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1.0 INTRODUCTION

Due to the worldwide increase in mineral production, it is important that environmental

impacts from mining and mineral processing be properly assessed. 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. Contamination resulting from
leakage of chemicals can also affect the health of the local population if not properly
controlled. Extreme examples of pollution from mining activities include coal fires,
which can last for years or even decades, producing massive amounts of environmental
damage. Mining companies in most countries are required to follow stringent
environmental and rehabilitation codes in order to minimize environmental impact and
avoid impacting human health. These codes and regulations all require the common
steps of environmental impact assessment, development of environmental management
plans, mine closure planning (which must be done before the start of mining
operations), and environmental monitoring during operation and after closure. However,
in some areas, particularly in the developing world, government regulations may not be
well enforced. Mining is an inherently destructive industry, and the mining effects of
even a single operation can have a severe impact on the environment and the wildlife
that lives nearby. Although there are some regulations in place that are intended to
minimize the damage, they are not enough to allow mining and wildlife to exist in
harmony, especially in cases where the regulations are difficult to enforce. The mining
industry has the potential to disrupt ecosystems and wipe out wildlife populations in
several different ways. Here’s how mining affects the environment and wildlife.the
areas of concern are closely related, as air, water, and land impacts almost always have
significant impacts on the local ecology and can significantly impact human health and
the local economy. Understanding these negative impacts, their sources, and
environmental and ecological implications is necessary if mining and mineral
processing is to become more sustainable.

2.0 VARIOUS IMPACTS ON ENVIRONMENT DUE TO MINING ACTIVITIES

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2.1 VISUAL IMPACTS

2.1.1 EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION

The exposed hillsides, tailing dams and mine dumps become eroded through mining
activities. Siltation of drainages and rivers due to erosion contribute to environmental
degradation. An example is the Ok Tedi Mine located in Papua New Guinea. Moreover,
mining activities may render farming or grazing land unproductive. Shallow extraction
techniques, geological discontinuity, and weak overburden can cause sinkholes which
create a large depression on the surface of the mining area. Degradation due to erosion
starts right from the source viz., rainsplash on overburden dumps induce erosion which
goes onincreasing in the form of sheet, reel and gully erosion. Gully erosion affects the
aesthetic quality of the site as well as stability of the dumps. Nutrient value of the
dumps goes down which might be helpful in revegetation of the dump top and dump
slopes. Along with these the material is also lost from the dumps. Because of the large
area of land disturbed by mining operations and the large quantities of earthen materials
exposed at sites, erosion can be a major concern at hard-rock mining sites.
Consequently, erosion control must be considered from the beginning of operations
through completion of reclamation. Erosion may cause significant loading of sediments
(and any entrained chemical pollutants) to nearby water-bodies. Historically, erosion
and sedimentation processes have caused the build-up of thick layers of mineral fines
and sediment within regional flood plains and the alteration of aquatic habitat and the
loss of storage capacity within surface waters (Barve, 2011).

2.1.2 ACID DRAINAGE

It is generally acknowledged that one of the major environmental problems facing the
mining industry is the formation of acid drainage and the associated mobilisation of
contaminants. Commonly called acid mine drainage (AMD) or acid rock drainage
(ARD) primarily depends on the mineralogy of the rocks and the availability of water
and oxygen. AMD occurs at mine sites when metal sulphide minerals are oxidised.
Before mining, oxidation of these minerals and the formation of sulphuric acid is a
(slow) function of natural weathering processes. Natural discharge from such deposits
poses little threat to aquatic ecosystems except in rare instances. Mining and

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beneficiation operations greatly increase the rate of these same chemical reactions by
removing sulphide rock overburden material and exposing the material to air and water.
The dominance of the oxidation reactions become obvious when discharged ground
water comes into contact with oxygen, precipitating iron oxihydroxides and decreasing
Ph (Wisotzky and Obermann, 2001). Once acid drainage has occurred, controlling the
releases is a difficult and costly problem. Hence prediction is becoming an important
tool for regulators and operators. The addition of alkaline substances (crushed limestone
to the overburden before dumping can reduce the acid drainage (Wisotzky and
Obermann, 2001).

2.1.3 HABITAT LOSS

Mining can lead to the destruction of habitats in surrounding areas. The process begins
with deforestation. The land above the mine must be cleared of all obstructions to allow
the miners to go to work. Sadly, most mining companies are quite willing to destroy an
entire forest to get access to mineral wealth. Deforestation has several effects. Birds,
animals, and creatures that depend on trees and plants for food or shelter lose their
homes or starve to death. Any remaining survivors are forced to relocate and find a new
dwelling. The removal of trees can also significantly affect the plants that rely on them
for shade from the harsh sun. Some mining methods cause further destruction, such as
the use of explosions to destroy mountain tops. Toxic chemicals and minerals could go
to streams, rivers, and other bodies of water which can create hazardous marine
conditions.

2.2 IMPACTS ON WATER QUALITY

2.2.1 SURFACE WATER

One of the problems that can be associated with mining operations is the release of
pollutants to surface waters. Many activities and sources associated with a dumpsite can
contribute toxic and non-toxic materials to surface waters. The mobility of the
pollutants from these sources is magnified by exposure to rainfall and snowfall. The

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eventual discharge of surface runoff, produced from rainfall and snow melt, is one
mechanism by which pollutants are released into surface waters. Impacts surface waters
include the build-up of sediments that may be contaminated with heavy metals or other
toxic products, shortand long-term reductions 3 in pH levels (particularly for lakes and
reservoirs), destruction or degradation of aquatic habitat, and contamination of drinking
water supplies and other human health issues.

2.2.2 LOSS OF WATER

Mining cause the water table to shrink. Water often seeps into areas that contain coal
and other valuable products, and that water needs to be pumped out of the mine to allow
the miners to work. Aside from pollution, the process would also cause water loss in the
ground. Some mines have to collect water for use as a dust suppressant, which puts
more strain on the local water supply. Nearby residents who depend on wells for their
water supply can also get affected. They will need to drill even deeper to ensure that
they have access to water. When the water loss from mining is combined with another
large source of strain on the supply, it can lead to a shortage, which can contribute to the
destruction of ecosystems.

2.3 IMPACTS ON AIR QUALITY

Air erosion on the dump is very low compared to water erosion but it also degrades the
air environment of the mine leasehold area as well as outside the boundary (Nriagu,
1988). During the course of 4 water erosion, material gets loosened and makes it
susceptible to air erosion. The primary air pollutant of concern at mining sites is
particulate matter. US/EPA has established National Ambient Air Quality Standards for
particulate matter with a diameter of less than 10 microns. Operation of heavy earth
moving machinery in the overburden dumps generate huge amount of dust and the high
wind velocity moves the dust particle to the nearby residential areas which creates a lot
of problems.

2.4 IMPACTS DUE TO NOISE POLLUTION

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The functioning of heavy machineries lead to increase in the noise levels , various other

activities such as drilling, blasting etc also are major factors contributing to noise

pollution.

2.5 OTHER IMPACTS

2.5.1 GROUND WATER

Mining operations can affect ground water quality in several ways. The most obvious
occurs in mining below the water table, either in underground workings or open pits.
This provides a direct conduit to aquifers. Ground water quality is also affected when
waters (natural or process waters or wastewater) infiltrate through surface materials
(including overlying overburden waste or other material) into ground water (Thakur,
2013). Contamination can also occur when there is a hydraulic connection between
surface and ground water. Any of these can cause elevated pollutant levels in ground
water. Further, disturbance in the ground water flow regime may affect the quantities of
water available for other local uses.

2.5.2 ECOLOGICAL DISRUPTION/IMPACTS

Mining activities cause severe changes to the landscape. Overburden dumps are man-
made habitat causing multifarious environmental problems ranging from erosion and
enhancing sediment load in receiving water bodies, dust pollution, damage to visual &
aesthetics, fragmentation of habitat and overall disturbance of ecosystem in the entire
area. The magnitude of ecological impacts depends upon existing ecological setting of
the area where mining activities are taking place. Sediments deposited in layers in flood
plains or terrestrial ecosystems can produce many impacts associated
with surface waters, ground water, and terrestrial ecosystems. Minerals associated with
deposited sediments may depress the pH of surface runoff thereby mobilizing heavy
metals that can infiltrate into the surrounding subsoil or can be carried away to nearby
surface waters. The associated impacts could include substantial pH depression or
metals loading to surface waters and/or persistent contamination of ground water

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sources. Contaminated sediments may also lower the pH of soils to the extent that
vegetation and suitable habitat are lost (Barve, 2011).

2.5.3 IMPACTS ON AQUATIC LIFE

The water pollution is caused due to increase in total solids, other minerals and
leachates from the dumps. This results in reduction of dissolved oxygen of water. This
in turn affects the aquatic life. Discoloration of water is another facet of pollution from
aesthetic point of view. The types of impacts associated with erosion and sedimentation
are numerous, typically producing both short-term and long-term impacts. In surface
waters, elevated concentrations of particulate matter in the water column can produce
both chronic and acute toxic effects in fish and other aquatic life.

2.5.4 LOSS OF SOIL FERTILITY

The run-off water directly going to nearby fields or passing through them changes the
salt content of soil and subsoil layers thereby reducing the fertility of the land. This
manifests itself in the form of loss of yield of crop. Apart from this nearby settlements
are always affected by the degraded environment in terms of water and air pollution,
which also affect the health as well as their production from the fields (Nriagu, 1988).
Beyond the potential for pollutant impacts on human and aquatic life, there are potential
physical impacts associated with the increased runoff velocities and volumes from new
land disturbance activities. Increased velocities and volumes can lead to downstream
flooding, scouring of stream channels, and structural damage to bridge footings and
culvert entries.

2.5.5 SAFETY, RISK AND HEALTH

Physical stability of mine is an important long-term environmental concern because of

the amounts of materials involved and the consequences of slope failure (Mehta, 2002).
Mining operations can result in the formation of slopes composed mainly of overburden
(earth, rock, tailings, other mine wastes, or combinations of materials). Landslides in the
hilly terrains due to steepening of slopes during opencast mining operations are quite
common. Other than sheer physical impacts, catastrophic slope failure can affect the

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environment or human health when toxic materials are released from the failure
especially if it occurs in an area where such a release results in a direct pathway to
receptors (Saxena, 2002).

2.5.6 CONTAMINATION OF WATER

The effects of untreated effluent of mining industries pumping into public water ways,
releasing harmful gas emission into the atmosphere, uncontrolled toxic dust, or dumping
wastage which leeches dangerous chemicals into the groundwater table, has fatal
implications to the people living in the surrounding areas. Toxic water includes the
contamination of heavy metals such as lead, mercury and uranium and other pollutants
such as arsenic and cyanide (Warhate, 2006).

3.0 RESULT AND CONCLUSION

3.1 PRECAUTIONS

Mining isn’t going to stop anytime soon, but it’s possible to lessen their negative impact
on the environment and wildlife. Various groups are promoting environmentally-
friendly mining. Among the proposed ideas include the following:

3.1.1 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

Monitoring plans should be based on environmental risk assessments performed early in

the mine planning stages. Baseline and reference data collection should begin before the
mine is developed and continue throughout the life of the mine. Impact monitoring
plans need to be detailed and specifically geared toward each environmental attribute
being monitored. Once data has been collected, data analysis needs to provide
information on whether or not mining activities have impacted each environmental
attribute. If impacts are becoming significant, changes can be made to environmental
mitigation measures to reduce impacts. Monitoring plans need to be flexible and
adaptable in order to adjust to mining activity changes or changes in environmental
mitigation procedures.

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3.1.2 Shutting down unregulated and illegal mines.

3.1.3 Enforcing accurate reporting of dumped toxic wastes.

3.1.4 Backfilling mine sites and proper waste clean-up.

3.1.5 Encouraging and investing in the development of sustainable mining

technology.

3.1.6 Improving mining legislations and regulations.

3.1.7 Create awareness amongst people and mine workers on impacts due to
mining activities and precautionary measures to be takes to reduce the adverce
effects.

3.2 CONCLUSION

Responsible mining will not only save the environment and wildlife, but it can also
ensure the safety of the people working in the mine and living in nearby areas.

3.3 REFERENCES

Annual Report. 2004-05. Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India.

Barve, A and Muduli, K. 2011. Challenges to Environmental Management Practices in

Indian Mining Industries. IPEDR.14(2011)

Mehta, T.S. 2002. The Indian Mining sector: Effects on the Environment and FDI
inflows. CCNM global forum on International investment. 7-8 Feb.

Nriagu, J.O and Pacyna J.M. 1988. Quantitative assessment of worldwide

contamination of air, water and soils by trace metals. Nature. 333: 134-139.

Saxena, N.C, Gurddeep, S and Rekha, G . 2002. Environmental Management in Mining

Areas. Scientific Publishers (I). Jodhpur. pp 410.

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Thakur, B.K., Gupta, V and Chattopadhyay, U. 2013. Arsenic Groundwater

Contamination Related Socio-Economic Problems in India: Issues and Challenges.
Knowledge Systems of Societies for Adaptation and Mitigation of Impacts of Climate
Change Environmental Science and Engineering . pp 163-182.

Wisotzky, F and Obermann, P. 2001. Acid mine groundwater in lignite overburden

dumps and its prevention- the Rhineland lignite mining area (Germany), Ecological
Engineering 17(2-3): 115-123.

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