NAME : SAMPETUA ANJU PUTRA SINAGA

NIM : DBD 115 030

Mining

Mining is an industry that involves the exploration for and removal of minerals from
the earth, economically and with minimum damage to the environment. Mining is important
because minerals are major sources of energy as well as materials such as fertilizers and steel.
Mining is necessary for nations to have adequate and dependable supplies of minerals and
materials to meet their economic and defense needs at acceptable environmental, energy, and
economic costs. Some of the nonfuel minerals mined, such as stone, which is a nonmetallic or
industrial mineral, can be used directly from the earth.

Metallic minerals, which are also nonfuel minerals, conversely, are usually combined
in nature with other materials as ores. These ores must be treated, generally with chemicals or
heat to produce the metal of interest. Most bauxite ore, for example, is converted to
aluminum oxide, which is used to make aluminum metal via heat and additives. Fuel
minerals, such as coal and uranium, must also be processed using chemicals and other
treatments to produce the quality of fuel desired.

There are significant differences in the mining techniques and environmental effects
of mining metallic, industrial, and fuel minerals. The discussion here will mostly concentrate
on metallic minerals. Mining is a global industry, and not every country has high-grade,
large, exceptionally profitable mineral deposits, and the transportation infrastructure to get
the mined products to market economically. Some of the factors affecting global mining are
environmental regulations, fuel costs, labor costs, access to land believed to contain valuable
ore, diminishing ore grades requiring the mining of more raw materials to obtain the target
mineral, technology, the length of time to obtain a permit to mine, and proximity to markets,
among others. The U.S. mining industry is facing increasing challenges to compete with
nations that have lower labor costsfor example, less stringent environmental regulations
and lower fuel costs.
Mining Life Cycle

Minerals are a nonrenewable resource, and because of this, the life of mines is finite,
and mining represents a temporary use of the land. The mining life cycle during this
temporary use of the land can be divided into the following stages: exploration, development,
extraction and processing, and mine closure.

Exploration is the work involved in determining the location, size, shape, position, and value
of an ore body using prospecting methods, geologic mapping and field investigations, remote
sensing (aerial and satellite-borne sensor systems that detect ore-bearing rocks), drilling, and
other methods. Building access roads to a drilling site is one example of an exploration
activity that can cause environmental damage.

The development of a mine consists of several principal activities: conducting a

feasibility study, including a financial analysis to decide whether to abandon or develop the
property; designing the mine; acquiring mining rights; filing an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS); and preparing the site for production. Preparation could cause
environmental damage by excavation of the deposit to remove overburden (surface material
above the ore deposit that is devoid of ore minerals) prior to mining.

Extraction is the removal of ore from the ground on a large scale by one or more of
three principal methods: surface mining, underground mining, and in situ mining (extraction
of ore from a deposit using chemical solutions). After the ore is removed from the ground, it
is crushed so that the valuable mineral in the ore can be separated from the waste material
and concentrated by flotation (a process that separates finely ground minerals from one
another by causing some to float in a froth and others to sink), gravity, magnetism, or other
methods, usually at the mine site, to prepare it for further stages of processing. The
production of large amounts of waste material (often very acidic) and particulate emission
have led to major environmental and health concerns with ore extraction and concentration.
Additional processing separates the desired metal from the mineral concentrate.

The closure of a mine refers to cessation of mining at that site. It involves completing
a reclamation plan and ensures the safety of areas affected by the operation, for instance, by
sealing the entrance to an abandoned mine. Planning for closure is often required to be
ongoing throughout the life cycle of the mine and not left to be addressed at the end of
operations. The Surface Mining and Control Act of 1977 states that reclamation must "restore
the land affected to a condition capable of supporting the uses which it was capable of
supporting prior to any mining, or higher or better uses." Abandoned mines can cause a
variety of health-related hazards and threats to the environment, such as the accumulation of
hazardous and explosive gases when air no longer circulates in deserted mines and the use of
these mines for residential or industrial dumping, posing a danger from unsanitary conditions.
Many closed or abandoned mines have been identified by federal and state governments and
are being reclaimed by both industry and government.

Environmental Impacts

The environmental responsibility of mining operations is protection of the air, land,

and water. Mineral resources were developed in the United States for nearly two centuries
with few environmental controls. This is largely attributed to the fact that environmental
impact was not understood or appreciated as it is today. In addition, the technology available
during this period was not always able to prevent or control environmental damage.

Air. All methods of mining affect air quality. Particulate matter is released in surface
mining when overburden is stripped from the site and stored or returned to the pit. When the
soil is removed, vegetation is also removed, exposing the soil to the weather, causing
particulates to become airborne through wind erosion and road traffic. Particulate matter can
be composed of such noxious materials as arsenic, cadmium, and lead. In general,
particulates affect human health adversely by contributing to illnesses relating to the
respiratory tract, such as emphysema, but they also can be ingested or absorbed into the skin.

Land. Mining can cause physical disturbances to the landscape, creating eyesores
such as waste-rock piles and open pits. Such disturbances may contribute to the decline of
wildlife and plant species in an area. In addition, it is possible that many of the premining
surface features cannot be replaced after mining ceases. Mine subsidence (ground movements
of the earth's surface due to the collapse of overlying strata into voids created by underground
mining) can cause damage to buildings and roads. Between 1980 and 1985, nearly five
hundred subsidence collapse features attributed to abandoned underground metal mines were
identified in the vicinity of Galena, Kansas, where the mining of lead ores took place from
1850 to 1970. The entire area was reclaimed in 1994 and 1995.
 Water. Water-pollution problems caused by mining include acid mine drainage,
metal contamination, and increased sediment levels in streams. Sources can include active or
abandoned surface and underground mines, processing plants, waste-disposal areas, haulage
roads, or tailings ponds. Sediments, typically from increased soil erosion, cause siltation or
the smothering of streambeds. This siltation affects fisheries, swimming, domestic water
supply, irrigation, and other uses of streams.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a potentially severe pollution hazard that can
contaminate surrounding soil, groundwater, and surface water. The formation of acid mine
drainage is a function of the geology, hydrology, and mining technology employed at a mine
site. The primary sources for acid generation are sulfide minerals, such as pyrite (iron
sulfide), which decompose in air and water. Many of these sulfide minerals originate from
waste rock removed from the mine or from tailings. If water infiltrates pyrite-laden rock in
the presence of air, it can become acidified, often at a pH level of two or three. This increased
acidity in the water can destroy living organisms, and corrode culverts, piers, boat hulls,
pumps, and other metal equipment in contact with the acid waters and render the water
unacceptable for drinking or recreational use. A summary chemical reaction that represents
the chemistry of pyrite weathering to form AMD is as follows:

"Yellowboy" is the name for iron and aluminum compounds that stain streambeds.
AMD can enter the environment in a number of ways, such as free-draining piles of waste
rock that are exposed to intense rainstorms, transporting large amounts of acid into nearby
rivers; groundwaters that enter underground workings which become acidic and exit via
surface openings or are pumped to the surface; and acidic tailings containment ponds that
may leach into surrounding land.

Major U.S. Mining Laws and Regulations

Some major federal laws and regulations affecting the mineral industry include the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA),
commonly known as Superfund, enacted in 1980. This law requires operations to report
releases of hazardous substances to the environment and requires cleanup of sites where
hazardous substances are found. The Superfund program was established to locate,
investigate, and clean up the worst abandoned hazardous waste sites nationwide and is
currently being used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up
mineral-related contamination at numerous locations. The Federal Water Pollution Control
Act, commonly referred to as the Clean Water Act, came into effect in 1977. The act requires
mining operations to meet standards for surface water quality and for controlling discharges
to surface water. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), enacted in 1976,
regulates the generation, storage, and disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste, using a
"cradle-to-grave" system, meaning that these wastes are governed from the point of
generation to disposal. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), enacted in 1970,
requires federal agencies to prepare EIS for major federal actions that may significantly affect
the environment. These procedures exist to ensure that environmental information is available
to public officials and citizens before actions are taken. NEPA applies to mining operations
requiring federal approval.

Comparison of U.S. and International Mining Laws and

Regulations
The European Union (EU) has developed a set of environmental directives that have
had a significant effect on the mining industries of member nations. Each country's
environmental laws derive from these directives. Among the key directives are the
Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (similar to the EIS requirements of the United
States), the Water Framework Directive (addresses concerns similar to those of the U.S.
Clean Water Act), and the Waste Framework, Hazardous Waste, and Landfill Directives (all
address concerns similar to those of the U.S. RCRA).

Examples of Mining Pollution and Reclamation

The Bunker Hill Mine complex is located in northwest Idaho in the Coeur d'Alene
River Valley, and has a legacy of nearly a hundred years of miningrelated contamination
since 1889. Operations ceased in 1982, and the EPA declared much of the area a Superfund
site in 1983. The complex produced lead, zinc, cadmium, silver, and gold, as well as arsenic
and other minerals and materials. Much of the mining pollution was caused by the dispersal
of mining wastes containing such contaminants as arsenic, cadmium, and lead into the
floodplain of the Coeur d'Alene River, acid mine drainage, and a leaking tailings pond. The
metals contaminated soils, surface water, groundwater, and air, leading to health and
environmental effects. Lead, in particular, was noted for its health effects on children in the
area. EPA reports concerning lead poisoning state that experts believe blood levels as low as
10 micrograms per deciliter (g/dl) are associated with children's learning and behavioral
problems. High blood lead levels cause devastating health effects, such as seizures, coma,
and death. Blood levels of children in areas near the complex ranged from about 35 to 65
g/dl in the early 1970s to less than 5 percent in 1999, as remediation efforts progressed.
EPA reports also state that children are at a greater risk from exposure to lead than adults
because, among other reasons, children absorb and retain a larger percentage of ingested lead
per unit of body weight than adults, which increases the toxic effects of the lead. Efforts by
the federal government, the state of Idaho, and industry to remediate contaminated areas
associated with the site are ongoing.

There are also many mines with successful reclamation plans. For example, the Ruby
Hill Mine, which is an open pit gold mine in Eureka, Nevada, won a state award in 1999 for
concurrent reclamation practices, such as using revegetation and employing mitigation
measures to offset potential impacts to local wildlife.

The mining of asbestos, either as the primary mineral or included as an unwanted

material while mining for the "target" mineral, is one of the more controversial issues facing
the mining industry in the United States. Asbestos is the name given to a group of six
naturally occurring fibrous minerals. Asbestos minerals have long, strong, flexible fibers that
can be spun and woven and are heat-resistant. Because of these characteristics, asbestos
materials became the most cost effective ones for use in such items as building materials
(roof coatings and shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper products, and asbestos cement
products) and friction products (automobile clutch, brake, and transmission parts).

Unfortunately, it has been found that long-term, high-level exposure to asbestos can
cause asbestosis and lung cancer. It was also determined that exposure to asbestos may cause
mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. Workers can be exposed to asbestos during mining,
milling, and handling of ores containing asbestos or during the manufacture, installation,
repair, and removal of commercial products that contain asbestos. One of the more recent
controversies involving asbestos is the exposure of workers and the local residents to asbestos
found in vermiculite ore mined in Libby, Montana. The vermiculite ore was shipped
nationwide for processing and was used for insulation, as a lightweight aggregate, in potting
soils, and for agricultural applications.
Bibliography
Kesler, Stephen E. (1994). Mineral Resources, Economics and the Environment. New York:
Macmillan.

Marcus, Jerrold J. (1997). Mining Environmental Handbook: Effects of Mining on the

Environment and American Environmental Controls on Mining. London: Imperial College
Press.

Ripley, Earle A.; Redman, Robert E.; and Crowder, Adele A. (1996). Environmental Effects
of Mining. Delray Beach, FL: St. Lucie Press.

Sengupta, Mritunjoy. (1993). Environmental Impacts of Mining: Monitoring, Restoration,

and Control. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Internet resources

Brosius, Liz, and Swain, Robert S. (2001). "Lead and Zinc Mining in Kansas." Public
Information Circular 17, Kansas Geological Survey. Available from
http://www.kgs.ukans.edu.

Bureau of Land Management. (2001). "Abandoned Mine Lands Cleanup Program." Available
from http://www.blm.gov/aml.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (1995)."Report to Congress on

Worker's Home Contamination Study." NIOSH Report No. 95-123. Available from
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh.