environmental impacts of mineral exploitation

Question 1

list the environmental impacts of mineral exploitation

Answer 1

1) land take
2) Habitat loss
3) loss of amenity
4) dust pollution
5) noise pollution
6) turbid drainage water
7) spoil disposal

Question 2

outline the impact of land take

Answer 2

1) may cause conflict with other land users
2) minerals can only be extracted where they were deposited which increases likelihood of conflicts as there is limited choice of locations

3) the land area required for mining is larger than the actual mine itself as land is needed for access routes, buildings and buffer zones

Question 3

outline the impact of habitat loss

Answer 3

1) loss of habitat where the mineral is extracted is unavoidable as the surface habitat must be removed
2) this leads to food web impacts, loss of prey species, loss of predator species ect

Question 4

outline the issue of loss of amenity

Answer 4

mining changes the landscape which can create aesthetic problems for the local community

Question 5

outline the issue of dust pollution

Answer 5

blasting and vehicle movements create dust which is lifted up into the atmosphere

Question 6

outline the issue of noise pollution

Answer 6

mine vehicles and rock blasting are sources of noise which may disturb local communities

Question 7

outline the issue of turbid drainage water

Answer 7

suspended solid particles in mine drainage water reduce light penetration into rivers and lakes which can lead to the death of animals and plants

Question 8

how can the issue of habitat loss be resolved

Answer 8

1) removing wildlife and placing them in unthreatened habitats
2) habitat restoration- when mining has ended new habitats may be created such as wetlands nature reserves in the mine void

Question 9

how can the issue of loss of amenity be resolved

Answer 9

1) landscaping and planting trees around the boarders of the mines

Question 10

how can the issue of dust pollution be avoided

Answer 10

water sprays used to limit dust by making dust particles heavier so they settle and clump together

Question 11

how can noise pollution be resolved

Answer 11

1) baffle mounds built around mine to absorb noise and deflect it
2) set times for blasting so noise is predictable
3) restrict blast time to daylight hours

Question 12

how can the issue of turbid drainage water be resolved

Answer 12

1) sedimentation lagoons where water stands still allowing solids to sink so outflow of water has low turbidity

Question 13

what is spoil

Answer 13

solid waste material which is left behind after mining such as overburden, chemical processing of minerals and unwanted material extracted

Question 14

what issues doe spoil disposal cause

Answer 14

1) aesthetics- damage scenic beauty
2) stability- lack of surface compaction can reduce stability and lead to erosion, if the heap becomes water logged it increases chance of landslides
3) leachate- rainwater percolating through spoil dissolves toxic metals an sulphides allowing them to become mobile

Question 15

outline how the stability of a spoil heap can be increased

Answer 15

1) landscaping to reduce gradients
2) add nutrients and soil to plant trees allowing roots to bind heap
3) landslides reduced by spoil drainage

Question 16

outline how leachate from spoil heaps can be reduced

Answer 16

1) drainage water passed through a filter bed of crushed lime to immobilize the metal and prevent it being carried into rivers