This document is an environmental impact assessment report on coal mining submitted by 8 students to their tutor Mr. Sanjit Kr. Bhattarai at the Civil Engineering and Surveying Department for their Environmental Science course. The report evaluates the impacts of coal mining on land, water, air, health, and surrounding communities. It also provides mitigation measures that could be included in an environmental management plan, such as topsoil management, water pollution control, and ensuring worker safety.
This document is an environmental impact assessment report on coal mining submitted by 8 students to their tutor Mr. Sanjit Kr. Bhattarai at the Civil Engineering and Surveying Department for their Environmental Science course. The report evaluates the impacts of coal mining on land, water, air, health, and surrounding communities. It also provides mitigation measures that could be included in an environmental management plan, such as topsoil management, water pollution control, and ensuring worker safety.
This document is an environmental impact assessment report on coal mining submitted by 8 students to their tutor Mr. Sanjit Kr. Bhattarai at the Civil Engineering and Surveying Department for their Environmental Science course. The report evaluates the impacts of coal mining on land, water, air, health, and surrounding communities. It also provides mitigation measures that could be included in an environmental management plan, such as topsoil management, water pollution control, and ensuring worker safety.
This document is an environmental impact assessment report on coal mining submitted by 8 students to their tutor Mr. Sanjit Kr. Bhattarai at the Civil Engineering and Surveying Department for their Environmental Science course. The report evaluates the impacts of coal mining on land, water, air, health, and surrounding communities. It also provides mitigation measures that could be included in an environmental management plan, such as topsoil management, water pollution control, and ensuring worker safety.
Tutor: Mr. Sanjit Kr. Bhattarai, Associate lecturer
EIA Report Coal Mining Industry Due Date: 17th October, 2017
Submitted By:
1. Amir Ghalley (05160029)
2. Amir Kumar Acharya (05160030) 3. Amit Chhetri (05160031) 4. Amrit Rai (05160032) 5. Arjun Ghalley (05160033) 6. Bikash Gurung (05160034) 7. Chimi Dorji (05160037) 8. Chimi Dorji (05160038) Environment impact assessment of coal mining
Abstract
Environmental impact assessment is a decision making tool to predict the effect of a proposed activity/ project on the environment, to compare various alternatives for a project and to identify best combination of economic, environmental and social costs and benefits. Coal mining is the process of extracting the coal from the deep underground mines in the earth crust. Here the impact of coal mining on land, water, health of workers, air and social impact on surrounding community is evaluated and environment management plan of coal mining is developed. Therefore, the coal has to be used sustainably as coal reserves are depleting rapidly.
Introduction
Coal is a non-renewable fossil fuel Formed from the remains of plants that lived and died about 100 to 400 million years ago. Depth, thickness, and configuration of minerals resource decide the selection of mining technology (open cast or underground).Minerals exploitation progresses through four stages: Prospecting means search for deposits. Exploration: Once the deposit is assured, this is done to assess the size, shape, location and economic value of the deposit. Development - Work of preparing access to the deposit so that the coal can be extracted. Exploitation means extraction of coal. Depending on the content of volatiles, coal is classified into Lignite, Sub-bituminous coal, Bituminous coal and Anthracite. Open cast mining and underground mining (room pillar, long wall, drift, shaft, slope mining) are some types of coal mining. Proper Environment impact assessment of coal mining is very important and here we take some issues which should be considered and some mitigation measures are discussed.
Environment and Social issues related to coal mining
Coal mining has significant impact on land and land use, some of the land related impact are: Loss of biodiversity, Economic loss or loss of livelihood due to displacement and use of agricultural land and Impact on water resource (in term of water availability and quality). Open cast mine has significant impact on land as compared to underground mine.
Impact on environment
Land Around 4 ha of land is damaged for every million tons of coal
mined by the surface mining. For instance, a capacity of 10 million-tons opencast coal mine in 20 years has a potential to destroy around 800 ha of land Air Mainly in the form of Fugitive Dust. Most mining operations generate dust such as Drilling, blasting, Vehicles movement. Water Breaching of groundwater affects the local water availability. High risk to alter the water quality of areas e.g. low pH, increase in total solids, and heavy metal concentration. Sulphide minerals present in the coal leaves a Direct impact on drinking water quality and aquatic life. Noise and vibration Cumulative effect of mining activities produces considerable noise like blasting, drilling, crushing and movement of vehicles. Blasting results in ground vibrations and if there is human habitation nearby, it can destroy property and houses. Occupational health The workers in mine have high risk of the occupational diseases: Pneumoconiosis: Due to inhalation of coal dust it can cause severe lung problems and lung cancer, Dust allergy and asthma. It can also cause noise hazard such as temporary or permanent hearing loss, headache and high blood pressure. Socio-economic factor Coal mining affects communities at multiple levels. During mine’s opening – Displacement, Loss of livelihood During mine’s operation - Pollution impact (air, water, noise, vibration), Health impact Mine closure - Sudden economic halt and Land contamination.
Mitigation and Environment management plan (EMP)
EMP is a framework for the implementation and execution of mitigation measures and alternatives. Ideally EMP should covers all phases of project development i.e. Preconstruction, Operation of mine and Decommissioning of the mine. It is a Documented plan containing details of impacts, recommended mitigation and monitoring measures etc. and Legal document based on which the performance is monitored.
Activity Mitigation measures
Top soil management The best practices for topsoil management is to scrap the topsoil prior to drilling and blasting, Scraped topsoil should be used immediately for plantation/agriculture, If it is not possible to use the topsoil immediately, then it should be stacked at a designated area, Storage must be done in a pyramidal form, with garland drains all around. Overburden Excavation from a new pit should begin after an existing pit has management been exhausted. Till a pit is exhausted, the overburden should be compacted and stacked in specified locations in low-lying, non- mineralized zones within the lease area. Vegetation should be planted over the dump slopes as early as possible. The height and slope of the overburden dumps should be maintained to prevent slope failure. Water pollution Use of mine seepage water (after treatment) for different purposes, Construction of gabion wall, garland drain, siltation pond, wherever appropriate and Coal stockpiles, overburden and top soil should be selectively placed in a stable area which is less prone to erosion. Air pollution Fixed and mobile water spraying on the haulage roads. Black toping of the road junction meeting public roads. Covering of the trucks carrying coal with tarpaulin. Green belt around mining area as physical barrier. Noise and vibration Use of closed and advanced blasting technology like shock tube technology. Conducting blast only during day time, use of hydraulic drills and provision of sound insulated chambers for workers deployed on machines producing higher levels of noise like bulldozers, drills etc. Creating a green belt around potential noise prone area and provision of protective devices like earmuffs/earplugs to workers, who are exposed to high level of noise and reducing the exposure time of workers by practicing shift wise basis. Mine closure plan A good mine closure plan should include the following: A detailed final closure plan to create productive and sustainable land use. The plan must be accepted by mine owners, regulating agencies, and local communities. A plan to protect the health and safety of the surrounding habitat and a plan to eliminate/contain all possible sources of pollution post-mining. Drilling and blasting Driller shall be equipped with a closed cabin to reduce exposure to noise and dust. In addition, the operators and other workers should be provided with masks, helmets, gloves and earplugs. Safety zone Provisions should be made for a buffer zone between the local habitation and the mine lease in the form of a green belt of suitable depth. Restricted entry, use of sirens and cordoning of the blasting area are some of the good practices to avoid accidents. Workers Health Health survey programmes for workers and local community. surveillance Regular training and awareness of employees to be conducted to meet health and safety objectives Mine inundation Mine inundation may lead to a serious disaster if a river is flowing close to the mine pit. Hence a buffer space of a suitable width should be maintained, which should be followed by construction of embankments after considering high flood level. Mine fires Try to extinguish the new fires and try to isolate existing fires. Try to take a scientific approach to mining practices and give due consideration to proposed fire prevention plans.
Reference i. EIA analysis of coal mining project by Jindal Steel and Power Limited | Centre for Science and... ii. Dr. Gurdeep Singh, environment impact assessment of mining projects, proceedings of international conference on TREIA-2008, Nagpur, November 23-25, 2008 iii. http://www.accountabilityproject.org/downloads/Summary%20Environmental %20Impact%20Assessment%20.pdf. iv. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S01959255020000699
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