In Albania, in the department of La Guajira (Colombia), an area of more than 3.500 hectares where the largest coal deposit was, it is restored by a tropical forest with native vegetation and animal species such as iguana, rabbits, some birds and deer are returned to their habitat. This old mining area, currently flourishes which oasis in the middle of the desert, leaving a green mark between so much gray.
The restored area is located in the Cerrejon Mine which has some 69.000 hectares of land, the largest open pit mine in the world. This mine produces more than 33 billion tons of thermal coal and has developed its activity so far in 9.000 hectares, of which about 6.000 are still active and the rest in the process of restoration. Mining in this area began in 1984 in the so-called "Tajo Oeste" and the 3.500 hectares of the restored area became a dusty gray sinkhole due to mining activity.
The area restoration process has several steps. First, the ground is filled with thousands of tons of soil and then pressed to level it. Once the base of the soil has been restructured, the trees and grass are sown. The species used for this are native species capable of adapt to dry spells usual in the Guajira area.
Roberto Junguito Pombo President of Cerrejón, has confirmed that his restoration program is pioneering, since it is the first time that an area has been restored since mining began in Colombia. Since then, Junguito says that the vegetation layers of the exploitation areas have been saved so that, when the mining operation ends, the exploited area can be restored, although it affirms that the restoration of a mining area is a trial and error procedure.