In situ mining (see mining solution page) can be more environmentally friendly than underground mining and is cheaper than many mining methods (Ulmer-Scholle, 2008).
Which method of mining is harmful to the environment?
Surface mining is highly destructive to the ecosystem, but it is preferred by most industries due to lower labour requirements and higher yields, especially coal, as compared to underground mining.
Which type of mining is least harmful to the environment?
Placer mining can be less damaging to the environment than surface mines, as the sediment is returned to the water after the minerals have been extracted.
What type of mining is the most damaging to the environment quizlet?
Surface mines are the most damaging to the environment, because they cause the greatest amount of change to the land. Surface mines involve the removal of earth to extract minerals, often leaving a gaping hole behind.
Is strip mining less harmful to the environment than shaft mining?
Strip mining is less harmful to the environment than shaft mining, but more dangerous to miners . Mining companies must restore the land that they use, especially in open pit mining. Mining companies may also have to clean up the water and replace the solid that is being moved.
What are the bad effects of mining?
Across the world, mining contributes to erosion, sinkholes, deforestation, loss of biodiversity , significant use of water resources, dammed rivers and ponded waters, wastewater disposal issues, acid mine drainage and contamination of soil, ground and surface water, all of which can lead to health issues in local ...
Can mining be environmentally friendly?
By taking the two-pronged approach of reducing inputs (such as by diverting surface water and pumping groundwater, or using alternative energy sources like solar or wind) and reducing outputs (by using cleaner production techniques, and reusing mine waste and by-products), mining operations can maximize their ...
Is mining good or bad for the environment?
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.
What are environmental effects of mining?
The extraction of minerals from nature often creates imbalances, which adversely affect the environment. The key environmental impacts of mining are on wildlife and fishery habitats, the water balance, local climates & the pattern of rainfall,sedimentation, the depletion of forests and the disruption of the ecology .
How does mining affect our environment?
Environmental issues can include erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by chemicals from mining processes. In some cases, additional forest logging is done in the vicinity of mines to create space for the storage of the created debris and soil.
What is the most important consideration for environmental policy makers?
The msot important consideration for environmental policy makers would be that their policies which are about to be taken are also healthy and sustainable for environmental health – b. This is their main concern that is also most important to them.
Which of the following is a difficulty associated with environmental protection?
All of the above: cost, unpredictability, sustainability are difficulties associated with environmental protection.
How does surface mining affects plant life?
Surface mining destroys all plant life in the area the mine occupies . ... After the surface mine is no longer productive, plants may eventually return to the area, but typically some human efforts at reclamation are required to restore the environment to some level of productivity.
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.
How does mining affect human health?
Most of miners suffer from various respiratory and skin diseases such as asbestosis, silicosis, or black lung disease. Furthermore, one of the biggest subset of mining that impacts humans is the pollutants that end up in the water, which results in poor water quality.
Why 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.
