ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT OF MINING

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT OF MINING

Environmental Impact of Mining -The  environmental impact of mining  includes 

•      loss of biodiversity(flora &fauna), and

•      contamination of soil, groundwater  and surface water, air, noise & vibration.

Also affect the health of the local population.

  

In areas of farming it may disturb productive grazing and crop lands.

  Impacts on Ecology:-

  1.Removal of all vegetation (flora) and thereby fauna from the area required for mining.

2. Pollution of water in the surrounding water bodies, This affects the aquatic ecology of these water bodies.

  3. Dust in atmosphere, when deposited on the leaves of the plants in the surrounding areas may retard their growth.

  4. Noise and vibrations drive away the wild animals and birds from the nearby forest.

  5. Water scarcity due to the impacts of opencast mining on water regime affects the growth of vegetation and agriculture in and around the complexes.

Impact on Land :

  Due to Large scale excavation. Removal of topsoil sub soil.

  Dumping of of solid wastes. Creat derelict(negletful) land.

Subsidence.

Effect on agriculture.

Impacts on Land:-: :- Impacts of opencast mining:-

   Topography and land scenario changes

  The land-use in the surrounding areas may get affected due to the impacts of mining on water regime.

  In the mines having mineral concentration it is required to make tailing dams to store the tailings from the concentration plants.

  These dams need land and may cause pollution of nearby underground and surface water sources.

The drainage pattern on the surface undergoes a change.

: Impact on Atmosphere:- Impacts of opencast mining :- Due to use of HEMM, BLASTING ,FIRE, DIESEL & PETROL VEHICLES and other mining activities

Production of dust in atmosphere.

  Increase in sox,nox,co,co2 etc in atmosphere.

Affect health of people, Global warming.

Impacts on Water:- Impacts of opencast mining:-

  All the surface water bodies have to be removed .

  All the aquifers, including the water-table  above the mineral deposit are damaged .

  If there are high pressure aquifers below the mineral deposit it becomes necessary to pump out water from these aquifers .

  Water in the nearby water bodies gets polluted .

In the areas having pyrites and sulfides in the rock mass the mine water as well as the leaches may be acidic and their discharge in the surface water bodies may enhance heavy metal pollution potential.

Impacts on Water Impacts of Mineral preparation:-

The effluents from the mineral preparation plants when discharged into the surface water bodies, pollute their water.

The effluents when discharged on the surface pollute the top soil and sub soils and also the water table.

What is Noise Pollution?

Noise pollution (also sound pollution, sound disturbance) refers to the excessive and troublesome sound that is injurious to health.

Noise pollution refers to the presence of such levels of noise or sound in the environment that are disturbing, irritating and annoying to living beings.

SOURCES

•      BLASTING

•      OPERATION OF HEMM,CHP,etc

Effects of Noise Pollution

1.  Loss of hearing and deafness: 

  2. Cardiac disturbance: 

  3. Sleeplessness: 

4. Headache: 

  5. Stress, tension and aggressiveness: .

  6. Irregular blood pressure: .

  7. Mental imbalance and nervous debility: 
8. Psychological imbalance: It may also cause psychological imbalance.

  9. Difficulty in talking: 

Administrative –

   supplying the workers being exposed to occupational noise exceeding 87 dBA with earplugs,

  semi-insert plugs, muffs and helmets, –

 reducing hours of work where excessive sound pressure levels are experienced,

– task rotation of workers, –

 training the workers about the use of personal protectors and explaining their advantages, –

  having the mine workers undergo periodic medical inspections to check hearing.

Engineering noise controls

   – selecting the processes with lower sound pressure levels,

  – locating the mine-related plants in noiseless places,

 – enclosing the source of noise and preventing the noise from being transmitted,

   – isolating the operators’ cab,

  – moving the noisy machine to a little

-used section of a mine.

Noise level

•      85 dB(A) warning limit

•      90 dB(A) danger limit

•      A person shall not be allowed without appropriate ear protection in an area where noise level is 115dB (A)

•      Personal protective equipment shall be worn if there is single isolated outbrust of noise above 130 dB(A) impulse or 120 dB(A) fast

No person allowed in 140dB(A) nose

NOISE

.

Control

•      Use of ear muffs/earplug/helmets

•      Improve design

VIBRATION- SOURCES

•      BLASTING

•      OPERATION OF HEMM, CHP,etc

CONTROL

•      CONTROLLED BLASTING TECHNIQUES

•      IMPROVE MACHINE DESIGN

Control of Ecological Impacts:-:

Plan the mining layout so as to have the least requirement of the forest land .

Develop a suitable compensatory forest.

Develop a flora bank to preserve the typical floral species.

  The noise and vibration producing activities in the mines and the associated activities be planned to have the minimum possible intensity and impact on the wild life in the surrounding area.

Control of the Impacts:- Land

Minimized by planning surface layout of the mining areas and optimizing the land requirement for the various uses.

Design of land reclamation development of the post mining land use.

Control of the Impacts:- Water

  It is necessary to plan the mining and associated activities in such a manner that their impacts on the water regime are minimum.

Control of the Impacts:- Air

  Use of dust extractors with the drill machines

  By optimizing the blast design .

  Proper maintenance of the roads .

   Water spraying at the transfer points tends to reduce air pollution.

Enclosing the mineral handling and preparation units .

  Proper maintenance of the equipment and machines in the mines.

  The locations of the residential locations should be planned such that they are on the up wind side .

Green belts of adequate widths, say 25 -50 m, may be planned between the residential areas and the mines.

CMR1[191. Use, Supply maintenance of protective footwear. – (1) No person shall go into, or work in, or be allowed to go into, or work in, a mine, unless he wears a protective footwear of such type as may be approved by the Chief Inspector by a general or special order in writing.

(2) The protective footwear referred to in sub-regulation (1) shall be supplied free of charge, at intervals not exceeding six months, by the owner, agent or manager of a mine who shall at all times maintain a sufficient stock of protective footwear in order to ensure immediate supply

as and when need for the same arises.

(3) Where a footwear is provided otherwise than as aforesaid, the supply shall be made on payment of full cost.

(4) The owner, agent of manager of a mine shall provide at suitable places in the mine dubbing and revolving brushes or make other suitable alternative arrangements for the cleaning of protective footwear by the persons using them. It shall however be the

responsibility of the person supplied with the protective footwear to arrange the repair of the same at his own cost.

CMR 191A. Use and supply of helmet.

(1) No person shall go into, or work, in or be allowed to go into or work in, a mine, other than the precincts of a mine occupied by an office building,canteen, creche, rest shelter, first aid room or any other building of a similar type, unless he wears a helmet of such type as may be approved by the Chief Inspector by a general or special order in writing : Provided that where the Chief Inspector is of the opinion that due to special circumstances it  is not necessary of reasonably practicable for any person or class of persons going into, or working in, a mine to wear a helmet, he may, by a general or special order in writing and subject to such conditions as he may specify therein, exempt such person or class of

persons, from the operation of the provisions of this sub-regulation.

(2) The helmet referred to in sub-regulation(1) shall be supplied free of charge, at intervals not exceeding three years or such other interval as the Chief Inspector may specify by a general or special order in writing by the owner, agent or manager of a mine, who shall at all times maintain a sufficient stock thereof in order to ensure immediate supply as and when need for the same arises : Provided that when a helmet is accidentally damaged during legitimate use, the owner, agent or manager shall immediately replace the damaged helmet free of cost.

(3) Where a helmet is provided otherwise than as aforesaid, the supply shall be made on

payment of full cost.

191B. Supply of other protective equipment. –

(1) Where is appears to the Regional Inspector or the Chief Inspector that any person or class of persons employed in a mine is exposed to undue hazard by reason of the nature of his employment, he may, by a general or special order in writing, require the owner, agent or manager of the mine to supply to such person or class of persons, free of charge, gloves, goggles, shinguards, or such other protective equipment as may be specified in the order.

(2) The protective equipment provided under sub-regulation(1) shall be replaced free of charge by the owner, agent or manager whenever it is rendered unserviceable by legitimate use. In any other event, the replacement shall be made on payment of full cost.

(3) If any dispute arises as to the life of any protective equipment, it shall be referred to the Chief Inspector for decision.