Abstract
Mining companies are responsible for the impacts that result from their mining activities even after the mining period has ended. At the same time, at the European and international levels, there is a lack of a detailed operational methodology comprising environmental risks during and after closure of underground coal mines. The environmental risk aspects that need to be considered when planning the closure of an underground coal mine and post closure in the broader environmental context are the following: modification of water flow scheme, surface instability, mine gas emission on the surface, and water and soil pollution. In this study, we focus on assessing groundwater risk in the context of an underground coal mine closure and evaluating the selected risk mitigation strategies in terms of performance and cost. The results from this study could be used for developing a final closure groundwater assessment plan by selecting the most feasible treatment alternatives for different environmental impacts, together with the transitional monitoring that could guarantee a hazard level in compliance with land reuse and the use of natural resources. Finally, the cost-efficient monitoring and treatment programs are used to estimate the financial provisions needed to mitigate groundwater risks during underground coal mine closure contexts.
Highlights
At the European and international levels, there is a lack of a detailed operational methodology comprising environmental risks during and after closure of underground coal mines [1]
Several tools have been used to manage environmental risks in the context of mine closures, they have mainly focused on mine reclamation or in very specific aspects of the closing process but without developing a detailed operational methodology
We present the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) MERIDA Project results concerning groundwater risk assessment, starting with the risk identification of areas exposed to groundwater risk
Summary
At the European and international levels, there is a lack of a detailed operational methodology comprising environmental risks during and after closure of underground coal mines [1] Up to this moment, several tools have been used to manage environmental risks in the context of mine closures, they have mainly focused on mine reclamation or in very specific aspects of the closing process but without developing a detailed operational methodology. These include the following: the “Mining Risk Prevention Plan” in France, that evaluates the risks that are linked to pollution [2]; guidelines related to planning and implementing strategies for mine closure in Finland but within a global project of environmental techniques for extractive industries [3]; an impact assessment methodology for water management using risk assessment principles [4]; a strategic framework in order to develop mine closure plans they are not detailed enough [5]; and guidelines for mine closure in the United States and in Canada, with a mine reclamation approach [6]
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