Proceedings of international conference on treia2008 at nagpur, nov. Impact of coal mining on environment article pdf available in european researcher 923. This case study focuses on the costs of the environmental and social effects of coal mining in. Minimising environmental impacts of mining factsheets. Proper environment impact assessment of coal mining is very important and here we take some issues which should be considered and some mitigation measures are discussed. Environmental and social impacts of mining and their mitigation conference paper pdf available september 2016 with 17,708 reads how we measure reads.
The negative effects of coal mining cannot be disputed. Environmental impact of mining and mineral processing. This environmental impact assessment eia report will comprehensively detail the natural and sociocultural impacts associated with the mining and use of coal in hwange and issues contributing to microclimate change in and around the area. Last week a scottish power executive called for coal to be excluded from the uks capacity. Chinas coal resources is the reverse sun, wu et al. Environmental cumulative effects of coal underground mining. The environmental impact of the coal industry includes issues such as land use, waste management, water and air pollution, caused by the coal mining, processing and the use of its products. Mines are quick to dig up and destroy forests and soils. Global coal industry and reserves the coal deposits although exist in nearly every region, commercially exploitable deposits occur in.
Environmental impacts from coal mining and transport. The damage this does to the surrounding environment and water supply is devastating. Environmental and other effects of mining and transport ccc281. These processes also have an impact on the atmosphere from the emissions of. In this way, coal mining has multidimensional impacts on the environment both directly or indirectly. It is important to conduct suitable assessment studies to learn the potential adverse impact of mining on flora and fauna. The consequences range from the spontaneous combustion of coal to the release of acidic waters from pyrite oxidation. Stateofthe art analytical techniques and modelling software should be used to study emissions, transport. Using stream insects to predict the health of rivers with coal mine inputs pdf file, 612. Mechanized coal mining, environment protection, deforestation,pollution control measures, biodiversity, coal fires, health impacts on mining workers, health impact on surrounding communities. Coal is south africas third largest source of foreign exchange. To find out the various components of the environment related with the coal mining projects. The largest surface mines in the united states are in wyoming.
The primary impacts arise from mining, particularly underground mining, largely because south african coal mines are relatively shallow. The worsening energy shortage and the recent decline in coal mining productivity stimulated the panel to consider all factors influencing coal mining activities so that it could make recommendations for improving the environmental acceptability of coal mining and the health and safety of miners while also increasing productivity and improving. Environmental impact assessment of mining projects 17. We know it but coal is such a cheap energy source that we dont want to let go of it. In africa, because of economic pressures and slower evolution of environmental awareness, local communities have been particularly exposed to the detrimental effects of contamination arising from mining. Around 15% of the countrys gdp 2000 estimate is spent on energy and 77% of that is derived from coal.
Environmental and social impacts are divided into waste management. A study of raniganj and jharia coal field in india sribas goswami1 abstract coal mining adversely affects the ecosystem as a whole. Environmental impacts of coal mining nikki johnson. The paper discusses the current coal consumption in the uk together with environmental impacts of coal mining, coal processing and coal utilisation for power generation. Impacts can result in erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water by the chemicals emitted from mining processes. The relationship between coal mining and water use varies with location and activity. Environmental aspects and impacts its mitigation measures. Environmental cumulative effects of coal underground mining unlike open mining, underground mining extracting coal resources through the wells, usually leads to land subsidence, water resources destruction, soil erosion, air pollution and biodiversity decrease. Surface mines sometimes called strip mines were the source of about 63% of the coal mined in the united states in 2018.
Mining is the first step in the dirty life cycle of coal. In 2004, the coal and lignite mining industry generated a gross income of r39 billion and directly employed 50,000 people. World organizations and international agencies, like the iea, are concerned about the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels, and coal in particular, because of its contribution to acid rain and air pollution, and has been connected with global warming due to the release of greenhouse gasses, such as co2 and others. If the pore water pressure is reduced significantly, effective pressure will. Many communities in developed countries have struggled against the impacts of coal mining. Environment and social issues related to coal mining coal mining has significant impact on land and land use, some of the land related. Mining activities, community, environmental impacts, health hazards, disorders. Environmental impact assessment report for hwange coal. Th e pr esent wor k is an attempt to bring into focus the impact of coal minin g on the. India is the third largest coal producer in the world and has substantial coal reserves 204 billion tonnes, plus 63 billion tonnes of prognosticated reserves. Environmental impact of coal mining on the natural environment in. Environmental impacts of coal mining and coal utilization. The primary impacts arise from mining, particularly underground mining, largely because.
Effects of mining on the environment and human health. Coal mining affects the water environment by causing a drop in the ground water table. In fact in most environmental impact statements for coal and gas proposals there is little hard information on the economic and social costs of projects. The social and environmental consequences of coal mining. Therefore, the coal has to be used sustainably as coal reserves are depleting rapidly.
Saline waters occurring in underground coal mines in poland often contain natural radioactive isotopes, mainly 226ra from uranium series and228ra. A complete revision of environmental implications of expanded coal utilization. The paper enumerates the fact and fallacies of various health and environmental impacts of coal mining such as its impact on landform, soil, water regime, atmosphere, flora and fauna and human health. Environmental impacts of coal mining and associated wastes. With the passage of the surface mining control and reclamation act of 1977 congressional interest in the study of deep underground mining technology shifted. Some of these can be quantified by estimates, others are difficult to estimate.
Economic impact of coal mining in south africa afri coal. If a proposed mining project involves the construction of any access roads, then the environmental impact assessment eia for the project must include a comprehensive assessment of the environmental and social impacts of these roads. However, producing and using coal affects the environment. Environmental impact assessment of coal mining activity in enugu metropolis, enugu state, nigeria corresponding author. To find out the impact of coal mining on environment in raniganj and jharia coalfield. Coal mining displaces large amounts of water, which in turn alters local water tables.
Unfortunately, this book cant be printed from the openbook. Chapter 11 mining technology the federal coal leasing amendments act of 1976 charged ota to assess the feasibility of the use of deepmining technology on leased areas. To analyze the various proximate factors influencing the coal mining projects. The paper discusses the current coal consumption in the uk together with environmental impacts of coalmining, coal processing and coal utilisation for power. Introduction mining is an important economic activity in many countries all over the world. Coal seam gas and large coal mining developmentsimpacts on water resources 3. Coal mining adversely affects the ecosystem as a whole. Pdf environmental impact assessment of coal mining. In appalachia, coal companies blow the tops off of mountains to get at the coal. When coal mines move in, whole communities are forced off their land by expanding mines, coal fires, subsidence, and overused and contaminated water supplies.
In roomandpillar mines, columns of coal are left to support the ground above during the initial mining process, then they are often taken out and. It is an essential human activity to provide rough materials for the society. By carefully preplanning projects, implementing pollution control measures, monitoring the effects of mining and rehabilitating mined areas, the coal industry minimises the. These mining operations remove the soil and rock above coal deposits, or seams. To elucidate the coal mining practice in raniganj and jharia coalfield. Lately, the urbanization boom has caused a surge in demand for energy and water. Environmental impacts of coal mining and coal utilization in the uk. Impact of mining activities on various environmental. Coal starts as peat, or sections of partially decomposed organic matter that accumulate on the earths surface. There is a need for more indepth case studies to clarify the biogeochemical and ecological footprint and environmental sustainability of mining. Assessing the environmental impacts of coal mining using analytical hierarchy process. Coal has remained the main source of energy in the uk from 1700 to the end of 1970s, and it still plays an important role in the power generation. Director, pec university of technology, chandigarh, india. Steps are taken in modern mining operations to minimise impacts on all aspects of the environment.
What is the environmental impact of mining and burning coal. There are 2 ways to mine coal strip mining and underground mining both ways have their own impact to the environment and health. Groundwater impacts of coal mining in the galilee basin 5 the series of coal mines proposed for queenslands galilee basin, on the edge of great artesian basin recharge beds, stand to have a significant impact on the regions groundwater resources, yet these risks. Environmental impacts of mining can occur at local, regional, and global scales through direct and indirect mining practices. Coal and gas fail the test when it comes to environmental. Coal washing gives rises to large waste dumps, which may ignite spontaneously and cause air pollution. The paper enumerates the fact and fallacies of various health and environmental impacts of coal mining such as its impact on landform, soil. Pdf environmental impacts of coal mining and coal utilization in. The impact of coal mining on land, water, health of workers, air and social impact on surrounding villages and cities is evaluated and environment management plan of coal mining is developed. A study of raniganj and jharia coal field in india article pdf available october 2015 with 6,052 reads how we measure reads. Coal mining affects the environment in several ways. This case study focuses on the costs of the environmental and social effects of coal mining in south africa, undertaken for export to the netherlands.
Coal mining requires large areas of land to be temporarily disturbed. Mining and burning coal for fuel is harmful to the environment. The following discussion summarizes those environmental and social issues that formed the basis for the mining and critical ecosystems framework. If you need to print pages from this book, we recommend downloading it as a pdf. Extraction of csg or coal the definitions of csg development and large coal mining development relate to impacts on a water resource of activities that form part of the process of extracting coal or csg. Since coal remains the single biggest contributor to greenhouse gases worldwide, methods for minimising environmental impacts of coal combustion are.
To determine the impact of coal mining, measured as the number of coal miningrelated facilities nearby ones residence or employment in an occupation directly related to coal mining, on selfrated health in appalachia. Environmental impact of the coal industry wikipedia. Predicting the effects of coal mines on aquatic environments pdf file, 545. But once the coal is gone, the problems they leave behind, like acid mine drainage, can. Environmental and social impacts of mining have been welldocumented and an ample literature exists on this topic. The social and environmental consequences of coal mining in. Coal mining imposes many external costs on its surroundings and the people who live in it. In addition to atmospheric pollution, coal burning produces hundreds of millions of tons of solid waste products annually, including fly ash, bottom ash, and fluegas desulfurization. Groundwater impacts of coal mining in the galilee basin. Management, monitoring, and auditing strategies covers all the aspects related to mining and the environment, including environmental assessment at the early planning stages, environmental management during mine operation, and the identification of major impacts. Assessing the environmental impacts of coal mining using. While underground mining, which allows coal companies to extract deeper deposits of coal, is viewed as less destructive than strip mining, the effects of mining widespread damage to the environment.
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