Environmental Remediation of the Senhora das Fontes Mining Area

Location

Pinhel (Municipality)

Investment

1,924,577.79 €

2010 - 2011

Environmental Remediation of the Senhora das Fontes Mining Area

Concluded

The former mining area of Senhora das Fontes is located in the civil parish of Sorval, municipality of Pinhel, district of Guarda.

It is situated in a flat area on a broad plateau corresponding to the regions of Guarda, Vilar Formoso and Almeida. It is a relatively flat area where the elevations vary between 600 m and 590 m. In terms of habitation, it is an isolated spot, yet relatively close to two parishes. The land is surrounded by pine forests and bush, and in particular downstream there is intensive garden-based agriculture.

Uranium exploration was conducted via open pit and underground mining from 1967 to 1982, in an area of approximately 15 ha.

The environmental remediation work of the Senhora das Fontes mine included earthmoving, the rehabilitation and upgrading of access roads, demolition, drainage, the capping of shafts and galleries, landscaping, the execution of underground water abstraction, the construction of leachate tanks and electrical installations.

Under the contract, the following main activities were carried out:

Sealing of shafts and chimneys;
Dismantling of old structures and buildings and eventual removal to the confined disposal site at Quinta do Bispo;
Geotechnical consolidation of materials deposited in the former surface pit;
Removal of the spoil heap (2,000 m³) and respective controlled disposal in the area of the former pit;
Removal of other spoil heaps/existing former dumps (31,800 m³), respective controlled disposal and forming at local landfill area (former pit area) or transport to the confined disposal site at Quinta do Bispo;
Sealing of the local landfill area (former pit area);
Construction of drainage systems and rehabilitation of the landscape of the area.

This contract was awarded to the consortium Jeremias de Macedo & Cia / MT3 – Engenharia e Obras, Lda for € 1,844,715.73 (incl. VAT) and had a duration of 365 days.

The investment was co-financed by the Cohesion Fund and allowed the environmental liabilities resulting from mining at this location to be resolved, bringing benefits to local populations through the improvement of current conditions and use of the areas reclaimed for other ends.