Mining and its Impact on the Environment

by Bell; Fred G.

• ISBN13: 9780415286442
• ISBN10: 0415286441
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-05-30
• Publisher: CRC Press

Summary

Winner of the 2007 E.B. Burwell, Jr. Award of the Geological Society of America Mining activity has left a legacy of hazards to the environment, such as waste, unstable ground and contamination, which can be problematic when redeveloping land. This book highlights the effects of past mining and provides information on the types of problems it may cause in both urban and rural areas. By way of example, the book also demonstrates how such problems may be anticipated, investigated, predicted, prevented and controlled. Furthermore, it shows how sites already affected by mining problems and hazards can be remediated and rehabilitated. Covering subsidence, surface mining, disposal of waste, problems resulting from mine closure and mineral processing, Mining and its Impact on the Environmentis an excellent reference for practising mining and geotechnical engineers, as well as students in this field.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
1 Introduction	1	(22)
1.1 Introduction	1	(3)
1.2 Environmental problems and impacts	4	(2)
1.3 Examples of environmental impacts	6	(8)
1.4 Closure and reclamation of mine workings	14	(6)
1.5 Alternative uses of old mine workings	20	(2)
References	22	(1)
2 Subsidence due to the partial extraction of stratiform mineral deposits	23	(66)
2.1 Introduction	23	(3)
2.2 Resume of past working methods	26	(7)
2.3 Pillar and stall workings	33	(17)
2.4 Investigations in areas of abandoned mine workings	50	(8)
2.5 Old mine workings and hazard zoning	58	(4)
2.6 Measures to reduce or avoid subsidence effects due to old mine workings	62	(8)
2.7 Old mine shafts	70	(8)
2.8 Case history 1	78	(3)
2.9 Case history 2	81	(2)
References	83	(6)
3 Longwall mining and subsidence	89	(81)
3.1 Subsidence and longwall mining	90	(11)
3.2 Geological factors and subsidence due to longwall mining	101	(16)
3.3 A review of prediction methods of subsidence due to longwall mining	117	(13)
3.4 Damage and problems associated with ground movements	130	(10)
3.5 Measures to reduce or avoid subsidence effects	140	(8)
3.6 Case history 1	148	(4)
3.7 Case history 2	152	(4)
3.8 Case history 3	156	(7)
References	163	(7)
4 Metalliferous mining and subsidence	170	(43)
4.1 Mining methods	170	(9)
4.2 Collapse of crown pillars	179	(3)
4.3 Subsidence prediction in mining massive deposits	182	(2)
4.4 Gold mining in the Johannesburg area, South Africa	184	(13)
4.5 Case history 1	197	(4)
4.6 Case history 2	201	(4)
4.7 Case history 3	205	(5)
References	210	(3)
5 Abstraction of fluids and subsidence	213	(77)
5.1 Subsidence and groundwater abstraction	214	(8)
5.2 Some examples of subsidence due to the abstraction of groundwater	222	(6)
5.3 Subsidence and the withdrawal of geothermal fluid	228	(1)
5.4 Subsidence and sinkholes	229	(2)
5.5 Metalliferous mining, dewatering and sinkhole development: the Rand, South Africa	231	(17)
5.6 Subsidence due to the abstraction of oil or gas	248	(4)
5.7 Subsidence due to the abstraction of brine	252	(9)
5.8 Ground failure and the abstraction of fluids	261	(6)
5.9 Prediction of subsidence due to the abstraction of fluids	267	(4)
5.10 Mine water rebound	271	(4)
5.11 A note on groundwater lowering and pollution	275	(2)
5.12 Case history 1	277	(1)
5.13 Case history 2	278	(3)
References	281	(9)
6 Quarrying and surface mining	290	(52)
6.1 Introduction	290	(1)
6.2 Quarrying and open-pit mining	290	(3)
6.3 Methods of working quarries and open-pits	293	(4)
6.4 Strip mining and opencasting	297	(4)
6.5 Blasting and vibrations	301	(5)
6.6 Slope stability in rock masses	306	(5)
6.7 Placer deposits and mining	311	(4)
6.8 Gravel, sand and clay pits	315	(6)
6.9 Slope stability in soils	321	(1)
6.10 Groundwater and surface mining	322	(5)
6.11 Reclamation of old quarries and pits	327	(8)
6.12 Case history 1	335	(2)
6.13 Case history 2	337	(2)
References	339	(3)
7 Waste materials from mining and their disposal	342	(45)
7.1 Introduction	342	(1)
7.2 Basic properties of coarse discard associated with colliery spoil heaps	343	(5)
7.3 Colliery spoil heap material and combustion	348	(3)
7.4 Restoration of spoil heaps	351	(1)
7.5 Spoil heaps and stability	352	(3)
7.6 Waste disposal in tailings dams	355	(19)
7.7 Case history 1	374	(5)
7.8 Case history 2	379	(3)
References	382	(5)
8 Mine effluents and acid mine drainage	387	(59)
8.1 Effluents associated with coal mines	387	(3)
8.2 Acid mine drainage	390	(5)
8.3 Acid generation	395	(3)
8.4 Prediction and control of acid mine drainage	398	(8)
8.5 Case history 1	406	(20)
8.6 Case history 2	426	(16)
References	442	(4)
9 Dereliction and contamination associated with mining and related industries	446	(46)
9.1 Dereliction	446	(2)
9.2 Contamination, mining and associated industries	448	(6)
9.3 Investigation of contaminated sites	454	(4)
9.4 Remediation of contaminated sites	458	(9)
9.5 Some metals and environmental health	467	(11)
9.6 Case history 1	478	(4)
9.7 Case history 2	482	(3)
9.8 Case history 3	485	(3)
References	488	(4)
10 Other problems associated with mining	492	(51)
10.1 Spontaneous combustion	492	(9)
10.2 Gases	501	(10)
10.3 Induced seismicity	511	(9)
10.4 Heap leaching	520	(2)
10.5 In situ leaching	522	(2)
10.6 Mineral dusts and health	524	(2)
10.7 Mining and landslides	526	(6)
10.8 Case history 1	532	(3)
10.9 Case history 2	535	(2)
References	537	(6)
Index	543