Environmental Dangers Of Mining

Fossil Fuels are extremely harmful to the environment, especially in the ways the fuel is obtained, such as mining or hydraulic fracturing. Coal, a commonly used fossil fuel, can be obtained by strip mining, mountaintop mining, or underground mining (“Coal Explained”). Strip mining has disastrous effects on the environment because of the destructive nature of the process, which removes all soil, rock, trees, and plants above coal deposits. The runoff from this pollutes streams and rivers nearby, which can harm aquatic life and disfigure the body of water,

I would have to say that from the reading that it can be very harmful for the coal mining chemicals to seep into the ground into our drinking water.

Minerals can affect society in many ways for example; Surface mining destroys vegetation across large areas, increasing erosion. Open-pit mining uses huge quantities of water. Acid mine drainage is pollution caused when dissolved toxic materials wash from mines into nearby lakes and streams. Minerals is approximately 80 percent of mined ore consists of impurities that become wastes after processing. These wastes, called tailings, are usually left in giant piles on the ground or in ponds near the processing plants (Figure 12.9). The tailings contain toxic materials such as cyanide, mercury, and sulfuric acid. Left

Some argue that, economically, the mining operation will be a net gain in money for the working class and that 75 to 80 percent of the jobs in northern Minnesota will be local [1]. However, for the project to fully go through, it requires “$200 million to $400 million in financial protections, and would overall be a financial liability for taxpayers” [2]. So despite how many jobs the project will create, it could result in a net loss of money for the people living in that area. Another problem that PolyMet thinks they have solved is the mass amount of pollution that will surface during the mining process. They say they will “use the most advanced mining procedures to extract the materials and prevent pollution during the mines 20 year life” [3]. Not only is this solution incredibly vague in its description, but many argue that “the pollution will be a problem long after the mine plays out and PolyMet is gone. The latest studies shows a possibility that the mine’s wastewater could flow north to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness” [3]. The argument that advanced procedures would be used against pollution falls short of satisfactory when their description is so ill-defined.

The Mining Act does a very good job at protecting certain aspects of the environment such as ensuring that over exploitation of minerals does not occur, or making it mandatory to have a plan in place for closing the mine as well as assuring that there is money to do so. Although there are many things that this Act does right, there are also areas in which there are issues and should be improved. One of the first issues pertaining to this Act is the impact that it fails to mitigate regarding water quality. In areas where mining development occurs, the water quality is drastically affected and a study found that “water from waste rock piles has an ionic profile distinct from unimpacted catchments” (Carey, Wellen, & Shatilla, 2015), meaning that in order to mitigate the impact of the runoff measures must be put in place to limit it. Secondly, the Act does not involve

Of all the values plaguing Montana socially and environmentally, the issue of mining plays the greatest role in the state. Although recognized as being one of the largest pillars of Montana’s economy, mining poses a serious threat to the ecosystems surrounding it. The main problem within this industry is that after mining takes places, there are many toxic materials, like arsenic and zinc, that remain in the waste rock and tailings. These toxic substances are harmful to people as well as wildlife and once they enter the groundwater, rivers, or soil, they become a very serious health hazard. Currently, there are government regulations for all mining companies that assure none are participating in these harmful practices. Although many new companies

While researching the effects of mining I thought of 3 main reasons why mining should stop. Mining can affect water quality which may loose farmers, fishermen, and boat shops to go out of business. Plus, once all the ore is mined the miners will have nowhere to go and also lose their jobs. And finally, no one would move here because no one wants to live near polluted water

Strip mining is terrible for the earth.” In the US, from 1930 to 2000, coal mining altered about 2.4 million hectares (5.9 million acres) of natural landscape, most originally forest.”

Coal mining has several negative effects on the health of the body that often times go unrecognized or just simply ignored. Many people have died from mining for various reasons such as the collapse of the mines as well as respiratory diseases caused by mining. Governments across the globe continue to implement regulations for the miners and populations surrounding the mines, but they have failed to eliminate health risks related to mining, which is nearly impossible. Mining permits used to be easy to obtain but under the Obama administration, the United States Environmental Protection Agency began conducting more reviews and now they have issued “comprehensive guidance” which was designed to strengthen requirements regarding mountain top removal (MTR) and other surface mining products (Holzman 2011). The more an organism is exposed to coal-mining, the more health problems they will face.

The beliefs for having this type of mining band are due to the huge impact on how removing soil along the coast forever changes the shorelines and the expansion of mining destroys natural animal habitats which intern is decreasing wildlife populations. Any kind of mining process is hurtful to our environment by polluting our soil, water and air. Diamond Mining is no different. The carbons are released in our air come from the use of diesel fuels, electricity and hydrocarbons. These chemicals are known to cause smog, climate change and other environmental hazards yet to be

EIAs of mining activities regularly belittle the potential wellbeing dangers of mining tasks. Hazardous substances and squanders in water, air, and soil can have genuine, negative effects on general wellbeing. The World Health Organization (WHO) characterizes wellbeing as a ―state of complete physical, mental and social prosperity, and not just the unlucky deficiency of infection or infirmity.The term dangerous substances' is wide and incorporates all substances that can be destructive to individuals and/or nature. In view of the amount, concentration, or physical, chemical or irresistible qualities, risky substances might (i) cause or add to an increment of mortality or an increment in genuine irreversible or crippling ailment; or (ii) represent

Another threat to the environment is acid mine drainage (also known as acid rock drainage). Acid mine drainage is "the outflow of acidic water from a mining site." This acid is formed by the oxidation of iron sulfide. The oxidation occurs when iron sulfide is exposed to the air or to dissolved oxygen in the water, which causes the iron to rust and the sulfur reacts with the water to forum sulfuric acid (Coil, D., McKittrick, E., and Higman, B., 2010). Figure 2 illustrates the sulfuric acid that is formed.

The mining industry has in recent years turned its attention to the environmental impacts of its activities, and in particular is addressing the issue through the Global Mining Initiative (www.globalmining.com) and the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development Project (MMSD) which is addressing the issue of the contribution of the mining sector to sustainable development

The mining industry has seen an explosive growth from the past few decades. It has played an important role in economic growth, infrastructure development and a raise in the living standard of the whole world. According to the Australian National Accounting System, the mining sector has made contributions of 9.8% GDP growth to the Australian economy between 2008 to 2009 (Australia Bureau of Statistics, 2012). However, the mining industry has caused many environmental issues such as adverse effect to air, land and water quality and continues to affect global environment as a whole. According to the World Health Organization, it evaluated that 25% of worldwide death are directly associated with environmental pollution (Blacksmith Institute, n.d). This essay will outline the environmental issue raised by the mining industry with pinpoint focus on the effects to air, water and land. It will also provide strategies for mining companies to improve the environmental conditions.

On January 22, 1959, an underground coal mine located in Pennsylvania, U.S.A., suffered one of the major disasters in the American coal mining industry. The River Slope Mine, an underground coal mine under the Knox Coal Company administration, was flooded by the Susquehanna River after their experienced personnel followed orders and continued mining the Pittston vein area. Catastrophic consequences followed after reaching the safety stop line beneath the Susquehanna River. From a total of 82 men that were present at the time of the occurrence only 38 men evacuated successfully and were able to find their way out with no other assistance than the desperation to live. After enormous effort 32 men were rescued later that same day. The subsequent mine damage was extensive and sadly 12 men were trap, despite the relentless effort to rescue them the task was impossible to complete, their bodies were never recovered.