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Credits: Lot Departmental Speleological Committee
Since its creation, the Lot National Nature Reserve of Geological Interest has worked with the Departmental Speleology Committee to clean the area's phosphate pits. These sites, rich in fossils and of exceptional scientific interest, have often been used as landfills and a large amount of waste still pollutes these chasms today. Each year, the Reserve team organizes a cleaning operation with the Caving Committee to restore these sites to their natural setting and limit pollution of the karst soil and water. This year, their efforts focused on a phosphate mine in the town of Concots. Due to the bad weather of the week, the reception of the public could not be carried out for security reasons; only equipped volunteer cavers were able to descend into the chasm. The results of the operation are very positive: more than a ton of waste was removed from this natural site. The waste will be processed at the Caylus center where the recyclable elements can find a new life. The Reserve would like to warmly thank all the partners who made this operation possible: the Departmental Speleology Committee, the commune of Concots, Syded for providing the skip, as well as the owner of the phosphate mine. Thanks to these actions carried out in partnership, the Lot phosphate mines will be able to continue to reveal the geological and scientific treasures they contain, in a healthier and better protected environment.
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