Environmental Impact Of Mining Research Articles

Subsidence prediction versus observation in Australia: A short comment

Over-prediction of subsidence levels of mined land may be an issue for getting mining approval and tighter conditions in some places can be imposed to better inform mining operations and planning. Under-prediction of subsidence, present safety, social and environmental consequences during or after longwall extractions have occurred. In this study we collected subsidence data from reports related to underground coal mining environmental impact statements (EIS) and end of panel reports, and compared predicted subsidence data with the observed data to compare the accuracy of prediction. From the limited data, while it was difficult to substantiate a strong relationship between the predicted and observed subsidence data and mining characteristics, we found that where mining is less than 220 m below the surface subsidence prediction generally matches well with the observed subsidence and the ratio is closer to 1 than those mined at greater depths. Subsidence prediction analysed for mines in the Gunnedah Basin are found to be generally better than those in the Sydney Basin.The results presented here are based on limited data available in the public domain and while more data is needed to prove or disprove the discussed hypotheses, we consider there to be value in extending EIS requirements. Importantly, publication of both prediction and observed subsidence measurements would provide suitable transparency for improved, future predictions, and to provide social and stakeholder assurances that would meet growing legislative requirements.

Стратегия развития угольного региона в контексте стратегической экологической оценки

The article presents the results of a strategic environmental analysis of the goals of socio-economic development of an average resource region. The research featured the case of Kuzbass as it moves on to technological regulation in the field of environmental protection. The author analyzed various methodological approaches to assessing the environmental component in strategic documents at the regional level. The analysis included sustainable development indicators, including integrated ones, as well as criteria and indicators of the environmental quality of the strategies. The study concentrated on the Strategy of Socio-Economic Development of the Kemerovo region (Kuzbass) up to 2035, which involved industrial and national strategies. The research objective was to identify the regional environmental component in the strategic document and to assess its potential for reducing the anthropogenic pressure on the environment in the context of increasing mining production. The Strategy proved to be based on the principles of continuity, balanced planning, and measurability of strategic environmental goals. However, the principles and mechanisms for achieving the strategic environmental goal require further clarification. The goal is to reduce the negative environmental impact of mining and other industries by switching to the best available technologies in accordance with the new industrial environmental policy of Russia.

Semi-Quantitative Environmental Impact Assessment of Khewra Salt Mine of Pakistan: an Application of Mathematical Approach of Environmental Sustainability

The environmental sustainability is linked back to human sustainability; the sustainability development comprises the environment, society, and economics. This study mainly focused on mining sustainability and its impact on the environment of Pakistan. For measuring the level and environmental mining sustainability nature to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the world’s second largest salt mine “Khewra,” Folchi and Phillips environmental sustainability mathematics (PESM) models are applied. The results indicated that Khewra was deemed to be potentially sustainable for the environment and quality of salt. The results suggest the delicate balance of maintaining sustainability successfully, regarding the mining process in Pakistan which has been affecting the local environment and community so badly. The paper lays emphasis on the potential significance of the model’s application for the attainment of sustainable mining goal. This study is essential for researchers, Mining Environmental Impact Assessors, and Government of Pakistan in environmental and socioeconomic perspective.

Optimazing the abandon mining as an alternative for tourism destination: the case of Lombok Island

The environmental impact of mining on land is unavoidable, which calls for actions to optimize the unused surface-mined lands. One of the alternatives is to the unused surface-mined lands for tourism destinations. As a tourism destination, this effort will local people in terms of regional development and community’s incomes. This research aims to analyze the extent of how to utilize the unused surface-mined lands in the Balibe Hill, Bonder Village, Central Lombok. The research design will employ field observation and interviews with local government and local community. This is important to gain data and information about the existing environmental condition and the community’s livelihood in the study location. The data will be analyze to find out the possibility of turning the unused surface-mined lands into tourism destinations and assessing the benefits of the initiative on the environment and the local community. The results show that the alternative use of the unused surface-mined lands can be beneficial if they are designed to become tourism destinations. Unproductive lands can be converted into productive lands, considering that tourisst destination in the unused surface-mined lands will have specific and unique identity for tourists. The new tourist destination requires facilities and infrastructure that are representative to support the functions.

柳树河油页岩露天矿开采环境影响分析及预保护措施

柳树河油页岩露天矿开采环境影响分析及预保护措施

A Special Issue Dedicated to Geometallurgy: Preface

AbstractGeometallurgy is an interdisciplinary field aimed at describing potential ore deposits in terms that mine planners and economists can use to design and run profitable mining operations. The major geologic contribution to the field is defining the spatial variability of potential and active mining resources so that planning and scheduling can accurately predict the economic performance and environmental impact of mining in time to respond efficiently to variations in ore type. This information is needed at the feasibility stage and throughout the mine life. We review the available literature on how geologists have contributed to these predictions in the past. There have been substantial advances in predicting comminution behavior. Prediction of recovery and environmental impacts are less advanced. This introductory paper provides a brief review of geometallurgy and a synopsis of the papers in the Special Issue, along with suggestions on future directions.

Heavy-Metal-Resistant Microorganisms in Deep-Sea Sediments Disturbed by Mining Activity: An Application Toward the Development of Experimental in vitro Systems

Future mining of polymetallic nodules in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone (Northeastern Pacific) is expected to affect all benthic ecosystems. The diversity, distribution, and environmental functions of microorganisms inhabiting abyssal sediments are barely understood. To understand the ​consequences of deep-sea mining, experimental in vitro systems needs to be established to test hypotheses on the environmental impact of mining. For this, 40 bacterial strains, belonging to proteobacteria, actinobacteria and firmicutes were isolated from deep-sea sediments and nodules sampled at depths of  4000 m. Phenotypic characterization revealed a strong inter-species and moderate intra-species variability. Determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations indicated the presence of acute manganese-resistant bacteria such as Rhodococcus erythropolis [228.9 mM], Loktanella cinnabarina [57.2 mM], and Dietzia maris [14.3 mM] that might be suitable systems for testing the effects of release of microbes from nodules and their interactions with sediment particles in plumes generated during mining. Comparative genomic analysis indicated the presence of manganese efflux systems relevant for future transcriptomics or proteomics approaches with environmental samples and might serves in paving the way to develop model systems including representative organisms which are currently not cultivable. Monitoring deep-sea mining activity at abyssal depth is a challenge that has to be tackled. We proposed the use of API strips as a fast-on-board methodology for bacterial monitoring as an indicator for sediment plume dispersions within the water column.

ОЦЕНКА ВЛИЯНИЯ ОТХОДОВ ГОРНОГО ПРОИЗВОДСТВА НА ОКРУЖАЮЩУЮ СРЕДУ С ПРИМЕНЕНИЕМ ГИС ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ

ОЦЕНКА ВЛИЯНИЯ ОТХОДОВ ГОРНОГО ПРОИЗВОДСТВА НА ОКРУЖАЮЩУЮ СРЕДУ С ПРИМЕНЕНИЕМ ГИС ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ

СНИЖЕНИЕ ГЕОЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ НАГРУЗКИ ГОРНО-ПЕРЕРАБАТЫВАЮЩЕЙ ПРОМЫШЛЕННОСТИ СЕВЕРНЫХ И АРКТИЧЕСКИХ ТЕРРИТОРИЙ

СНИЖЕНИЕ ГЕОЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ НАГРУЗКИ ГОРНО-ПЕРЕРАБАТЫВАЮЩЕЙ ПРОМЫШЛЕННОСТИ СЕВЕРНЫХ И АРКТИЧЕСКИХ ТЕРРИТОРИЙ

Prediction of the Environmental Impact of Mining Industry Based on Satellite Observations

Environmental impact of mining is studied by two criteria: aerosol pollution and vegetation cover condition—using the data of long-term satellite observations. In terms of the mining and processing industry on the Kola Peninsula, environmental impact is predicted as overlapping of aerosol pollution areas and decrease in the vegetation index. It is shown that predicted boundaries of impact-zones match in case of one or two sources of effect, and unmatch in case of many sources. The proposed approach to integration of the remote sensing data allows differentiating between the environmental impact of mining and natural change of the vegetation cover.

Dynamic Matrix for an Adaptive Environment Management in Mining: A Feed-engineering Alternative?

Environment impacts are usually determined by quantification or an evaluation system derived from several methodologies including environmental assessment, matrices, and data cross-referencing. This study uses a dataset obtained from validated mining Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), some monitoring reports and scientific insights on open-pit mines (OPM). The purpose here is to build a dynamic matrix system over time to facilitate a systemic evaluation of environmental impacts and to find in-depth preventive measures in any OPM. The four dynamic matrices are built with qualitative and numerical values in both magnitude and significance terms. As one of the issues is to minimize negative risks in OPMs, one outcome points out the environmental factors of mining operations sensitive to the variations over time and the variability of the parameters themselves. The results show secondly that the data (qualitative and quantitative) vary from EIA stage to a post EIA status like activities or environmental factors numbers. Thirdly, the impact of activities on each part of environment components and the incidence of all activities during the mines’ life cycle is easier to identify whatever the data density. In the fourth line, this paper indicates that the dynamic matrix in an optimal alternative in the process of determining preventive measures to mitigate the risks and the need for an interactive environmental follow-up program in mining or similar industry. This approach reduces the following-up monitoring weaknesses and allows managers, as a multi-criterion decision-making approach, to take enlightened actions.

Environmental impacts of ancient copper mining and metallurgy: Multi-proxy investigation of human-landscape dynamics in the Faynan valley, southern Jordan

The environmental impact of mining and metallurgy is an issue that has affected societies in the ancient Near East over the past 8000 years. We present the results of a multidisciplinary project using agricultural sediments from ancient terraces as a cultural archive of environmental pollution and land use in the copper ore-rich Faynan valley of southern Jordan. Due to the simultaneous production of agricultural goods and copper metallurgy throughout the last 6000 years in the valley, environmental pollution and its consequences for human health have been considered as a factor in settlement abatement. Sediments from two farming terrace systems adjacent to the major mining and smelting locales were analyzed. The sediment analyses included metal concentrations, lead-isotopes and phytolith analysis, and OSL dating. Although measurable concentrations of lead and other heavy metals persist in ancient metallurgical waste piles, our investigations found minimal evidence for contamination in the adjacent terrace systems. Based on these results, we argue that the occurrence of environmental pollution in the Faynan valley is highly variable, and that the distribution of heavy metals resulted from a combination of natural and cultural factors, including persistent landscape features that helped contain the most polluted metallurgical deposits. These findings are significant for understanding the processes of landscape change and human impacts on desert environments, including the ways in which past human actions have negatively affected the environment, as well as preserved and protected the environment from further degradation.

Socio-economic and environmental impacts of mining in Odisha, India

Socio-economic and environmental impacts of mining in Odisha, India

The environmental impact of mining and its countermeasures

Exploration of mineral resources had been part of the major means to promote economic development in China, but the devastating effect of mining on the environment is inevitable. Based on the analysis of factors of the environmental disasters caused by the mining methods, this paper systematically analyzes the influences of open pit mining on land resource, ecological system, geological and ecological environment, especially analyzes the effects on the environment and ecological system. Meanwhile, the paper points out that the mining scale, method and type are the main factors that affect the environment and ecology. At the end of this paper, some rational countermeasures, protection and control measures for environmental protection and governance are put forward on the basis of the research.

Socio-economic and environmental impact of mining on women in Kasigau mining zone in Taita Taveta County

Abstract The Kasigau ward is home to many gemstones with their mining contributing to the county's economic development. The mining sector is dominated by artisanal and small scale mining with 3–5% of women employed. A Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach was used to involve women with the aim of establishing home-grown interventions. Seven villages and forty nine households participated in household interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and female feedback reflection meetings to generate and analyze data. Women worked as zururas (workers) or employees, in deplorable environmental conditions, and were heavily impacted by mining activities. Women developed actionable strategies on productive engagement in the artisanal mining sector.

Environmental impact assessment of coal mining at Enugu, Nigeria

This study determined the views of respondents in Akwuke and Iva mine communities concerning the impact of coal mining activities on animal and plant species, pattern of settlement, pollution effect and health of people living in these two mined areas in Enugu, Nigeria. Data were generated through sample survey using a well-structured questionnaire and personal observation in the field. Khaya ivorensis (mahogany) was the major tree species that had gone extinct (72% of respondents), and Geochelone sulcata (tortoise) was the major animal species that has gone extinct (80% of respondents) in the two mined areas. Sixty-five percent of the respondents said that water pollution was most severe environmental impact of mining in Akwuke. The major health hazard caused by mining in Akwuke (55% of respondents) and Iva (65% of respondents) was blindness. Indeed, 82.5% of respondents indicated that mining affected the pattern of settlement in the two mined areas. Emphatically, coal mining affected negatively some of the socio-economic activities of the inhabitants of the mined area through removal of vegetation to access coal deposit vis-à-vis blasting, quarrying and crushing of coal.

Rock permeability in displacement zones at coal deposits: A case study of underworked inundated mines

Rock displacement in some sites of coal mines is accompanied by changes in the permeability and fil� tering structure of the host rock massif. Transforma� tion of a massif resulting from the appearance of such hydrogeological channels significantly affects the con� ditions and environmental impact of mining; such a channel provides water flow through it and is called a “zone of water conducting displacement cracks” (ZWCDC). The maximal changes take place at the sites of a collapsed mine roof. The operational practice has revealed the ability to keep the minimal increment in through permeability of a dividing rock mass within the ZWCDC and to pre� serve the zones of minimal permeability values within the massif. These conclusions, supplemented with the studies of cracked structures based on equivalent material models, were also reported in [1] and became standard for Russian norms regarding the determination of coal extraction conditions near water objects.

Spatial and temporal trace metal distribution of a Peruvian basin: recognizing trace metal sources and assessing the potential risk

Recent efforts have been made to determine the environmental impact of mining over the past 11years in the Jequetepeque River basin, in northern Peru. We have now analyzed data from two studies to elucidate the spatial and temporal trace metal distributions and to assess the sources of contamination. These two studies were carried out from 2003 to 2008 by a Peruvian government administration and from 2008 to 2010 by us. We analyzed 249 samples by principal component analysis, measuring: pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, chloride, weak-acid-dissociable cyanide, total cyanide, nitrite and nitrate, ammonium, sulfate, and trace metals and metalloids (Al, As, Ca, Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn). Within the spatial distribution of the basin, the highest Al, As, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Pb concentrations were found at the closest point to the mine sites for both periods of time, with the higher peaks measured during the first years of the sampling data. Temporal trends showed higher concentrations of Cu and Fe in samples taken before 2005, at which point the two mines were closed. Risk assessment was quantified by the hazard quotient as related to water ingestion. The risk for human health posed by the concentrations of several trace metals and metalloids was found to be highly adverse (As and Cr), significant (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, and Pb), or minimal (Ni and Zn).

Optimal dynamic regulation of the environmental impact of mining across diverse land types

Optimal dynamic regulation of mineral extraction and environmental rehabilitation across diverse land assets is studied using discrete-time, distributed optimal control. An extension of Hotelling's Rule is derived that indicates the need to manage both processes over space and time to maximise social welfare. Key empirical insights are drawn from a case study involving the Western Australian mineral sands industry. The incorporation of temporal and spatial dimensions allows for greater precision in the analysis of alternative management strategies. However, numerical analysis shows that optimal regulation may not require information-intensive tax instruments if abatement occurs in the year that land is damaged. Rather, a tax that is constant across time or space that provides a sufficient incentive for firms to rehabilitate degraded land can suffice. Bond instruments are shown unequivocally to provide too weak an incentive for timely rehabilitation by mining firms.

Minimizing the Impact of Mining Activities for Sustainable Mined-Out Area Conservation In Nigeria

Nigeria is endowed with abundant mineral resources. However, their extraction and processing through mining activities especially, of the solid minerals are going on at different scales of intensity. Some of these operations, and their negative impacts to the environment which include: land degradation, ecological disruption giving rise to air, land and water pollution and death of flora and fauna, etc often go on unchecked. These disturbing situations and means to minimize them have surprisingly not been taken seriously because of lack of regulatory implementation impetus or due to the little revenue accruing from these resources which is not even meaningful to be reflected in the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is in this regard, that the paper critically reviewed the state of mineral exploitation in Nigeria, its adverse effects on the environment and associated health hazards, including the strategies for hazard reduction, and conservation of mined-out areas. From this review study, it was feared that natural catastrophes such as earthquake and volcanic eruptions - occasioned by possible geomorphological and geostatic equilibrium destabilization may be imminent in the country as a result of these mining activities. It was therefore recommended that a holistic approach to evaluating hazards represented by different kinds of mine waste be put in place by adopting remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) in assessing environmental impact of mining and its new developments. Keywords: Solid mineral, Impact assessment, Mined-out area utilization, Economic resources, Database creation and Environmental sustainability