Environmental Noise Impact Assessment for Large-Scale Surface Mining Operations in Serbia

Abstract

Noise emissions are a significant environmental impact caused by the mining industry in all technological phases of surface mining, mineral processing, and waste disposal. This paper presents the role of noise impact assessment and control in large-scale surface mining operations. Mine planning develops the model of mining operations, ore excavation, and waste dumping scheduling and processing rates, including spatial distribution of mining activities. Such a level of mine planning requires an environmental impact assessment study. This can be achieved by applying noise impact assessment models. The described approach can be used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed protection measures to reduce or eliminate the identified negative impacts. This paper presents a case study of environmental noise impact assessment and control at the Serbia Zijin Copper DOO Bor mine, encompassing the analysis of the noise protection measures efficiency within the planning of large-scale mining operations at the open-pit mine Veliki Krivelj.