soil of different and especially hamata and lablab.
thickness and using different - Appropriate fertilizer use is 8 kg/
amounts of fertilizer acre, by 12-14-12 formula
3. Cultivation test on cash - To study suitable kinds of plants - By planting one species per year - Green pea (Uthong 1), potato, soya
crop species in terms of production and growth. in shale where different thickness bean (Chaingmai 60), ground nut
of top soil have been prepared. (Tainan 9), several kinds of banana
and corn (Super sweet) could be
grown.
4. Grassing test over slope - To study its suitability for - By growing vertiver grass on - Vertiver grass grows best on topsoil,
areas maintaining slope stability. slope areas using different types shale, then poor soil, respectively.
of top soil
5. Animal feed species test - To study suitable species in terms - By planting many kinds of grass - They grow best on topsoil, shale,
of production and growth rate. and legume species in shale. then poor soil, respectively.
6. Cultivation test in poor - To select and collect plant species - By studying and collecting data - Many local species of trees, shrubs
soil areas naturally occurring, suitable for on species surviving naturally and ground cover plants were found
6.1 To study durable plant different concentrations of in some areas where alkalinity
species for high alkalinity in many areas concentration was not severe.
alkalinity areas.

poses and land uses, using the basic principles for settle-
ment as established by the Royal Forestry Department. Information and assumptions about the mine reclamation are
Reforestation. based on studies of mine investment costs. According to these,
Developing soil quality to maintain the ecological system the average selling cost of coal should support the mine reclama-
and environment. tion fund. This cost, however, is to be revised every 5 years. The
Details of the plan for how reclaimed land will be used are Mine Reclamation Fund was established in 1982. The fund was
given in Table 3. Table 4 shows the reclamation plans ways of transferred to "Account of Provision of Liabilities for Mine
dealing with various categories of environmental impacts Reclamation". In current practice, EGAT allocates 0.164 US$/ton
(Teparut, 2010, 2011). of coal sold for the expenses of mine reclamation. The total cost
of mine reclamation has been put at 124 million US$ (Teparut,
2010). Thus far, an expenditure of 16.71 million US$ has been
Much research has been undertaken supporting reclamation made (EGAT, 2010c).
objectives, particularly with various plant covers for reclamation
areas. Tests performed and their results are presented in Table
5 (Teparut, 2010). Reclamation activities at Mae Moh Mine have been under-
taken since 1981 and have been carried out continuously to the
present period(Rheinbraun-Consulting, 1982; Teparut, 2010,
At present, Mae Moh Mine Reclamation is being implemented 2011). The reclamation activities are divided into 2 scopes:
by the Mae Moh Reclamation Section, which consists of the
following 5 tasks (Teparut, 2011): 1FSGPSNBODF
3FTVMUT
PG
UIF
3FGPSFTUBUJPO
1SPHSBN
Reclamation Planning > Ground Preparation
Land Preparation Ground preparation concerns the improvement of dumping
Seedling Preparation areas to be suitable for reforestation. The activities include
Planting and Maintenance of Trees and Cover Crops ground leveling, access road construction, establishing fire pro-
Recreation Area Maintenance tection belts and drainage systems and the ripping of compacted
areas. Up to now, ground preparation of 8,000 acres has been
 Chanin Teparut and Suthipong Sthiannopkao

Table 6. Wetlands.
Area Settling pond (acres) Treatment bay (acres) Biological wetland (acres) Total (acres)
NW wetland 72.8 22 68 162.8
SW wetland 169.6 18.4 3 191
Northern wetland 118.8 19.2 15.2 153.2
SE wetland 3.75 1.87 - 5.62
Central biological wetland 1.75 0.54 - 2.29
Total 366.7 62.01 86.2 514.91

completed and 21 units of the 35-60 meter drop structures for graze in reclaimed areas but are prevented from wander-
drainage have been constructed. ing into vulnerable newer areas by electric fences con-
structed by the Reclamation Section. This method can re-
> Seedlings duce trees damaged by cattle by at least 60%.
"Seedlings"involves the production of species of forest trees >> Recreation Area Maintenance work includes maintain-
for use in reforestation programs, as well as for decorating and ing recreational areas so as to be clean and attractive at
maintaining recreational areas. Two nurseries were constructed all times. The construction of recreational areas is one
for these purposes. Each consists of a nursery, a stock and equip- of the land end-use objectives to provide usable areas for
ment house, a yard for seedling arrangement and a house for the public as well as for mine visitors. Their maintenance
advanced plants, water tanks, etc. At least 50,000 seedlings are has been carried out continuously.
produced annually, an amount adequate for the reforestation
program and for construction and maintenance of recreational 1FSGPSNBODF
3FTVMUT
GPS
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1SPUFDUJPO
.FBTVSFT
areas. Up to the present, approximately 2,000,000 nursery seed- > Ground Cover Planting: Ground cover has been planted to
lings have been produced. prevent soil erosion and to reduce sediment and leaching
contamination in water by ripping, and to help retain soil
> Planting moisture. The program has been executed in the final area,
Selected tree species that have been planted are in the main the intermediate area and on the in-pit slope. The species
northern indigenous species, fast growing species, high value selected for ground covering are leguminous plants and oth-
specie sand natural food species. To date, approximately 3,860 ers occurring naturally, among them centrosema, calopo,
acres have been planted with more than 1,458,180 trees of more ceratro, hamata and lablab. Planted ground cover of 7,000
than 60 species. acres has been thus far been achieved.
> Wastewater Treatment: The goal in wastewater treatment
> Maintenance is improving the quality of water used in mining and
>> Plantation maintenance work includes watering, weed reclaimed areas before releasing it to join natural water
control, soil loosening and fertilization and plant trim- sources. The program was based on systems of natural
ming and pruning. Maintenance continues three years water quality treatment using facilities called "wetlands".
after planting. As of now, 3,860 acres have been under The wetland consists of four major structures: a settling
the program, with a tree survival rate of 75-85%. pond, a wetland treatment bay, a biological wetland, and
>> Access Road and Fire-protection Belt Maintenance. This species of plants selected for water treatment. Three
work includes weeding and ground grading to make the wetland sites have been developed, the NE wetland, SW
access roads usable not only for area observation and wetland and Northern wetland (including 2 mini-wetlands).
plantation maintenance, but also to serve as fire- Each covers the areas detailed in Table 6.
protection belts for the area. Access roads have been built > Green Belts: Green belts involve planting trees with the
every year in the reforestation areas and ground cover purpose of suppressing dust and reducing noise caused by
planting areas. mining activities. The green belts are being developed on
>> Drainage System Maintenance. This includes digging out five sites covering 360 acres.
drains, sediment ponds and sediment traps in dumping
areas, and drop structure maintenance. The program has
been carried out continuously in the reforestation and
ground cover planting areas. Thus far, 21 drop structures
units have been implemented. The CSR committee of Mae Moh Project plays a critical role
>> Electric Fences. In reclaimed areas for the first three years, in Mae Moh Project-CSR. It bears responsibility for setting
trees are quite small and not strong enough to survive by polices and overseeing government and management structures
themselves, and could be easily damaged by cattle from and functions, as well as monitoring Mae Moh Development
the nearby communities. For keeping good relations Projects overall operations to ensure that its objectives are ef-
with the nearby community, cattle have been allowed to ficiently met.
 Mae Moh Lignite Mine and Environmental Management

Mae Moh Project should ideally exist in peace and harmony legislation but also to conform to ISO and OHSAS standard
with society. Doing so means striving to foster mutual under- requirements. Already, Mae Moh Mine has become known as
standing with communities and society at large, treating people the place where students or the public can visit for tours or study-
with dignity and respect, and running its operation and activities ing the history of Mae Moh Mines geology and reclamation.
in a socially and environmentally responsible way. It also
involves upholding social responsibility as a corporate value,
and a commitment to actively supporting development efforts
in environmental conservation and quality of life (Teparut, Chumroum, P., 1995, Coal Mining Technology, EGAT 674-8006-
33-6(In Thai).
2011).
EGAT, 2001, Environmental Problems Mitigation at Mae Moh Mine:
Mae Moh Project has in place a CSR Master Plan to serve A Report (In Thai).
as its guidelines. By following it, the Project can carry out its EGAT, 2010a, Environmental Monitoring Report, Mae Moh Mine
operations with full accountability to society and the environment. Project, Lampang, Thailand, July-December 2010.
Community relations and development programs have been EGAT, 2010b. Environmental Monitoring Report, Mae Moh Mine
regularly implemented in the vicinity of Mae Moh Project with Project, Mae Moh Mine Site, Lampang, Thailand.
a view to establishing a sustainable partnership as well as social EGAT, 2010c. Reclamation Section, Mae Moh Mine, Lampang,
Thailand.
trust and confidence in EGAT and the Mae Moh Project. Nuong, T.B., Kim, K.W., Prathumratana, L., Lee, K.Y., Kim, T.H.,
Yoon, S.H., Jang, M. and Duong, B.D., 2011, Sustainable develop-
ment in the mining sector and its evaluation using fuzzy AHP ap-
proach: Geosystem Engineering, V. 14, No. 1, p. 43-50.
The operation of the Mae Moh Project inevitably causes both Rheinbraun-Consulting GmbH., 1982, Reclamation Study Report on
direct and indirect impacts on the environment in its vicinity. the Mae Moh Lignite Mine Project, EGAT.
Rheinbraun Engineering, 1998, Review of Mae Moh Mine Master
The environmental impacts on water, air, quality of life, land Plan for Power Plant Units 1-13, EGAT.
use, forest and wildlife can have far-reaching effects on Mae Sompong, W. and Teparut, C., 2004, Quality Management of Lignite
Moh residents. EGAT sees as its responsibility the management Production and Handling at Mae Moh Mine, CEPSI, China.
of all environmental impacts, and returning the post-mining Teparut, C., 2002, Mae Moh Environmental Management System
surfaces and the outside dumps to economically and socially ISO14001, CEPSI, Japan.
profitable use for the communities in the region. Teparut, C., 2010, Mine Reclamation and Rehabilitation of Mae Moh
Mine, APEC Workshop on Balancing Competing Demands of
The Mae Moh Mine Master Plan for environmental impact
Mining, Community and Environment to Achieve Sustainable
and rehabilitation provides an important preventive and remedial Development in the Mining Sector, Seoul, Korea, August 31-
system against environmental deterioration. It forms a September 2.
significant part of overall mine operations. At present, Mae Teparut, C., 2011, Scientist Level 10, Management Representative of
Moh environmental impact and rehabilitation management Mae Moh Mine, EGAT, Lampang, Thailand.
have been continuously improved, not only to comply with
 Chanin Teparut and Suthipong Sthiannopkao

Chanin Teparut is working as a management representative of Mae Suthipong Sthiannopkao is an associate professor at the Department
Moh Mine for ISO14001, ISO9001, TIS18001 and CSR. He holds a of Environmental and Occupational Health, National Cheng Kung
BSC in soil science from Kasetsart University, Bangkok. University, Tainan City, Taiwan. He holds a Ph.D. in Natural Science
(E-mail: [email protected]) from Universittfr Bodenkultur Wien, Vienna, Austria.
(E-mail: [email protected])

Chanin Teparut Suthipong Sthiannopkao