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STUDY REPORT (BSR) OF SARMa case study Fushe-Kruja, Albania (3.2 Illegal and legal activity)

Case study of:

FUSHE-KRUJA

Country: ALBANIA

SARMa Partner: Author of the report: e-mail: Date of submission to WP3 leader:

10% partner 2 METE/AGS

Gjovalin Lekaj, Sokol Mati; Lavdie Moisiu; Edlira Plaku, Albert Avxhi

ledimoisiu@gsa.gov.al sokol.mati@mete.gov.al

01.06.2010

1. Description of location

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• Geographical data/coordinates Municipality Fushe Kruja it’s part of the District of Krujë. It’s is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Durrës County. Fushe- Kruja is situated on the north part of 25km far 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: Comapnies 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

Nr  Name  of subject  

No Permits 

Year   issued  

Minerali reservs in m3 

Area in km2 

Type of permit 

East  Nord

1  XHULJO   540  17.02.2000  limestone  59532  0.013  exploitation  4397450  45972702  KASTRIOTI   558  24.05.2000  limestone 123750 0.005 exploitation  4397230 45966823  BABAJ   648  25.09.2001  limestone  28096  0.005  exploitation  4396859  45963144  MAKARESH   666  05.07.2002  limestone 1170000 0.028 exploitation  4396850 45965905  XHULJO   669  18.07.2002  limestone  59532  0.005  exploitation  4397400  45971006  DOKU   681  26.11.2002  limestone 37040 0.004 exploitation  4397725 45958707  SELIMI 

2001   682  26.11.2002  limestone  65284  0.005  exploitation  4397415  45952958  GEZIMI XX   841  26.01.2005  limestone  158000  0.0056  exploitation  4397240  45963509  Shkodra 

Inert   851  07.04.2005  limestone  53226  0.005  exploitation  4397240  459688010  Santara   872  22.06.2005  limestone  3272950  0.0685  exploitation  4398000  459598011  PRISKA   874  23.06.2005  limestone 1841665 0.047 exploitation  4398028 459656112  MILIS 

BRICK   877  23.06.2005  Clay  5480425  0.0357  exploitation  4393960  459672013  LOTI   894  03.08.2005  limestone  66500  0.01  exploitation  4396840  459626014  BABASI ‐ 2   899  08.08.2005  limestone  301215  0.023  exploitation  4396380  459632015  ALBO ‐ 

2004   900  08.08.2005  limestone  39316  0.005  exploitation  4397035  459697016  LATOMIA 

TIRANA   926  19.01.2006  limestone  3646674  0.09  exploitation  4397664  459542817  KASTRIOTI   936  17.04.2006  limestone  364840  0.02  exploitation  4397230  459662018  SHKODRA 

INERT   971  05.09.2006  limestone  0  0.035  exploitation  4397150  459687019  SALILLARI   597  01.02.2001  limestone 4381376 0.098 exploitation  4397020 459620020  SHALA   612  26.03.2001  limestone  42500  0.005  exploitation  4397792  459594221  SHEHU   614  26.03.2001  limestone 50800 0.005 exploitation  4397660 459580622  NADI   616  02.04.2001  limestone  76900  0.005  exploitation  4397520  459529023  Babasi‐2   622  28.05.2001  limestone 389500 0.01 exploitation  4396704 459654824  VOGLI   631  10.07.2001  limestone  13565  0.009  exploitation  4397870  459615025  ART 

NDERTIM   695  26.02.2003  limestone  3728066  0.07  exploitation  4396240  459661026  LOCI   702  29.05.2003  limestone  659960  0.023  exploitation  4396580  459644027  KARAJ   708  08.07.2003  limestone  17000  0.005  exploitation  4397250  459735028  ALFA ‐ 7   764  21.05.2004  Clay  89339  0.014  exploitation  4393731  459690029  BABASI CO   782  29.07.2004  limestone  97000  0.058  exploitation  4397440  459542030  F.Kruja  795  08.09.2004  limestone  143194258  1.195  exploitation  4395100  4598210

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• 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 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.

CEMENT FACTORY  

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 459554033  Gener 2   1045  30.07.2007  limestone  9735383  1.395  exploitation  4398660  459481534  Gener 2   1072  21.09.2007  Clay 26029597 0.7159 exploitation  4397470 459205735  Gener 2   1073  21.09.2007  sandystone  7203450  0.2323  exploitation  4396503  459234836  Kronos   1083  06.11.2007  limestone 935024 0.112 exploitation  4398110 459451037  S.E.A   1120  13.12.2007  limestone  656818  0.198  exploitation  4398654  459587638  Babasi‐2   1166  19.03.2008  limestone 994122 0.047 exploitation  4396660 459690039  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 459614041  Xhuljo   1341  11.05.2009  limestone  2213413  0.078  exploitation  4397370  459713042  Santara   1343  11.05.2009  limestone 6262900 0.284 exploitation  4398220 459551943  Gener 2   1394  13.08.2009  limestone  62000000  0.3237  exploitation  4398660  459481544  Gener 2   1421  11.09.2009  limestone  0  3.08  exploration  4398014  4594000

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• 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 it 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

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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 limestones 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.

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Tortoniani’s limestone spread on the area at the west of Mount Dajti and Kruja as well, forming Priska suite. These limestone spread even the 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 a follow 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.

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View of site +254 The scale of investments is different by companies. A part of them has enlarged their productions applying new technologies. 15 be 43 have done investmentsgeneraly in infrastructure and equipments. In the chart below are shown the scale of their investments expressed in euro

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• 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)

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• 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 sells their products to the building companies operating in

the Kruja, Tirana and Durrës area. • Operating system for remote monitoring of illegal quarrying Doesn’t 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

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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 a 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)

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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

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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.

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• 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

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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.

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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).

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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. Main question in the field of industrial minerals is, out of 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

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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 consume of water.

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• 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

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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 don’t wanna 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.