A score or more of miners’ colonies was once found near Orlová; now they exist only in memories and in historical maps.
- Technical reclamation: 1992 –1998
- Biological reclamation: 1998 –2003
- Total cost: CZK 90 million
- Source of financing: OKD, environmental subsidy from public budgets
- Area: 55 ha
The colonies suffered from the effects of nearby mining, with subsidence causing the houses to crumble to a point where their eventual demolition proved inevitable. Another consequence saw the small stream, Lazecká stružka, which flowed through the colonies, spill across the landscape.
Prior to the demolition, miners undertook some salvage operations. The topsoil was removed and placed in safe storage to preserve its quality and prevent it from accumulating water for its reuse in landscaping. The landscaping itself commenced in 1992 and took, together with the biological reclamation, i.e. grassing and forestation, more than 10 years.
A new landscape was carved out with heavy machinery during the reclamation. A 10 metre layer of spoil, fly ash and rubble was set down, then covered with topsoil and planted with greenery.
A 20-hectare lake, Lazecké jezero, was created in the valley of the original Lazecká stružka. The banks were planted with willows, shrubs and reeds. Within a few years, the lake became a popular spot for anglers while the surrounding meadows and groves have provided hunting ground for the local hunting association.
In 2003, the miners returned the reclaimed 55 hectares back to nature and to people who wished to pursue leisure activities. The total cost of the project reached CZK 90 million, a sum partially covered by OKD, with the remainder provided by the state through a special fund earmarked for the reclamation of formerly mined areas.
“Miners in the Czech Republic are required by the Mining Act to create a reserve fund to finance decontamination and reclamation projects and for the redemption of damages caused by mining. They also pay a levy on extracted minerals to the account of the relevant District Mining Authority. Of the levy, 75 percent goes to the budgets of the local councils and the remaining 25 percent to the national budget,” said Jan Slíva, Deputy Director of CSS – rekultivace OKD. Mining organisations can receive these resources back in the form of environmental subsidies for decontamination and reclamation projects, in accordance with the relevant resolution of the Czech government, as occurred in the case of the Lazecká site.