Abstract
Mining legacies are often dominated by large waste facilities and their associated environmental impacts. The most serious environmental problem associated with mine waste is heavy metals and acid leakage through a phenomenon called acid mine drainage (AMD). Interestingly, the toxicity of this leakage is partly due to the presence of valuable metals in the waste stream as a result of a diversity of factors influencing mining operations. A more preventive and recovery-oriented approach to waste management, integrated into mine planning and operations, could be both economically attractive and environmentally beneficial since it would: mitigate environmental impacts related to mine waste disposal (and consequently reduce the remediation costs); and increase the resource recovery at the mine site level. The authors argue that eco-efficiency and resilience (and the resulting increase in a mine’s lifetime) are both critical—yet overlooked—characteristics of sustainable mining operations. Based on these arguments, this paper proposes a framework to assist with identification of opportunities for improvement and to measure this improvement in terms of its contribution to a mine’s sustainability performance.
Highlights
In our finite world the consequences of the continuously growing global demand for metals are becoming more and more concerning
It is common thinking that metal mining is by definition an unsustainable activity because of the non-renewability of its feedstock and many authors have raised the issue of resource depletion
Even though a mining operation cannot inherently be sustainable it is crucial to identify areas of improvement in order to stimulate a positive change. In this context this paper raises the key question of what defines a “sustainable” mining operation, and the associated questions: what is currently unsustainable in mining practices and what would a more sustainable mining operation look like? In the first part of this paper the authors provide key elements of the answers by stating the most critical problems the mining industry is facing: the consequences of ore grade decline, a lack of economic viability, and increasing mining legacies
Summary
In our finite world the consequences of the continuously growing global demand for metals are becoming more and more concerning. Even though a mining operation cannot inherently be sustainable it is crucial to identify areas of improvement in order to stimulate a positive change In this context this paper raises the key question of what defines a “sustainable” mining operation, and the associated questions: what is currently unsustainable in mining practices and what would a more sustainable mining operation look like? In the third and final part the authors propose a framework based on the principles of industrial ecology This framework aims at testing and assessing the hypothesis enounced in the second part, and eventually: Quantify the benefits of a recovery-oriented waste management system; and Identify external and internal incentives to facilitate a desirable change in mining practices
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
