The Technical Study for the underground exploitation of a marble quarry in the Volakas area has been approved by the General Directorate of Mineral Resources of the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
The study, submitted by the marble company IKTINOS HELLAS SA, covers an area of 99,403.12 square metres in the ‘Leptokaryes’ area of the Municipality of Volakas.
The relevant study for the underground exploitation of the quarry in Volakas is important for the area, as there will be no external disturbance. Meanwhile, the company already combines surface and underground mining in the area.
Noteworthy is that the company has been using the underground mining method since 2017, with satisfactory results. Through this method, IKTINOS has highlighted the essential advantages of underground mining: the selective attack and extraction of marble material and the limitation of its environmental footprint. Each extraction operation is now a harmonious combination of surface and underground mining.
In cooperation with the competent authorities, activities are organised in such a way as to protect local biodiversity. In this context, underground mining is extended to the quarries where the company operates, following the stratigraphy of the deposit. Notable is that a Special Environmental Impact Assessment (SEA) has been carried out on the company’s initiative, in which species of fauna (birds and mammals) have been recorded to assess the impact on biodiversity, and on the integrity of the Special Protection Area (SPA) of any expansion and operation of the underground quarry.
Source: www.proinos-typos.gr
