Para has some of the world's largest bauxite reserves. Trombetas provided some 10.3 million tonnes of the 13.2 million tonnes mined in Brazil in 2001.

"It is the first rehabilitation project in Amazonia to use native species and it is producing good results in terms of tree and organic growth and flowerings," Pereira said.

Pereira told Reuters that MRN spent nearly $1 million annually on the replanting project. The mine's annual turnover was put at about $75 million.

Comment on the plan from indigenous or environmental groups was not immediately available.

Pereira said that environmental groups that visited the mine were mainly concerned about whether mining should be allowed in the Amazon rain forest in the first place.

Every year some 300 hectares of land is deforested at the Trombetas mine.

However, International Aluminum Institute figures show that less than 15 percent of world bauxite is mined in rain forests and amounts to one billionth of the total 1.4 billion ha of global rain forest.

LONG PROCESS

Asked how long it would take to restore the mine to its original forest state, Pereira said it was too early to say.

Some 2.7 million seedlings of 350 species have been sown since the rehabilitation project began in 1979 while around 2,500 seedlings of native species, produced in the company's own nursery, were planted per hectare, he said.

Originally, bauxite mining waste was dumped into a nearby natural lake but silting eventually led to extensive flooding of the surrounding flat forest area.

But now the liquid waste is poured into huge 50 ha earth tanks scooped out of the mine area. When the tanks are filled and the waste has solidified seedlings are planted, Pereira said.

Monitoring of emissions into the atmosphere, rivers, marshes and lake showed that they were below legal limits, he said.

Pereira added that the company last December was awarded the International Standards Organization certificate ISO -14.001 which he said uniquely included the town of Porto Trombetas as well as the mining operation.