86-97 Mining

the systematic removal of rock, soil, or other material to remove the minerals of economic interest minerals occur in low concentrations, concentrated sources and must be found before mining

an element that is lustrous, opaque, and malleable
and can conduct heat and electricity

a mineral or grouping of minerals from which we
extract metals, economically valuable metals (ex. copper, iron, lead, gold, aluminum)

water and energy intensive

air pollution

ore left over after metals have been extracted

• Pollutes soil and water and may contain heavy metals or acids (cyanide, sulfuric acid)

• Water evaporates from tailings ponds, which may leach pollutants into the environment

sand, gravel, phosphates, limestone, and gemstones

fertilizer

mined and sold to fund, prolong, and intensify wars in Angola and other areas

mined for fuel

• Uranium for nuclear power

• Coal, petroleum, natural gas are not minerals (they are organic), but they are also extracted from the Earth

removal of large portion of soil and rock called overburden to access ore underneath

layers of soil and rock are removed to expose the resource

overlying soil and rock that is removed by
heavy machinery (after extraction, each strip is refilled with the overburden)

• Used for coal, oil sands, sand, gravel

• Destroys natural communities over large areas and triggers erosion

sulfide minerals form sulfuric acid and flow into
waterways

soil and rocks that are moved to gain access to ore

the minerals have been removed from the ore

destroy habitats, contaminate ground water, release dust particles and methane

use subsurface mining which is expensive

Accesses deep pockets of a mineral through tunnels and shafts

Zinc, lead, nickel, tin, gold, diamonds, phosphate, salt, coal

Subsurface mining (ex. dynamite blasts, collapsed tunnels and toxic fumes and coal dust)

Acid drainage, polluted groundwater, and sinkholes damage roads, homes, etc.

Used with evenly distributed minerals (ex. terraced and copper, iron, gold, diamonds, coal)

open pits for clay, gravel, sand, stone (ex. limestone,
granite, marble, slate)

small amounts of minerals

• Habitat loss, aesthetic degradation, acid drainage

• Abandoned pits fill with toxic water

Using running water, miners sift through material in riverbeds (ex. Coltan miners, California’s Gold Rush of 1849)

gold and gems

• Debris washed into streams makes
  them uninhabitable for wildlife

• Disturbs stream banks, causes
  erosion

• Harms riparian plant communities

Entire mountaintops are blasted off for coal and the waste is dumped into valleys

dumping rock and debris into valleys

economically efficient

Appalachian Mountains in the eastern US

• Degrades and destroys vast areas

• Pollutes streams, deforests areas, erosion,
  mudslides, flash floods

reclaim (restore) surface-mined sites (Other nations (Congo) have no regulations at all)

aims to bring a site to a condition similar to its pre-
mining condition (ex. Remove structures, replace overburden, replant vegetation)

mandates restoration (companies must post bonds to ensure restoration)