Reclamation of Mine-impacted Land for Ecosystem Recovery

Reclamation of Mine-impacted Land for Ecosystem Recovery PDF

Author: Nimisha Tripathi

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2016-02-04

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 1119057914

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Mining activities significantly impact the environment; they generate huge quantities of spoil, promote deforestation and the loss of agricultural production, as well as releasing contaminants that result in the loss of valuable soil resources. These negative impacts are now being recognized and this book shows how corrective action can be taken. The introduction of sustainable mining requires mitigation strategies that start during the mine planning stage and extend to after mineral extraction has ceased, and post-closure activities are being executed. Reclamation of Mine-impacted Land for Ecosystem Recovery covers: methods of rejuvenation of mine wasteland including different practices of physical, chemical and ecological engineering methods; benefits of rejuvenation: stabilization of land surfaces; pollution control; aesthetic improvement; general amenity; plant productivity; and carbon sequestration as well as restoring biodiversity and ecosystem function; best management practices and feasible solutions to the impacts of mining which will reduce the pollution load by reducing the discharge rate and the pollutant concentration; reduce erosion and sedimentation problems, and result in improved abandoned mine lands; and ecosystem development. The authors explain how mining impacts on soil properties and how soil carbon reserves/soil fertility can be restored when mining has ceased. Restoration involves a coordinated approach that recognizes the importance of key soil properties to enable re-vegetation to take place rapidly and ecosystems to be established in a low cost and sustainable way. This book’s unique combination of the methods for reclamation technologies with policies and best practice worldwide will provide the background and the guidance needed by scientists, researchers and engineers engaged in land reclamation, as well as by industry managers.

Assessment, Restoration and Reclamation of Mining Influenced Soils

Assessment, Restoration and Reclamation of Mining Influenced Soils PDF

Author: Jaume Bech

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2017-09-09

Total Pages: 520

ISBN-13: 0128097299

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Assessment, Restoration and Reclamation of Mining Influenced Soils covers processes operating in the environment as a result of mining activity, including the whole spectra of negative effects of anthropopressure and the environment, from changes in soil chemistry, changes in soil physical properties, geomechanical disturbances, and mine water discharges. Mining activity and its waste are an environmental concern. Knowledge of the fate of potentially harmful elements and their effect on plants and the food chain, and ultimately on human health, is still being understood. Therefore, there is a need for better knowledge on the origin, distribution, and management of mine waste on a global level. This book provides information on hazard assessment and remediation of the disturbed environment, including stabilization of contaminated soils and phytoremediation, and will help scientists and public authorities formulate answers to the daily challenges related to the restoration of contaminated land. Provides a thorough overview of the processes operating on mining-devastated areas, as well as origin, distribution, and deactivation of harmful elements Includes outcomes and recommendations of the Global Mining Initiative that are widely regarded as the code of conduct in the minerals industry Contains global case studies that elucidate various aspects of assessment and restoration of mine-contaminated land

Conceptualizations of Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation

Conceptualizations of Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation PDF

Author: Hannah Caudill

Publisher:

Published: 2022

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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The Daniel Boone National Forest contains numerous abandoned mine sites left over from eastern Kentucky's long history of coal mining. Many of these abandoned mines are leaching contaminants into the surrounding environment, and the US Forest Service is acting to reclaim these sites to mitigate the negative environmental impacts. There are also several other governmental and non-governmental actors in Appalachia with different conceptualizations of the purpose of reclamation. My research examines the process of mine land reclamation on a protected area within a region with an extensive history of resource extraction. My research builds on previous work within the field of land reclamation to understand different conceptualizations of abandoned mine land reclamation in Appalachia. Content analysis was conducted on DBNF project documentation, interviews with relevant stakeholders, and additional documentation from several state governments, federal agencies, and NGOs. These various documents indicate that government entities tend to conceptualize abandoned mine land reclamation and its purpose in a siloed manner. This stands in contrast to common ecological restoration attitudes, which advocate for a more comprehensive approach. My research reveals that non-governmental actors tend to conceptualize mine land reclamation in a more holistic manner but are less able to exert control over an area. The DBNF largely conceptualizes the purpose of mine land reclamation as achieving ecosystem restoration but may benefit from working more closely with various NGOs and adopting a similarly holistic approach. Opening a dialogue between these actors could help address the knowledge gap present at the DBNF's AML sites.

Coal Surface Mining

Coal Surface Mining PDF

Author: James E. Rowe

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-03-08

Total Pages: 503

ISBN-13: 0429707487

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Since coal is seen by many as the logical solution to the nation's energy crisis, strip mining operations will continue. But they will continue amid intense public debate, much of it centering on the standards that will govern reclamation. In this book leading authorities address the economic, environmental, and legal ramifications of land reclamation following coal surface mining, review the status of the coal industry, and look at possible future developments.