Zone 1 has been lined with compacted clay, a lower 60-mil high density polyethylene (HOPE) liner, a leak detection and collection layer, and an upper 80-mil HDPE liner. Tailings were sampled and "hot spots" containing high concentrations of lead were excavated and placed in an engineered, state-approved waste repository. The liner system incorporates never-before-used electrically conductive layers for liner integrity inspection and leak detection. To be profitable, the company must have a higher return from selling the minerals than their total expenditures by at least 10-20% (actual amounts vary company . (In a few countries, tailings can be deposited directly into the environment.). These improvements will be achieved even though the smelting capacity will nearly double, enabling the modernized smelter to handle all of the concentrate produced from the Bingham Canyon Mine. SMCRA created two programs: one for regulating active coal mines and a second for reclaiming abandoned mine lands. [22][23] It is the very first institute of its kind in the world, which takes a holistic view of the consequences of mining, and pools the know-how required, in order to shape the post-mining period from a technical, economic and environmental perspective. Report to Congress: Wastes from the Extraction and Beneficiation of Metallic Ores, Phosphate, Asbestos, Overburden from Uranium Mining, and Oil Shale. Environmental considerations are an integral part of the modernization program. SMCRA also created the Office of Surface Mining, an agency within the Department of the Interior, to promulgate regulations, to fund state regulatory and reclamation efforts, and to ensure consistency among state regulatory programs.[1]. establishing new landforms and vegetation. Waste rock is separated from ore during mining. The key issues for environmental policy affecting ongoing mining and beneficiation are for the most part the same as those affecting other economic activities: What should be the standards for environmental quality and how should they be determined? An . Mining in the engineering discipline is the extraction of minerals from underneath, open pit, above or on the ground. Within the Research Institute of Post-Mining, the THGA also currently offers the world's only Master's degree course in Geotechnical Engineering and Post-Mining, which combines science and engineering, and encompasses rock mechanics, economic geology as well as hydrology, surveying and legal issues. or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one. spent to remedy problems at historic sites, and several of the cleanup efforts are among the largest such projects ever undertaken. Further details may exist on the, Under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, Truth About Surface Mining, Lifecycle of a Coal Surface Mine (, Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative, Forest Reclamation Advisory No. Managing mining cash flows | McKinsey - McKinsey & Company [2] Like most environmental statutes passed in the 1960s and 1970s, SMCRA uses a cooperative federalism approach under which states are expected to take the lead in regulation while the federal government oversees their efforts. The managers of all operations, projects, or activities are responsible for carrying out this policy in accordance with the direction and guidance of the vice president of environmental affairs. Finally, the environmental management practices of mining companies are important: waste piles that are revegetated or in some other way sealed, for example, are much less likely to be accessible to the water necessary to create sulfuric acid. When Kennecott realized the seriousness of the groundwater problem, it constructed the Small Bingham Creek Reservoir to serve as the leach-water surge basin. A mining company must undertake all mining activities to be viable and competitive. The most. In addition to designing modernized operating facilities to achieve very high levels of operating efficiency and environmental control, the modernization program includes the cleanup of historic waste sites. Sow the native species of early successional species of plants and grasses. OTA-BP-O-82. Mining companies committed to the SDGs will benefit from improved relationships with governments and communities and better access to financial resources; those that fail to engage meaningfully . 1991. For example it is noteworthy that the rate of soil carbon storage on post mining soil can be very high and may exceeded the rate of carbon storage one may gain, e.g., by reforestation of arable land.[16][17]. However, the possible hazard of waste and radioactivity generated by mining, dumping and tailing, has called on the society to find ways of seeking remedy that will adequately treat mining waste from mine dump, tailing and abandoned mine. The type of mineral deposit being mined is important: sulfide-poor deposits, for example, generate less of the sulfur needed to create sulfuric acid than sulfide-rich deposits, and high-grade deposits will have fewer tailing per unit recovered metal than low-grade deposits. As of December 15, 2011, OSMRE has provided more than $7.2 billion to reclaim more than 295,000 acres of hazardous high-priority abandoned mine sites and for other purposes of abandoned mine lands have been reclaimed through the OSMRE fund since 1977. A critical issue for public is the size of the bond: high enough to ensure that mine operators actually perform the required work rather than simply forfeit the bonded money, but not so high as to discourage mining. 165181. Mining in Indonesia: overview | Practical Law Mining activities increase the volume and rate of exposure of sulfur-containing rocks to air and water, creating sulfuric acid and dissolved iron. issues faced by mining companies with the heavy demand for capital and risks faced by the industry driving more cooperative working relationships. More detailed data for the United States suggest that non-coal mining accounts for about one-seventh of the solid waste generated annually that is considered nonhazardous, while coal mining accounts for less than a hundredth of such wastes. Few individuals outside the industry are aware of modern mining practices and associated business, environmental, and public policy issues (highlighted in Appendix A) or of how mining companies are responding to today's environmental challenges. The implication for public policy is that rules need to be flexible to account for site differences among mines and beneficiation facilities. The reclamation and post mining rules have actually b een set in the law No. The amount of the bond must equal the amount of the proposed reclamation plan. Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available. This is followed by mining and beneficiation, and ends with mine closure and rehabilitation. What are the recent developments in the exploration and extraction of mineral resources in your jurisdiction? 1994. In 1990, Congress authorized the federal government to invest the unspent balance in U.S. Treasury Securities. n the past, reclamation of sand and gravel mining areas has not been a major environmental concern to the public. As plans move forward for developing additional tailings storage capacity, environmental considerations are playing a major role in site identification, selection, and design, and the acquisition of permits for the sites. Other improvements to the leach-water collection system include the construction. Waste generated from the existing smelting and refining process consists of weak acid from smelter off-gas scrubbing, flue dust, and electrolyte bleed from the refinery. If the goal is to establish a wildlife area or natural park, as the, This page was last edited on 19 January 2023, at 15:11. Butterfield Creek is used for irrigation, and Butterfield Canyon is a popular recreational area for the public, so there was some cause for concern. [21], In view of the end of coal mining in Germany in 2018, the Research Institute of Post-Mining (FZN) was set up at the Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola (THGA) in Bochum in 2015. The common view of mining is of environmental degradation. ing) on the site. Mining and beneficiation account for significant fractions of the total amount of solid waste generated each year. We look at some of main developments in this context with a selection of reporting topics that are of most practical relevance to mining companies' activities. Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email. In P.L. Coal Powered the Industrial Revolution. It Left Behind an 'Absolutely Metal concentrations in ore vary greatly, from less than 1 percent by weight for most gold deposits to over 60 percent for some iron ore deposits; most metallic mineral deposits have ore grades in the range of 15 percent by weight. This volume examines industrial circulation of materials, energy efficiency strategies, "green" accounting, life-cycle analysis, and other approaches for preventing pollution and improving performance. Although there is a risk that Kennecott's responses to these environmental problems will not be acceptable to the regulators, Kennecott is proceeding as rapidly as possible to implement the solutions it believes are appropriate. Kennecott has undertaken several voluntary efforts to assist with the cleanup of these lead tailings, including the construction of a waste repository on its property to hold the tailings. In Hodel v. Virginia Surface Mining & Reclamation Association, Inc., 452 U.S. 264 (1981) the Supreme Court of the United States found the SMCRA does not violate the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. ensuring public health and safety. of improved cutoff walls to intercept surface and subsurface leach-water flow. The federal government is required to regulate surface coal mining on federal lands (which include 60 percent of the coal reserves in the West), but can enter into cooperative agreements with states with approved programs. Nearly one million acres were affected by sand and gravel mining in the U.S. in a recent 40-year period. This can cost billions of dollars just to set up a mine. Nearly 900,000 cubic yards of waste rock were placed along Butterfield Creek in unprotected areas and were actively eroding into the stream. 1 The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (91 Stat. Most coal-mining states now have the primary responsibility to regulate surface coal mining on lands within their jurisdiction, with the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) performing an oversight role.[19]. The modernization program at the mine and concentrators improves environmental performance primarily by making the operations among the most efficient in the world. A case study from post-mining sites", "Soil Organic Matter Accumulation in Postmining Sites: Potential Drivers and Mechanisms", "Soil carbon accumulation after open-cast coal and oil shale mining in Northern Hemisphere: a quantitative review", http://mining.state.co.us/pdfFiles/reg.pdf, http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/pagedetails.action;jsessionid=JpQ3T3CRlm3vc0Vn2ynLGRMN9nj1VkTTvhs9K8GdKM6mbGcXdQWh!1067014512!-1849986691?browsePath=Title+30%2FChapter+25%2FSubchapter+V%2FSec.+1258&granuleId=USCODE-2010-title30-chap25-subchapV-sec1258&packageId=USCODE-2010-title30&collapse=true&fromBrowse=true, http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Secretary-Salazar-and-Director-Pizarchik-Announce-485-Million-in-Grants-to-States-and-Tribes-to-Clean-Up-Abandoned-Coal-Mines.cfm, "RAG-Stiftung: Forschungszentrum Nachbergbau", "NACHBergbauzeit in NRW: THGA und Bezirksregierung Arnsberg diskutieren Aufgaben und Perspektiven", Mineral Information Institute (reclamation stories), Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation (US Dept. Provisions of the act set standards for . KUC is in the midst of a major modernization program representing an investment of nearly $2 billion. Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Tracy Conner, Hodel v. Virginia Surface Mining and Reclamation Association and Hodel v. Indiana, "Bankruptcies in Coal Country put Self-Bonding in Spotlight", "Coal: Mine cleanup concerns spike as industry sputters", "The $1.47 Billion Problem Threatening Peabody's Finances", Providing for Consideration Of The Bill (H.R. Washington, D.C.: Resources for the Future. This project consisted of removing over 3 million cubic yards of sludges, tailings, and contaminated soils; segmenting and reshaping the basin; installing a state-of-the-art lining system; and upgrading the water-handling systems. 95-87, Enacted August 3, 1977. Starting in the early 2000s the mining industry experienced a significant improvement in cash flows, as commodity prices remained elevated through 2011 (excluding the 2008 financial crisis). The environmental disruption caused by exploration tends to be localized and minor. Federal regulations aimed directly at the mining industry have not yet been put into a place, but broad-based statutes such as the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and numerous others apply to mining activities. This tour program has been very successful, and press coverage of the cleanup projects has been very positive. The same mineral deposit or mine in different circumstances may generate the same amount of waste but cause substantially different amounts of environmental damage because of differences in climate, population density, or one of the other factors noted earlier. But for most lands worldwide, mineral rights are held by governments.1. Location and population density are important: acid mine drainage that enters streams feeding into sources of human drinking water not only destroys fish and wildlife habitats, but also damages human health. In all cases, Kennecott informs the regulators before work begins and provides for regular inspections of the work by the regulators and stakeholders from the local communities. Generally, states and tribes must reclaim all Priority 1 and 2 coal sites before using AML funds on Priority 3 coal sites, but several exceptions exist. MyNAP members SAVE 10% off online. Reclamation Law and Legal Definition | USLegal, Inc. Although mining companies promise jobs and development, it is fairly unusual for a community that is affected by the mining, to see these benefits. Under SMCRA, prior to receiving a mining permit, operators must present a detailed and comprehensive plan for reclaiming the land after mining has been completed. Copyright 2023 National Academy of Sciences. Environmental permits and assessments are important to mining companies because they increase the time, costs, and risks associated with bringing a mine into production. [3] Instead, these companies can hold their own assets as "self-bonding". Through 1994, over $140 million will have been. Explorers or miners typically gain access to these lands in one of three ways: negotiation with a government agency, competitive bidding, andin a few cases, such as in the United Statesclaim staking (that is, claiming the right to explore on a first-come, first-served basis when lands are considered open for exploration unless they are specifically declared off-limits, such as for national parks or wilderness areas). The minerals on Federal lands are divided into three categories, each subject to different laws and regulations. How to Improve Mining and Mineral Operations? Here's a Guide. Congress passed the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) in 1977 ,11 with a provision that requires coal min-ing companies to pay to "reclaim" the areas that have been mined.12 In other words, Congress makes coal mining companies fund efforts that will someday restore mined areas to a natural state. In these countries (which include the United States), the government holds significant mineral rights only when it is also the owner of significant quantities of land. Acidic metals bearing leach waters are collected at the base of the waste-rock disposal areas and are processed to recover the dissolved copper. How do mining companies make money? | Socratic [22], The Research Institute of Post-Mining develops monitoring processes both at the pithead and below ground and prepares the scientific principles for a sustainable pit water concept. [1] Modern mine reclamation reduces the environmental effects of mining. The Industrial Green Game looks at issues of special concern to business, such as measuring and shaping public perceptions and marketing "green" products to consumers. Sign at Indian Head Mine, near Beulah, ND. Mining law and governance is complex. Risks rise, from the perspective of the firm prior to mining, in the sense that governments may decide not to allow mine development after companies have spent significant sums of money on exploration. Additional leach collection system improvements were made through the years, culminating in the construction of the Large Bingham Creek Reservoir in 1965. Ore and waste rock are transported within the pit to the adjacent waste rock disposal areas by haul trucks with capacities as large as 240 tons. The precise nature of mine closure and rehabilitation varies from place to place because of different public policies and accepted industry practices. The law was amended in 1990 to allow funds to be spent on the reclamation of mines abandoned after 1977. The regulation of active mines under SMCRA has five major components: SMCRA created an Abandoned Mine Land (AML) fund to pay for the cleanup of mine lands abandoned before the passage of the statute in 1977. Process of restoring land that has been mined to a natural or usable state, The examples and perspective in this article, A surface coal mine in Britain before and during the reclamation process, Please expand the section to include this information. ARCO inherited liability for these tailings through their purchase of Anaconda. An official website of the U.S. government, The Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation Program uses fees paid by present-day coal mining companies to. Water conservation and recycling were designed as integral parts of the modernization effort. All rights reserved. Reclamation law determines how the costs of constructing reclamation projects are allocated and how repayment responsibilities are assigned among . and Liability Act (CERCLA, otherwise known as Superfund). EPA/530-SW-85-033. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book. The figures of course would vary considerably from country to country, but the essential point is that only a relatively small amount of land is involved in mining and associated waste disposal. The nature of postmining liability is perhaps the most controversial issue affecting mine closure and rehabilitation. One familiar scene is of the old West, where prospectors blast the sides of mountains, tunnel through the earth, or pan at a river's edge for gold. 2641) to Provide for Improved Coordination of Agency Actions in the Preparation and Adoption of Environmental Documents for Permitting Determinations, and for Other Purposes; and Providing for Consideration of Motions to Suspend the Rules: Report (To Accompany H. Res. ICLG - Mining Laws and Regulations - USA Chapter covers common issues in mining laws and regulations - including the acquisition of rights, ownership requirements and restrictions, processing, transfer and encumbrance, environmental aspects, native title and land rights. One of the first facilities to be addressed was the leach-water handling system. Transportation improvements included a 5-mile ore conveyor system and the installation of three pipelines to replace the outdated railroad ore and waste rock haulage system. Kennecott had been negotiating a ground-breaking legal agreement with EPA that would have governed the comprehensive cleanup program at Utah Copper. Pollution prevention, workplace safety and hygiene, and waste minimization are being incorporated into all aspects of the design. Air monitoring Because mining sites are usually remote, they often utilize coal-fired power plants to supply power to a mining site. As the flagship of Kennecott's operations, Kennecott Utah Copper (KUC) provides as good example of this environmental strategy in action in a large mining operation. EPA recently elected to discontinue negotiations on this agreement. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2018, the Indonesian Government started simplifying the licensing process and regulations related to the exploration and extraction of mineral and coal resources by revoking some of the outdated mining regulations. The fund is financed by a tax of 31.5 cents per ton for surface mined coal, 15 cents per ton for coal mined underground, and 10 cents per ton for lignite. The new standards on The remainder of the tailings contain relatively low concentrations of metals and were reclaimed by capping with soils and revegetation. Mining Laws and Regulations USA 2023 - International Comparative Legal Coal mining represented about half of this land, with mining of nonmetallic minerals accounting for about two-fifths and of metallic minerals about one-tenth. Second, in a relatively small number of countries, surface and subsurface rights are not separated, and mineral rights belong to whoever owns the surface. A mine is born through exploration and mine development. A floating barge on which buckets fixed onto a conveyor excavate sediments is called. It ensures that coal mining operations are conducted in an environmentally responsible manner and that the land is adequately reclaimed during and following the mining process. The project also included the relocation of a roadway, the stream, and a natural-gas pipeline. Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. These and many other major and minor environmental cleanup projects at KUC are being conducted on an expedited basis by Kennecott in advance of any formal agreements with EPA or the State of Utah. Under SMCRA, the federal government can approve a program, which gives the state the authority to regulate mining operations, if the state demonstrates that it has a law that is at least as strict as SMCRA, and that they have a regulatory agency with the wherewithal to operate the program. The cost of the improvements to the leach-water collection system will exceed $28 million. At the same time, Kennecott is working closely with the EPA and State of Utah Department of Environmental Quality to use nontraditional regulatory frameworks to oversee these voluntary cleanup efforts. Office of Technology Assessment. Although the process of mine reclamation occurs once mining is completed, the planning of mine reclamation activities occurs prior to a mine being permitted or started. Kennecott's environmental policy is administered by the vice president of environmental affairs whose responsibilities, with the cooperation and support of the other departments within the company, are the following: Review, approve, and monitor all environmental management and emergency response programs, Assess, coordinate, and monitor the environmental aspects of Kennecott's projects and operations for uniform and consistent compliance with current and anticipated laws, regulations, and standards, Direct environmental planning for and investigations of proposed projects and investments, Direct or review and approve, as appropriate, the preparation of all environmental studies and documentation for all operations, permits, and licenses, Evaluate applicable developments in environmental technology and waste-management practices, and provide technical assistance and guidance for management of environmental programs at each operation, Monitor and assess trends in environmental legislation and regulation and, where appropriate, actively represent Kennecott's interests, In conjunction with each operation or project, develop and implement community relations programs that provide open, timely, and responsive communication on environmental programs, Inform and advise Kennecott management on environmental compliance and performance and the technical and economic implications of environmental programs and developments, Develop and maintain a continuing education and training program in environmental matters for all staff. These leach waters are then collected in a series of pipes and lined canals for conveyance to the copper precipitation plant. The firm's environmental policy attempts to strike a balance between society's need for metals and an environmentally sound approach to operations. This component of the modernization program represents an investment of $880 million, making it the largest private investment ever undertaken in Utah. UNEP/IEPAC technical report series no. Once a mineral deposit has been discovered and developed, it is ready for the next stages in the production process: mining and beneficiation. SME Mining Engineering Handbook. Mining Industry - Introduction to Mining Financial Concepts flux. PDF Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act Of [5] For example, shortly before it declared bankruptcy Peabody Energy held $1.47 billion in self-bonding liabilities, including $900.5 million in Wyoming alone.[6].
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