Strip mining destroys landscapes, forests and wildlife habitats at the site of the mine when trees, plants, and topsoil are cleared from the mining area. This in turn leads to soil erosion and destruction of agricultural land. When rain washes the loosened top soil into streams, sediments pollute waterways.
What are the benefits of strip mining?
- It is much more efficient compared to underground mining. ...
- It is lower in cost.
- It is safer than underground mining.
- It is hazardous to human health.
- It is harmful to the environment.
Is strip mining bad?
Surface mining (another name for “strip mining”) can severely erode the soil or reduce its fertility ; pollute waters or drain underground water reserves; scar or altar the landscape; damage roads, homes, and other structures; and destroy wildlife.
How does strip mining affect humans?
Living in heavily mined areas increases the risk of lung cancer and respiratory disease . Levels of exposure to pollution are highest in areas with the most mountaintop removal. Scientists found a direct link between dust from mountaintop removal and lung cancer.
Is strip mining good?
The coal industry contends that strip mining is the best way to supply the mineral—that stripping is more efficient , less costly and much safer than underground mining. Environmentalists counter that the nation’s needs could be met by a return to deep mining.
Is strip mining safer than shaft mining?
Greater Safety
Open-pit mining is much safer than shaft mining. In underground mining, the threat of a cave-in or release of toxic gas is a constant concern. When shaft mining was the most common method of ore extraction, thousands died in cave-ins, gas events and accidents involving equipment.
How deep is a strip mine?
Terraced excavations usually 10–30 m deep with deposit dipped at 8°; some internal storage of overburden (Fig. 2.1C). 1.2. Strip-mining disturbance.
What are the negative effects of mining?
Mining can pollute air and drinking water, harm wildlife and habitat, and permanently scar natural landscapes . Modern mines as well as abandoned mines are responsible for significant environmental damage throughout the West.
Is surface or subsurface mining worse?
Subsurface mining is actually less disruptive to the earth and produces less waste than surface mining, but it’s also much less effective and more dangerous . Many workers die in mine collapses, which then also leaves behind a large hole from caving in of the ground above.
What are the 3 types of surface mining?
Surface mining, method of extracting minerals near the surface of the Earth. The three most common types of surface mining are open-pit mining, strip mining, and quarrying . See also mining and coal mining.
What are the pros and cons of underground mining?
So, in these cases underground mining is more cost effective. The downside is that human health and safety are at greater risk from mine cave-ins, flooding from groundwater or sea water, methane explosions in coal mines, or failure of air ventilation equipment.
What are the pros and cons of surface mining?
Surface mines offer advantages and disadvantages when compared to underground mining. Amongst the advantages are that it is cheaper, can recover more of the resource (usually up to 100% within the mining excavation), is safer and can use larger-scale mining equipment offering higher production rates.
How area strip mining is done?
Area Stripping extracts ore over a large, flat terrain in long strips . The overburden of rocks and soil is dropped in the previous strip so that long gaps aren’t left in the earth after mining is complete. Contour mining is a version of strip mining that follows the contours of outcrops and hilly terrains.
What do you get out of strip mining?
Strip mining, removal of soil and rock (overburden) above a layer or seam (particularly coal), followed by the removal of the exposed mineral . The common strip-mining techniques are classified as area mining or contour mining on the basis of the deposit geometry and type.
What are the negative effects of mining on the environment?
Mine exploration, construction, operation, and maintenance may result in land-use change, and may have associated negative impacts on environments, including deforestation, erosion, contamination and alteration of soil profiles, contamination of local streams and wetlands , and an increase in noise level, dust and ...
How is strip mining safer?
On a production basis, comparing fatalities per million tons, strip mines are over four times safer than underground mines ; and on an exposure basis, comparing fatalities per million man hours, strip mines are approximately twice as safe. This disparity in numbers is due to the higher productivity of the strip mine.
