Abstract
Scarcity of mineral supplies globally means that there is an international effort to examine the potential to extract resources from mine waste. Such sites are often perceived as degraded and of little value. However, many sites are protected for their ecological, geological or historical significance. This article examines the scale of the association between these designations and former mineral extraction sites in England and Wales. Around 69,000 mines (44%) are co-located with some form of designation; ranging from 27% of sand and gravel quarries in Wales to 84% of metal mines in England. Some designations are coincidental to mining and may benefit from resource recovery combined with remediation activities, others exist due to previous mining activities and may be adversely affected. This creates a tension in the long-term management of former mineral extraction, which should be considered when assessing the potential for, and desirability of, resource recovery.
Highlights
The exploitation of minerals globally has been a key driver in technological advancement providing the materials for economic, social and cultural development
In terms of abandoned mines, for example, the USA has in excess of 600,000 sites, Canada 10,100, the UK, 11,700, South Africa 8000 and Australia 32,600 (Worrall et al, 2009)
The land resource occupied by former mineral extraction sites could be made available for other uses; in England, many such sites are allocated for housing and commercial development (Sinnett et al, 2014)
Summary
The exploitation of minerals globally has been a key driver in technological advancement providing the materials for economic, social and cultural development. There is a diminishing supply of resources such as metals in many countries, for example, the European Union have identified 26 minerals that have high economic importance, of which fourteen are seen as ‘critical’ due to their high supply risk (Hennebel et al, 2015). This has resulted in a growing interest in the opportunities for recovering resources from these wastes The land resource occupied by former mineral extraction sites could be made available for other uses; in England, many such sites are allocated for housing and commercial development (Sinnett et al, 2014)
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