Control Of The Environmental Impacts Of Mineral Extraction

Question 1

What % of earths surface has been mined?

Answer 1

1% of earths surface

Question 2

Why can mines cause conflict?

Answer 2

Loss of farmland 
Air pollution of local town 
Water contamination 
Habitat loss 
Noise 
Dust 
Waste disposal

Question 3

What ia turbid water?

Answer 3

Not clear

Contains suspended particles

Question 4

What is the problem with turbidity?

Answer 4

High turbidity reduces light penetration in water so photosynthesis is reduced affecting aquatic plants
Can block animals gills/ filter feeding

Question 5

How can turbid water be managed

Answer 5

Sedimentattion lagoon

Question 6

What is a sedimentation lagoon

Answer 6

Water used in mining sits allowing the water to settle then be punoed back into rivers

Question 7

What is spoil

Answer 7

The solid waste form mines

Pilled loosely

Question 8

What is the problem with spoil

Answer 8

Instability
Acid drainage and resultant pollution

Question 9

What can be dien to reduce spoil instability

Answer 9

Stepped
Plant trees to stabalise the splooes only done in low acidity
Drainage to stop it getting water logged

Question 10

What is leachate

Answer 10

Any liquid that when passing through matter extracts soluble or suspended solids and carries it along

Question 11

What is the problem with mine leachate

Answer 11

Rainwater can dissolve any toxic metals in the spoil as they are not trapped in the rock they are more mobile

Question 12

How can limestone be used on leachate

Answer 12

Limestone can immobilise toxic metals so they dont wash out into rivers

Question 13

How can leachate be contained

Answer 13

Contained behind a tailings dam to try hold back any waste

Question 14

Why will habitat be lost when mining

Answer 14

As surface has to be removed

Question 15

Why will habitat be lost from mining

Answer 15

As the surface has to be removed

Question 16

How can animals be preserved in a mine site

Answer 16

Can be captured and moved to a new habitat

Question 17

Why is moving animals to another habitat not always successful

Answer 17

As it may cause competition in the new habitat

They might bring disease with them or be exposed to disease

Question 18

What has to be doen to allow mining in some countries

Answer 18

The area must be restored afterwards

Question 19

What is Amenity

Answer 19

A desirable or useful feature or facility of a place

Question 20

How does mining affect amenity

Answer 20

Loss of amenity as the Landscape can be scarred

Question 21

What does mining produce alot of

Answer 21

Dust and noise

Question 22

Where does the dust come from in mines

Answer 22

Blasting the rock and when trucks move on and off site

Question 23

How can the dust be managed

Answer 23

Spraying water on exposed rock makes it settle better as its clumped together

Question 24

How can noise pollution be prevented

Answer 24

Making a BAFFLE MOUND that deflects sound away from a settlement

Question 25

What can be doen in the mine to reduce affects if noise pollution

Answer 25

Blast mine at set times of day so people can expect the noise
Lorries uses a one way system so locals arent too affected by the moving of product