MINING SUPPORT PACKAGE METALLIC ORES AND MINERALS

 This document is an overview of the environmental impacts of metal mining and processing.
It is general in nature and is provided as an introduction to some of the methods available to prevent, control, and mitigate these impacts. Metals are a valuable natural resource for many countries and a necessity for the economies of all nations that depend on metal products. However, unless proper controls are taken in mining and processing metals, serious environmental damage can result. 


The environmental effects of mining and/or mineral processing include: 
alteration of the landscape with pits and waste rock; subsidence of the land over underground mine workings; pollution of surface water with acid drainage and metals from waste rock and tailings and chemicals from mineral beneficiation; damage to sensitive ecosystems that support fish and wildlife; and human health risks from contaminated water sources. To prevent these impacts, government policy-makers are taking more steps to strongly encourage pollution prevention options and to adopt regulatory and enforcement strategies for minimizing the harmful environmental impacts of mining and mineral processing.


MINING SUPPORT PACKAGE METALLIC ORES AND MINERALS pdf



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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1
1.1 Purpose and Overview of the Mining Support Package 1
1.2 Metals Mining/Processing and the Environment 1
1.3 Towards Sustainable Development: Pollution Prevention and Control 3
2. PROFILE OF THE MINERAL INDUSTRY AND OVERVIEW OF THE MINING
AND MINERAL PROCESSING INDUSTRY 6
2.1 Extraction Methods 6
2.2 Beneficiation 7
2.2.1 Amalgamation 7
2.2.2 Flotation 8
2.2.3 Leaching 8
3. PRINCIPAL MINING-RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, AND ASSOCIATED
POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL OPTIONS 10
3.1 Mining-Related Water Pollution and Options for Prevention and Control
10
3.1.1 Acid Mine Drainage and Acid Rock Drainage 11
3.1.2 Water Contamination From Beneficiation 17
3.1.3 Hydrologic Impact and Erosion of Sediment 18
3.1.4 References for More Information on Water Pollution Prevention
and Control 20
3.2 Air and Noise Pollution and Options for Prevention and Control 20
3.2.1 Dust 20
3.2.2 Fumes and Exhaust 21
3.2.3 Noise 21
3.2.4 Blasting 21
3.2.5 References for More Information on Air and Noise Pollution and
Prevention Options 22
3.3 Environmental Impacts of Non-Modern and Small-Scale Mining Methods
22
3.3.1 References for More Information on Non-Modern and Small-Scale
Mining 23
3.4 Mine Closure 23
4. PLANNING, MONITORING, ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE APPROACHES
26
4.1 Using Environmental Impact Assessments During Planning 27
4.2 Monitoring Active Mines 27
4.3 Establishing Technical and Performance Standards and Permitting the
Mining Industry 28
4.4 4.4 Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Programs 29
4.5 4.5 Mining Associations and General Sources of Information 29
5. APPENDICES 30
5.1 APPENDIX 1: Sample Environmental Regulations 30
5.1.1 Sample Outline of An Environmental Assessment Report 30
5.1.2 Excerpts from the Bolivian Mining Code 31
5.1.3 Excerpts from United States EPA Regulations 32
5.2 APPENDIX 2: Sample Cost Estimates 36
5.3 APPENDIX 3: Checklist for Environmental Impact Assessments of
Proposed Mining Projects 38
5.4 APPENDIX 4: The Berlin Accords 46
5.4.1 Addressed to the Mineral Sector 46
5.4.2 Addressed to Development Assistance Agencies 47
5.5 APPENDIX 5: Annotated Bibliography 49
5.5.1 Accessing Information on Mining 49
5.5.2 The Mining Process 51
5.5.3 Pollution Prevention and Environmental Control Technologies 52
5.5.4 Acid Mine Drainage and Leaching 53
5.5.5 Information on Mining and Mineral Processing from EPA’s Office
of Solid Waste, Mining Waste Section 54
5.5.6 International Sources of Information 56