Geosystem Engineering

ISSN: 1226-9328 (Print) 2166-3394 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tges20

Mae Moh Lignite Mine and Environmental

Management

Chanin Teparut & Suthipong Sthiannopkao

To cite this article: Chanin Teparut & Suthipong Sthiannopkao (2011) Mae Moh Lignite
Mine and Environmental Management, Geosystem Engineering, 14:2, 85-94, DOI:
10.1080/12269328.2011.10541335

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/12269328.2011.10541335

Published online: 04 Sep 2012.

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Review Paper
ABSTRACT: Mae Moh Lignite Mine, in northern Thailand, is
the largest open-pit lignite mine in Southeast Asia. It is de-
signed to produce some 16 million tons of lignite per year, to
meet the 2400 MW requirements of Mae Mohs mine-mouth
thermal power plants. The mine operation causes both direct
and indirect environmental impacts on land use, quality of life,
forests and wildlife; it has also caused pollution in such forms
as dust, noise, water contamination, odors from the sponta-
neous combustion of lignite and vibration from blasting.
Recognized as a significant pollution source, regulations based
on environmental impact assessments (EIA) have been strin-
gently applied. The mines controlling body has undertaken
responsibility for management of all impacts through its Mae
Moh Mine Master Plan, an ambitious outline for further devel-
opment of the lignite resources in Mae Moh Basin. Standard
management by ISO 14001, ISO9001, TIS18001 and CSR
guidelines is at present under implementation. The transparency
of the system has served to increase trust in Mae Moh Mines
environmental management, while contributing to an aware-
ness of the environmental impacts and the continual efforts to
mitigate them.
Key words: Mae Moh Mine, Lignite, Environmental impacts,
Mine reclamation, Reforestation
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT)
is a state-owned enterprise under the Thai Ministry of Energy.
Its Mae Moh Project consists of the Mae Moh Lignite Mine
(MMM) and Mae Moh power plants. The project is located in
Mae Moh District, Lampang Province, approximately 630 kilo-
meters north of Bangkok.
Lignite was found in Mae Moh Basin in 1923 (during the
Received March 16, 2011; Revised April 4, 2011;
Accepted May 26, 2011
* Corresponding Author: Suthipong Sthiannopkao
E-mail: suthisuthi@gmail.com
Address: Department of Environmental and Occupational
Health, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan
reign of King Rama VI); it was subsequently reserved for public
use only by a royal edict from Rama VII in 1927. Lignite fuel
was first produced in 1955 for small factories and power plants
outside the Mae Moh area, then, in 1960, for a small (12 MW),
newly-built power plant in the Mae Moh area. In 1969, a re-cal-
culation of lignite reserves in Mae Moh Basin was done for
assessing the extent of possible expansion. Consequently, two
power plants of 75 MW each, designed for consuming lignite
from Mae Moh Mine, were constructed in 1972. Since then,
Mae Moh Mine has been enlarged and developed for producing
lignite used by the power plants located within the Mae Moh
Basin (Chumroum, 1995).The Mae Moh Lignite Mine is now
the largest open-pit lignite mine in Southeast Asia, with a total
mining area of 9,260 acres and external dumping area of 10,240
acres (Rheinbraun Engineering, 1998).
The coal produced, some 16 Mt/annum, is transferred for-
ward to the 10 Mae Moh Power Plants units, with a combined
total power generation of 2,400 MW. The Mae Moh Mine con-
tains geological coal reserves in the total amount of 1,140 Mt.
with the economic coal reserves amounting to 895 Mt., a strip-
ping ratio 6.09 BCM/t and a heating value of 2,810 Kcal/kg
(Sompong and Teparut, 2004).
Presently, waste removed by EGAT is hauled to a con-
tractors crusher, and from there to dumping areas; waste
removed by contractors is also transported by the belt conveyor
systems. Almost all waste excavated in the future will be trans-
ported by contractors conveyor and dumped by spreaders in
the outside dumping areas. Part of the waste, however, will later
be backfilled on in-pit dumps whenever dumping space is
available. The shovel truck system with the combination of
crusher and conveyor devices has been implemented for the
mining operation.
Overburden is removed by a combination of Bucket Wheel
Excavators (BWEs), which remove the upper softer layers, fol-
lowed by truck shovel operations, in which rock is drilled and
blasted as required and then loaded by either hydraulic excavators
or rope shovels into rear-dump trucks. Uncovered lignite from
different mining faces is drilled, blasted and dozed as required
and loaded into rear-dump hauling trucks by electrically pow-
ered rope shovels or large diesel-powered front-end loaders.
The lignite is then hauled to semi-mobile in-pit crushers. The lig-
 Chanin Teparut and Suthipong Sthiannopkao

Table 1. Water quality of discharge water from mine site at Ban** Hang Hung Bridge from 2009 to 2011.
Parameters unit 2008 2009 2010 Effluent standards*
Conductivity S/cm 1946 2160 2177 -
pH - 7.51 7.59 7.49 5.5-9.0
Total Solids mg/L 2002 1695 1930 -
Total Dissolved Solids(TDS) mg/L 1736 1674 1734 3000
Suspended Solids(SS) mg/L 40 20 19 50
Total Hardness as CaC03 mg/L 779 779 672 -
Sulfate mg/L 1053 978 1082 -
Arsenic (As) mg/L 0.0036 0.0018 0.0031 Max. 0.25
Cadmium (Cd) mg/L 0.0036 0.0018 0.0031 Max. 0.03
Chromium (Cr) mg/L 0.0001 0.0001 0.0003 -
Copper (Cu) mg/L 0.0022 0.0012 0.0034 Max. 2.0
Iron (Fe) mg/L 0.0037 0.0036 0.0066 -
Manganese (Mn) mg/L 0.4391 0.6388 0.5139 Max. 5.0
Nickel (Ni) mg/L 0.4698 0.5139 0.4515 Max. 1.0
Lead (Pb) mg/L 0.0053 0.0045 0.0079 Max. 0.2
Selenium (Se) mg/L 0.0030 0.0012 0.0019 Max. 0.02
Zinc (Zn) mg/L 0.0016 0.0008 0.0020 Max. 5.0
Remarks: * The industrial effluent standards from Notification of the Ministry of Science and Technology No.3 B.E. 2539 (1996)
** Ban: Village in the near vicinity of Mae Moh Mine site

nite from different mining faces is blended at the crushers. The

planned blending ratio has been estimated previously from the
lignite quality analyses taken from exploration and pre-mining
drilling and the truck factor (weight of haulage). Crushed lignite
is transported by belt conveyor to lignite stockpiles.
At the stockyard, further blending is achieved by stacking
technique prior to being reclaimed by bucket wheel reclaimers,
then conveyed to the distribution bunkers of the power plants
(Sompong and Teparut, 2004).

To meet the 16 million ton lignite demand by the 10 power

units, the mine has to remove waste of about 85 million bank
cubic meters annually, and dispose of it onto outside dump sites,
or on inside dumps in the non-active pit area. Furthermore, to
fulfill the customersrequirements of specific fuel quality, in
compliance with the Lignite Sales Agreement, the blending of
lignite from more than 2 or 3 excavating faces is carried out.
Spontaneous combustion of lignite and the accompanying un-
pleasant odor frequently occurs in open cast mining. Covering
the in-pit inventory with clay or fly ash to prevent oxygen pene-
tration is therefore desirable, as fumes from spontaneous com-
bustion may annoy the surrounding communities.
The utilization of enormous land tracts for open cast mining
and the outside dumps, including simultaneous excavation of
several mining faces owing to a low lignite quality and complex
geological structure, have inevitably caused direct as well as
indirect environmental impacts on the Mae Moh Mine vicinity.
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) must be undertaken
and approval granted prior to obtaining a mining license from
Fig. 1. Total suspended particulate matter, 24 hour averages from 2009
to 2011 .
the Thai government. For Mae Moh Mine, EIA programs have
been implemented with great care, especially for mitigation of
environmental impacts at their sources (EGAT, 2001; Rheinbraun
Engineering, 1998; Sompong and Teparut, 2004).
The activities of MMM create two main sources of pollu-
tants, these being the dumping areas and the mine pit area. They
cause water contamination in the forms of high alkalinity and
conductivity. If contaminated water is discharged directly into
natural sources, the water ecology would be severely damaged,
especially for shallow water sources (Teparut, 2010, 2011).
Recent data for discharge water quality are presented in Table 1
and Fig. 1 (EGAT, 2010a).
Preventive and remedial measures for water quality manage-
 Mae Moh Lignite Mine and Environmental Management
ment can be outlined as follows:
Reclaim inactive areas as soon as possible.
Diversion construction around the mine pit to prevent flow
of outside water into the pit.
Provision of sumps adequate to collect mine water.
Utilizing in-pit water in related mining activities as much
as possible.
Have contaminated water controlled and managed by the
drainage system before its discharge toward nearby natural
water sources.
Construction of wetlands.
The Mae Moh Basin is bounded by steep, rugged mountains
where the tropical climate is dominated by north-east and
south-west monsoon winds. The activities of the project result
in dust and gas dispersion over the project and nearby areas,
which is caused by:
Mining activities
Coal excavation and crushing
Waste removal and crushing
Material transportation and dumping
Spontaneous combustion
Biomass burning
Vehicular traffic increases
Odor is emitted from the spontaneous combustion of lignite
when lignite is left exposed to the air for several days. It will start
combusting by itself and generate odors that may annoy the sur-
rounding communities (EGAT, 2010b; Teparut, 2010, 2011).
Preventive and remedial measures for odor management are
as follows:
The combustion of lignite can be prevented by disposal of
the combustible material underneath the waste dump.
Current mitigation of self-combustion at Mae Moh Mine
is by water spraying or compacting by track-dozers.
The solution for long-term prevention is to cover the com-
bustible areas with fine, thick material blankets while com-
pacting the area with track-dozers.
In-pit, stockpiling and dumping areas are daily investigated
for emission of odor from spontaneous combustion. Mitigation
is carried out as soon as possible when the combusting area
is found.
Appointing a spontaneous combustion control committee.
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The mining project has caused direct impacts on several com-
munities in the nearby areas since the project was initiated.
Many early impacts were positive ones, as the project provided
work opportunities for inhabitants who had mainly relied on
agricultural activities for their livelihoods. During the past 4-5
years, negative impacts have become more prominent, giving
inhabitants bad attitudes towards the project(Teparut, 2010,
2011; Nuong et al., 2011). Project impacts have been:
Positive:
- Providing work opportunities for nearby inhabitants.
- Building work force continuity for private and govern-
ment sectors.
- Raising inhabitants standard of living.
Negative:
- Inhabitants feel anxious about pollution and work security.
- Decreasing participation in community activities.
Preventive and remedial measures for socio-economic man-
agement are as follows:
Regularly informing the public of both positive and negative
impacts caused by mining activities.
Increasing work opportunities in mining.
Coordinating with concerned parties to encourage supple-
mental careers, as well as seeking potential job markets for
residents who cannot work in the mine project.
Decreasing dust, fumes and noise pollution by improving
roads and controlling pollutants at their sources.
Promoting quality of life in terms of safety in mining and
in other related work.
Making clear in advance to residents the requirements of
and possible problems caused by a large-scale mining operation.
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The mining project has caused the following impacts on pub-
lic health and sanitation:
Increasing air pollution, which may cause annoyance, dis-
eases and problems with the respiratory system.
Tendency toward vehicular accidents.
Tendency to increased venereal diseases in connection with
the growing workforce.
Increasing soil, water and air pollution.
Preventive and remedial measures for socio-economic man-
agement are as follows:
Decreasing dust impacts.
Decreasing car accidents.
Decreasing noisy activities.
Strictly following safety rules for machinery.
Following remedial steps to decrease impacts on water
quality.
Training employees to realize the value of work safety.
Participating with concerned departments to set up emer-
gency plans for coping with unexpected dangers, as well
as regular practice and training.
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The current sanitation is appropriate and adequate. There
should be an emergency plan to prepare for natural calamities
such as floods, earthquakes and uncontrolled fires, as well as
calamities caused by human mining failures.
Preventive and remedial measures for sanitation and safety
management are as follows:
Emphasis should be placed on training the employees to
realize the value of work safety to decrease loss and damage
from work accidents.
There should be coordinated planning among concerned
 Chanin Teparut and Suthipong Sthiannopkao

parties both inside and outside Mae Moh Mine and EGAT.
For example, with the Lampang municipality, army units,
provincial police, volunteer groups and medical units from
nearby provinces.
Also, there should be an operational plan in the care of by
an assigned coordinator.

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Mining activities do not have any impact on tourist destina-
tions or historical sites, as there are no such places of note around
the project area.

The forest resources in the project area consist mainly of
mixed deciduous forest and of minor deciduous dipterocarp (of
some economic value), and bamboo forest. These types of for-
est occupy the areas for mining, waste dumping, and conveyor
lines. Most trees, graded as low quality, are used as fuel. Due
to extensive industrial and agricultural development, as well as
pressure from landless farmers and the establishment of teak
plantations, virtually no undisturbed forest remains in the proj-
ect area (Teparut 2010, 2011).
The changes of wildlife habitats from forests to mixed pine-
apple and fruit tree cultivation, water reservoirs and canals,
mining sites, overburden dumps, power plants and the over-
exploitation by illegal cutting could be the causes of a decrease
in species of wildlife. Mining operations, too, directly disturb
wild animals.
Preventive and remedial measures for forest and wildlife
management are as follows:
EGAT, since the start of the project, has developed and
reclaimed mined areas.
Minimizing the felling of forest trees to meet the mining
schedule.
Prohibition of hunting in the project area.
The topography and geology of the mining area has been
changed as follows (Teparut, 2010):
Topography has altered in accordance with the mining pit
structure.
No ground cover crops are on pit slopes and the higher terrain
of dumping areas.
Changes in geological structure may result in slope failure.
Preventive and remedial measures for management of top-
ography and geology are as follows:
Adjusting mine area topography to be similar to the adjacent
topography.
Reclaiming post-mining areas for other appropriate uses.
Reforestation.
Constructing water channels for drainage and for planting
covering crops including perennial plants to maintain slope
stability and avoid erosion.
Operators and nearby communities are affected by noise
Fig. 2. Noise nuisance from 2009 to 2011 .
Fig. 3. Maximum vibrations at Ban Huai King and Ban Hang Hung,
from Jan 09 to Jan 11.
which comes from the following activities:
Operating equipment
Handling systems
Blasting material
Some recent data for noise disturbance in the area is presented
in Fig. 2 (EGAT, 2010a).
Preventive and remedial measures for noise management are
as follows:
Maintaining high standards of equipment and haul road
maintenance.
Constructing noise absorbing barriers or greenbelts be-
tween mine pits and nearby communities.
Delaying blasting and controlling maximum charges.
Requiring all operators to wear earplugs and not work over
8 hours / shift / day.
Vibration in the mines vicinity is caused solely by blasting
hard overburden on excavation faces. Area vibration data over
a recent two-year period can be seen in Fig. 3 (EGAT, 2010a).
Preventive and remedial measures for vibration manage-
ment are as follows:
A delay blasting pattern of not more than 2 millimeters per
second has been designed to minimize vibration.
In addition, a green belt has been established to absorb noise
and vibration effects.
 Mae Moh Lignite Mine and Environmental Management
Table 2. Reclamation areas and reclamation activities.
Reclamation areas
1. Side slopes and benches
1.1 Intermediate slopes
1.2 Permanent slopes
1.3 Dump slopes and benches
2. Top of overburden dumps
2.1 Intermediate dump
2.2 Permanent dump
3. Surrounding dumping areas
The large area used for mining purposes has caused the fol-
lowing major changes in soil properties:
Changes in the physical and chemical characteristics of soil
in the mining areas.
Increased risks of soil erosion.
Changing land use from reforestation and agriculture to
mining or other purposes.
Preventive and remedial measures for soil resources and soil
science management are as follows:
Planting covering crops like mixed species of grass and
legumes as well as fast-growing trees and environmentally
beneficial cash crops.
Application of soil amendments.
Land use in the project area has been changed from mainly
forestry and agriculture to mining and construction.
Preventive and remedial measures for land use management
are as follows:
Constructing roads, planting trees and covering crops, and
developing water sources using biological technology.
Post-mining area development through:
- Developing certain mine pits as reservoirs, for fishing and
recreation, and others for backfill, high alkalinity materials
and garbage disposal.
- Developing post-mining land as industrial areas with good
water source availability.
- Providing upwind accommodations.
- Establishing a "newly industrialized" community.
- Monitoring surface water, air, and soil qualities to ensure
appropriate land use.
Mae Moh reclamation work has played an important role in
returning post-mining surfaces and outside dumps to econom-
ically and socially profitable use by the community of the
region. Reclamation activities at Mae Moh Mine started in 1981
and have been carried out continuously to the present time. Also,
some Mae Moh reclaimed area will be gradually developed for
educational tours on geology and mine history. To achieve
Reclamation activities
- Covering crop planting and drainage management
- Tree and covering crop planting
- Tree and covering crop planting
- Re-vegetation
- Covering crop and tree planting, infrastructure, settlement,
agriculture, water well and water route provisions
- Settling ponds and wetland treatment
- Green belts
these, the environment created on the reclaimed surfaces should
be made to harmonize with the ecology of the Mae Moh Basin
(Rheinbraun-Consulting, 1982; Teparut, 2011).
When all economically feasible coal has been extracted from
the mine for on-site power station utilization, the total area to
be reclaimed would be approximately 24,250 acres. Mine recla-
mation is crucial to prevent deterioration of this extensive
environment. The Master Plan for Mine Reclamation had been
prepared as an expression of EGATs strong intentions for the
process of mine reclamation activities.It has been designed for
compliance with existent government acts and other relevant
regulations. At present, Mae Moh Mines reclamation is re-
garded as a study center for mine reclamation for both Thailand
and nearby countries (Teparut, 2010, 2011). The reclamation
thus far accomplished has been guided by some of the following
factors.
The intention of Mae Moh Mine's vision has been to strongly
emphasize not only providing a good product for the power
plants but also good environmental management. At present,
Mae Moh Mine has been certified as of international standard
for ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS 18001 (Teparut, 2002,
2011). Also, the Master Plan has been designed in compliance
with government Acts and Regulations, such as:
The Mine Act of 1967, dealing with mining.
The Forests Act of 1941, dealing with the protection and
preservation of forests, and the clearing of forests or rock
blasting for mining.
The National Reserved Forests Act of 1964, dealing with
forest protection and preservation, and the permission to
earn a living or dwell in reserved areas.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
After the organization's vision and policies concerned with
the environment had been issued by the top management, their
concrete targets were committed to. The Reclamation Master
Plan is the most concrete commitment, and contains significant
planning preparation for mine reclamation. The Reclamation
Master Plan for Mae Moh Mine has been implemented for every
5-year period of revision, or whenever major changes in mining
 Chanin Teparut and Suthipong Sthiannopkao

Table 3. Reclamation master plan criteria.

Land Use Percentage Purpose Proposed location
1. Reforestation 62% - For replacing teak forests of the FIO - On the western dump
1.1 Teak forest - For any areas not suitable for - On slopes and in additional areas as
1.2 General forest infrastructure, resettlement, and teak available
forest - Permanently available areas
- For soil erosion prevention
2. Water storage and run-off control 19% - For land utilization and soil erosion - On dump sites of the mined pit and
prevention tops of dumps
3. Recreation 8% - For village settlement, community and - Tops of dumps
public use
4. Settlement and agriculture 11% - For settlement, based on criteria from the - Tops of dumps
Royal Forestry Department

Table 4. Details of the mine reclamation plan according to environmental impacts.

Environmental Impact Reforestation Revegetation Agriculture Water storage Settlement Recreation
1. Water quality
2. Air quality
3. Socio - economics
and resettlement
4. Land resources

plans are made. Mine reclamation activities will continue to be
carried out following mining operations as set out in the five
year stage plan, from 2002 to 2028. The mine reclamation mas-
ter plan will end in 2032. The reclamation areas and reclamation
activities are given in Table 2 (Rheinbraun-Consulting, 1982;
Teparut, 2010, 2011).
The final land-use concepts of the project use basic principles
for implementation established by the Royal Forestry Department,
such as reforestation and developing soil quality to maintain the
ecological system and environment. The Mae Moh Reclamation
Master Plan has classified land use according to these concepts
as follows:
Reforestation 62%
Reservoirs 19%
Living areas 11%
Recreation 8%
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The expansion of the mining project to produce sufficient
lignite to cope with the requirements for Mae Moh power plants
has inevitably caused direct impacts on the environment. These
impacts may, however, be used as base data for designing mine
reclamation strategies which give detailed consideration to the
following environmental factors:
Teak forests belonging to the Forest Industry Organization
of Thailand (FIO): These are situated in the northern area,
specified to become the western dump. The commence-
ment of dumping in this area, therefore, has been deferred
to allow harvesting to be carried out. The teak plantation
is scheduled for eventual replacement on the completed
western dump.
Disturbed areas: Dumping has been designed to minimize
disturbed areas. For the western dump, this means com-
pletion of the northern and southern margins first, because
early achievement of the final level will allow progressive
reclamation to be carried out as early as possible.
Run off control: This is managed by division into two
systems.
- Uncontaminated water: This will be discharged toward
natural water sources without passing through the mining
site.
- Contaminated water: This refers to water from the mine
site or dumping areas. The water will be channeled into
settling ponds located around waste dumps. It will then
pass through the wetland treatment before flowing to nat-
ural water sources.
Green belts: Tall and faster-growing species of trees have
been selected for planting in belts around the mine. Also,
these green belts will be expanded onto dumping areas as
soon as the dumps have reached their final elevations, as
they can assist in limiting wind-blown dust from mining
activities.
Settlement: Resettlement zones as well as areas suitable for
agricultural use are provided within the dumping areas for
inhabitants who have been displaced by mining activities.
This provision also includes the establishment of surface
drainage and water storage. In addition, forest areas will be
provided for the maintenance of these villagers, using the
same criteria as used by the Royal Forestry Department.
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The final landuse concepts of the project are:
Reclaiming the mined areas according to the original pur-
 Mae Moh Lignite Mine and Environmental Management

Table 5. Reclamation research and analysis.

Programs Objectives Method Results
1. Reforestation test - To find suitable areas to prepare - By preparing top soil and mining - Most species, especially local
for reforestation. material of different thicknesses. species, can establish themselves.
- To select various plant species - Planting various trees - The growth rate depends on the
suitable for replanting thickness of topsoil; the thicker the
topsoil, the faster the growth rate.
- Ripping is helpful for the growth
rate.
2. Covering crops test - To investigate productive, high - By cultivating several legume - Suitable species are kudzu, ceratro,
growth rate species species in top soil of different and especially hamata and lablab.
thickness and using different - Appropriate fertilizer use is 8 kg/
amounts of fertilizer acre, by 12-14-12 formula
3. Cultivation test on cash - To study suitable kinds of plants - By planting one species per year - Green pea (Uthong 1), potato, soya
crop species in terms of production and growth. in shale where different thickness bean (Chaingmai 60), ground nut
of top soil have been prepared. (Tainan 9), several kinds of banana
and corn (Super sweet) could be
grown.
4. Grassing test over slope - To study its suitability for - By growing vertiver grass on - Vertiver grass grows best on topsoil,
areas maintaining slope stability. slope areas using different types shale, then poor soil, respectively.
of top soil
5. Animal feed species test - To study suitable species in terms - By planting many kinds of grass - They grow best on topsoil, shale,
of production and growth rate. and legume species in shale. then poor soil, respectively.
6. Cultivation test in poor - To select and collect plant species - By studying and collecting data - Many local species of trees, shrubs
soil areas naturally occurring, suitable for on species surviving naturally and ground cover plants were found
6.1 To study durable plant different concentrations of in some areas where alkalinity
species for high alkalinity in many areas concentration was not severe.
alkalinity areas.

poses and land uses, using the basic principles for settle-
ment as established by the Royal Forestry Department.
Reforestation.
Developing soil quality to maintain the ecological system
and environment.
Details of the plan for how reclaimed land will be used are
given in Table 3. Table 4 shows the reclamation plans ways of
dealing with various categories of environmental impacts
(Teparut, 2010, 2011).
Much research has been undertaken supporting reclamation
objectives, particularly with various plant covers for reclamation
areas. Tests performed and their results are presented in Table
5 (Teparut, 2010).
At present, Mae Moh Mine Reclamation is being implemented
by the Mae Moh Reclamation Section, which consists of the
following 5 tasks (Teparut, 2011):
Reclamation Planning
Land Preparation
Seedling Preparation
Planting and Maintenance of Trees and Cover Crops
Recreation Area Maintenance
Information and assumptions about the mine reclamation are
based on studies of mine investment costs. According to these,
the average selling cost of coal should support the mine reclama-
tion fund. This cost, however, is to be revised every 5 years. The
Mine Reclamation Fund was established in 1982. The fund was
transferred to "Account of Provision of Liabilities for Mine
Reclamation". In current practice, EGAT allocates 0.164 US$/ton
of coal sold for the expenses of mine reclamation. The total cost
of mine reclamation has been put at 124 million US$ (Teparut,
2010). Thus far, an expenditure of 16.71 million US$ has been
made (EGAT, 2010c).
Reclamation activities at Mae Moh Mine have been under-
taken since 1981 and have been carried out continuously to the
present period(Rheinbraun-Consulting, 1982; Teparut, 2010,
2011). The reclamation activities are divided into 2 scopes:
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> Ground Preparation
Ground preparation concerns the improvement of dumping
areas to be suitable for reforestation. The activities include
ground leveling, access road construction, establishing fire pro-
tection belts and drainage systems and the ripping of compacted
areas. Up to now, ground preparation of 8,000 acres has been
 Chanin Teparut and Suthipong Sthiannopkao
Table 6. Wetlands.
Area Settling pond (acres) Treatment bay (acres)
NW wetland 72.8 22
SW wetland 169.6 18.4
Northern wetland 118.8 19.2
SE wetland 3.75 1.87
Central biological wetland 1.75 0.54
Total 366.7 62.01
completed and 21 units of the 35-60 meter drop structures for
drainage have been constructed.
> Seedlings
"Seedlings"involves the production of species of forest trees
for use in reforestation programs, as well as for decorating and
maintaining recreational areas. Two nurseries were constructed
for these purposes. Each consists of a nursery, a stock and equip-
ment house, a yard for seedling arrangement and a house for
advanced plants, water tanks, etc. At least 50,000 seedlings are
produced annually, an amount adequate for the reforestation
program and for construction and maintenance of recreational
areas. Up to the present, approximately 2,000,000 nursery seed-
lings have been produced.
> Planting
Selected tree species that have been planted are in the main
northern indigenous species, fast growing species, high value
specie sand natural food species. To date, approximately 3,860
acres have been planted with more than 1,458,180 trees of more
than 60 species.
> Maintenance
>> Plantation maintenance work includes watering, weed
control, soil loosening and fertilization and plant trim-
ming and pruning. Maintenance continues three years
after planting. As of now, 3,860 acres have been under
the program, with a tree survival rate of 75-85%.
>> Access Road and Fire-protection Belt Maintenance. This
work includes weeding and ground grading to make the
access roads usable not only for area observation and
plantation maintenance, but also to serve as fire-
protection belts for the area. Access roads have been built
every year in the reforestation areas and ground cover
planting areas.
>> Drainage System Maintenance. This includes digging out
drains, sediment ponds and sediment traps in dumping
areas, and drop structure maintenance. The program has
been carried out continuously in the reforestation and
ground cover planting areas. Thus far, 21 drop structures
units have been implemented.
>> Electric Fences. In reclaimed areas for the first three years,
trees are quite small and not strong enough to survive by
themselves, and could be easily damaged by cattle from
the nearby communities. For keeping good relations
with the nearby community, cattle have been allowed to
Biological wetland (acres) Total (acres)
68 162.8
3 191
15.2 153.2
- 5.62
- 2.29
86.2 514.91
graze in reclaimed areas but are prevented from wander-
ing into vulnerable newer areas by electric fences con-
structed by the Reclamation Section. This method can re-
duce trees damaged by cattle by at least 60%.
>> Recreation Area Maintenance work includes maintain-
ing recreational areas so as to be clean and attractive at
all times. The construction of recreational areas is one
of the land end-use objectives to provide usable areas for
the public as well as for mine visitors. Their maintenance
has been carried out continuously.
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> Ground Cover Planting: Ground cover has been planted to
prevent soil erosion and to reduce sediment and leaching
contamination in water by ripping, and to help retain soil
moisture. The program has been executed in the final area,
the intermediate area and on the in-pit slope. The species
selected for ground covering are leguminous plants and oth-
ers occurring naturally, among them centrosema, calopo,
ceratro, hamata and lablab. Planted ground cover of 7,000
acres has been thus far been achieved.
> Wastewater Treatment: The goal in wastewater treatment
is improving the quality of water used in mining and
reclaimed areas before releasing it to join natural water
sources. The program was based on systems of natural
water quality treatment using facilities called "wetlands".
The wetland consists of four major structures: a settling
pond, a wetland treatment bay, a biological wetland, and
species of plants selected for water treatment. Three
wetland sites have been developed, the NE wetland, SW
wetland and Northern wetland (including 2 mini-wetlands).
Each covers the areas detailed in Table 6.
> Green Belts: Green belts involve planting trees with the
purpose of suppressing dust and reducing noise caused by
mining activities. The green belts are being developed on
five sites covering 360 acres.
The CSR committee of Mae Moh Project plays a critical role
in Mae Moh Project-CSR. It bears responsibility for setting
polices and overseeing government and management structures
and functions, as well as monitoring Mae Moh Development
Projects overall operations to ensure that its objectives are ef-
ficiently met.
 Mae Moh Lignite Mine and Environmental Management
Mae Moh Project should ideally exist in peace and harmony
with society. Doing so means striving to foster mutual under-
standing with communities and society at large, treating people
with dignity and respect, and running its operation and activities
in a socially and environmentally responsible way. It also
involves upholding social responsibility as a corporate value,
and a commitment to actively supporting development efforts
in environmental conservation and quality of life (Teparut,
2011).
Mae Moh Project has in place a CSR Master Plan to serve
as its guidelines. By following it, the Project can carry out its
operations with full accountability to society and the environment.
Community relations and development programs have been
regularly implemented in the vicinity of Mae Moh Project with
a view to establishing a sustainable partnership as well as social
trust and confidence in EGAT and the Mae Moh Project.
The operation of the Mae Moh Project inevitably causes both
direct and indirect impacts on the environment in its vicinity.
The environmental impacts on water, air, quality of life, land
use, forest and wildlife can have far-reaching effects on Mae
Moh residents. EGAT sees as its responsibility the management
of all environmental impacts, and returning the post-mining
surfaces and the outside dumps to economically and socially
profitable use for the communities in the region.
The Mae Moh Mine Master Plan for environmental impact
and rehabilitation provides an important preventive and remedial
system against environmental deterioration. It forms a
significant part of overall mine operations. At present, Mae
Moh environmental impact and rehabilitation management
have been continuously improved, not only to comply with
legislation but also to conform to ISO and OHSAS standard
requirements. Already, Mae Moh Mine has become known as
the place where students or the public can visit for tours or study-
ing the history of Mae Moh Mines geology and reclamation.
Chumroum, P., 1995, Coal Mining Technology, EGAT 674-8006-
33-6(In Thai).
EGAT, 2001, Environmental Problems Mitigation at Mae Moh Mine:
A Report (In Thai).
EGAT, 2010a, Environmental Monitoring Report, Mae Moh Mine
Project, Lampang, Thailand, July-December 2010.
EGAT, 2010b. Environmental Monitoring Report, Mae Moh Mine
Project, Mae Moh Mine Site, Lampang, Thailand.
EGAT, 2010c. Reclamation Section, Mae Moh Mine, Lampang,
Thailand.
Nuong, T.B., Kim, K.W., Prathumratana, L., Lee, K.Y., Kim, T.H.,
Yoon, S.H., Jang, M. and Duong, B.D., 2011, Sustainable develop-
ment in the mining sector and its evaluation using fuzzy AHP ap-
proach: Geosystem Engineering, V. 14, No. 1, p. 43-50.
Rheinbraun-Consulting GmbH., 1982, Reclamation Study Report on
the Mae Moh Lignite Mine Project, EGAT.
Rheinbraun Engineering, 1998, Review of Mae Moh Mine Master
Plan for Power Plant Units 1-13, EGAT.
Sompong, W. and Teparut, C., 2004, Quality Management of Lignite
Production and Handling at Mae Moh Mine, CEPSI, China.
Teparut, C., 2002, Mae Moh Environmental Management System
ISO14001, CEPSI, Japan.
Teparut, C., 2010, Mine Reclamation and Rehabilitation of Mae Moh
Mine, APEC Workshop on Balancing Competing Demands of
Mining, Community and Environment to Achieve Sustainable
Development in the Mining Sector, Seoul, Korea, August 31-
September 2.
Teparut, C., 2011, Scientist Level 10, Management Representative of
Mae Moh Mine, EGAT, Lampang, Thailand.
 Chanin Teparut and Suthipong Sthiannopkao

Chanin Teparut is working as a management representative of Mae
Moh Mine for ISO14001, ISO9001, TIS18001 and CSR. He holds a
BSC in soil science from Kasetsart University, Bangkok.
(E-mail: chanin.t@egat.co.th)
Suthipong Sthiannopkao is an associate professor at the Department
of Environmental and Occupational Health, National Cheng Kung
University, Tainan City, Taiwan. He holds a Ph.D. in Natural Science
from Universittfr Bodenkultur Wien, Vienna, Austria.
(E-mail: suthisuthi@gmail.com)

Chanin Teparut Suthipong Sthiannopkao