scholarly journals The risk of collapse in abandoned mine sites: the issue of data uncertainty

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 246-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Longoni ◽  
Monica Papini ◽  
Davide Brambilla ◽  
Diego Arosio ◽  
Luigi Zanzi
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Numerical Approach ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Underground Mines ◽  
Data Uncertainty ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Collapse Probability ◽  
Mining History ◽  
Mine Sites ◽  
Summary Graph

AbstractGround collapses over abandoned underground mines constitute a new environmental risk in the world. The high risk associated with subsurface voids, together with lack of knowledge of the geometric and geomechanical features of mining areas, makes abandoned underground mines one of the current challenges for countries with a long mining history. In this study, a stability analysis of Montevecchia marl mine is performed in order to validate a general approach that takes into account the poor local information and the variability of the input data. The collapse risk was evaluated through a numerical approach that, starting with some simplifying assumptions, is able to provide an overview of the collapse probability. The final results is an easy-accessible-transparent summary graph that shows the collapse probability. This approach may be useful for public administrators called upon to manage this environmental risk. The approach tries to simplify this complex problem in order to achieve a roughly risk assessment, but, since it relies on just a small amount of information, any final user should be aware that a comprehensive and detailed risk scenario can be generated only through more exhaustive investigations.

scholarly journals Distribution of Contaminated Soils along Transversal and Longitudinal Gradients in Dynamic Fluvial Environment (Southern Québec, Canada)

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. ASWR.S22465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Saint-Laurent ◽  
Francis Baril ◽  
Ilias Bazier ◽  
Vernhar Gervais-Beaulac ◽  
Camille Chapados
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Copper Mining ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Pb Contamination ◽  
Flood Zone ◽  
Longitudinal Gradients ◽  
Mine Sites

This research combines a hydrological and pedological approach to better understand the spatial distribution of contaminated soils along the Massawippi River (southern Québec, Canada). This river crosses through former mines, which were some of the largest copper mining areas in North America from 1865 to 1939. To determine the spatial distribution and concentration of the metal elements, soil samples were taken in each flood recurrence zone appearing on official flood zone maps. The maximum values obtained for Cu and Pb are 380 and 200 mg kg−1, respectively, for the soils in the frequent flood zones (FFzs), while the values for soils in the moderate flood zones (MFzs) range from 700 to 540 (Cu) and 580 to 460 mg kg−1 (Pb). Contamination extends through several kilometers of the former mining sites (Eustis and Capleton), and concentration of metals in alluvial soils is slightly higher near the mine sites.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Current Challenges for Deep Underground Mines: Labour Productivity Improvement

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-46
Author(s):  
Jenny Greberg ◽  
Abubakary Salama
Keyword(s):  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Ore Deposits ◽  
Underground Mines ◽  
Productivity Improvement ◽  
Transportation Time ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Mine Automation ◽  
Multiple Challenges ◽  
Personal Transportation ◽  
Mine Depth

With much of the ore deposits close to the surface already discovered and mined, the mines are becoming deeper, and this brings multiple challenges. One of the challenges is the longer haul distance from active mining areas to the mine surface, hence longer transportation time of material and operators. Longer transportation time of operators may lead to the reduction of the labour productivity. Labour productivity in today’s mines is a key importance, and is currently dependent on together with other factors that operators should be at the vehicles or working area on time. There has been some development in mine automation, but the vast majority of underground mine operations are still in need of operators. Several methods are available and can be used to transport operators to the underground working areas. These methods include mine vehicles, mine taxis, mine buses, monorail, and shaft system. As mine depth increases, the method with higher labour productivity will be of much useful in operator’s transportation. The aim of this study is to investigate personal transportation methods for deeper underground operations by comparing labour productivity when using mine vehicle, mine taxi, mine buses, and monorail system. The results show that mine vehicle has higher labour productivity of up to 76% of available time, while mine buses have low labour productivity. It has been reveal that for shallow depth mines, a good option to improve labour productivity is to have few operators transported per cycle, while for deep mines, a transport system that is faster, accommodate few operators per cycle, less possibility to meet traffic will be the better option for labour productivity improvement.

scholarly journals Heat Balance Determination Methods for Mining Areas in Underground Mines - A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 942 (1) ◽  
pp. 012011
Author(s):  
Adam Wróblewski ◽  
Aleksandra Banasiewicz ◽  
Sebastian Gola
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Cooling Capacity ◽  
Heat Fluxes ◽  
Underground Mines ◽  
Heat Sources ◽  
Thermal Hazard ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Determination Methods ◽  
Mining Works ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Mine operation in presence of aerological hazards is a challenging issue for mine ventilation services. Increasing depth of exploitation and growing level of mechanization, due to the demand for intensification of extraction, makes it even more difficult regarding thermal hazard. As air temperature is a decisive factor shaping underground thermal working conditions it is extremely important to predict its value. This task determines the possibility of carrying out works in regions with the highest thermal hazard, where, due to the applicable regulations, it is necessary to use air conditioning to ensure appropriate working conditions for people. To determine the required cooling capacity for mining regions, it is crucial to identify the individual heat sources, as well as to define the amount of heat they generate. For this purpose, heat balances need to be set, taking into account the mentioned issues. The main goal of this paper is a presentation of methods available in the literature for determining the thermal balances of mining areas. The article also presents and characterizes the most important heat sources in underground mines. In addition, methods of determining heat fluxes from individual sources were indicated, as well as potential difficulties in the applicability of the above-mentioned methods for mining areas heat balances determination, in which, due to the current depth of exploitation, the thermal hazard is the most important natural hazard that determines the possibility of mining works.

scholarly journals Mine Flooding History of a Regional Below-Drainage Coalfield Dominated by Barrier Leakage (1970–2014)

Geofluids ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Joseph J. Donovan ◽  
Eric F. Perry
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Mine Water ◽  
Underground Mines ◽  
Water Level Fluctuations ◽  
Water Control ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
The North ◽  
Mining History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Mine Flooding

A 44-year record of water level fluctuations in a series of adjacent closed underground mines documents the history of closure and mine flooding in the Fairmont Coalfield, one of the oldest coal mining districts in the Pittsburgh coal basin, West Virginia, USA. As closures proceeded and mines began to flood, US environmental regulations were first enacted mandating mine water control and treatment, rendering uncontrolled surface discharges unacceptable. The purpose of this study is to present this flooding history and to identify critical events that determined how mine pools evolved in this case. Also examined is the strategy developed to control and treat water from these mines. Flooding is visualized using both water level hydrographs and mine flooding maps with the latter constructed assuming mine water hydraulic continuity between one or more mines. The earliest flooding formed small pools within near-surface mines closed prior to 1962 yet still pumped following closure to minimize leaking into adjacent still-active workings. These subpools gradually enlarged and merged as more closures occurred and the need for protective pumping was removed, forming what is today referred to as the unconfined Fairmont Pool. Later, deeper mines, separated by intact updip barriers from the Fairmont Pool, were closed and flooded more gradually, supplied in large part by leakage from the Fairmont Pool. By 1985, all mines except 2 had closed and by 1994 all had fully flooded, with the Fairmont Pool interconnected to deeper single mine pools via barrier leakage. As protective pumping ceased, the Fairmont Pool rose to a water level 3 m higher than surface drainage elevation and in 1997 discharged from an undermined section of Buffalo Creek near the Monongahela River. The principal mine operator in the basin then designed a pumping system to transfer water from the Fairmont Pool to their existing treatment facilities to the north, thus terminating the discharge. It may be concluded that the progress of mine flooding was influenced by mining history and design, by the timing of closures, by barrier leakage conditions, and by geologic structure. A key element in how flooding proceeded was the presence of a series of intact barriers separating deep from shallow mines. The shallow mines closed and flooded early, but then lost sufficient water by barrier leakage into the deeper mines to delay the completion of flooding until after the deep mines had all closed and flooded as well. Intensive mine water control has continued from the 1997 breakout to the present. The final water control scheme was likely unanticipated and serendipitous; future district-wide mining efforts should be advised to consider in advance closeout strategies to control mine water postmining.

scholarly journals Do Old Mining Areas Represent an Environmental Problem and Health Risk? A Critical Discussion through a Particular Case

Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 594
Author(s):  
Salvadora Martínez-López ◽  
María José Martínez-Sánchez ◽  
Carmen Pérez-Sirvent
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Mining Area ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Underground Mines ◽  
Ecological Value ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Lead Zinc ◽  
Arsenic Copper ◽  
Meta Analyses

A bibliographic review was carried out to establish the state of knowledge of a mining area with several centuries of exploitation and currently abandoned. The selected case study, the Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Union (Spain), has a long history of mining activity, ending in 1990. The area is rich in metallic sulphide (lead, zinc and iron), with underground mines and quarries. The zone is very close to important populations and affects protected sites of special ecological value. It is also adjacent to areas dedicated to agriculture and important centres of tourist interest. It is a territory that meets the requirements to be classified as a critical area, as it is in a state of unstable physical and geochemical equilibrium, giving rise to possible risks to human health and ecosystems. A literature review was carried out according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology criteria, consulting a large number of related publications. The results obtained using the Source-Pathway-Receptor model make it possible to identify the main impacts caused by the contamination sources, the main routes of contamination, as well as the transfer to the biota and the influence on adjacent agricultural soils. In this study, lead, cadmium, zinc, arsenic, copper and manganese were considered as potential toxic elements (PTEs), and data were obtained on concentrations in soil, water and air as well as in fauna and flora. Finally, once the receptors and the associated risks to the ecosystem and human health were identified, a conceptual model of the contamination was drawn up to consider a management proposal to tackle the problems associated with this area, which would also be applicable to critical mining zones.

scholarly journals Alleviating some Environmental Impacts resulting from Artisanal and Small-scaleMining Sector: A Critical Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R.V. Byizigiro ◽  
M. Biryabarema ◽  
G. Rwanyiziri
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mining Sector ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Mine Sites ◽  
New Research

This paper highlights the importance of transforming Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) sector into a more sustainable enterprise and shows  the reclamation of despoiled mined sites as an opportunity to return land to beneficial uses which do not compromise future development of the sites. It presents some of environmental impacts produced by ASM and the contribution of a geomorphological approach to alleviate them. The methodology consisted of the review supported by field survey in small-scale mining areas to summarize the most relevant scientific findings and the importance of stabilizing the land that will support sustainably reclamation structures. The impacts include haphazard excavations with no land reclamation plan, pits, trenches inadequately protected, siltation of open water bodies, soil and rock wastes, negative change of soil properties, and accelerated erosion of the mine sites. To transform the sector into a more responsible industry, ASM has to be placed within two integrated perspectives: (i) building the capacity of ASM sector, and (ii) promoting restoration approach by building a critical knowledge mass through collaboration of relevant stakeholders, with emphasis on multidisciplinary approach.The study opens a relevant new research field and emphasises on the collaboration of mining stakeholders including local communities to develop an integrated approach to address challenges that ASM industry is facing in developing countries. This review highlights the impacts of small-scale mining sector on land use potentials and it is essentialcontribution towards the sustainability of ASM industry and reclamation of despoiled mined lands. Key Words: small-scale mining sector, environmental impact, geomorphologic approach, sustainability

scholarly journals Does environmental risk really change in abandoned mining areas in the medium term when no control measures are taken?

Chemosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 133129
Author(s):  
Luis Rodríguez ◽  
Beatriz González-Corrochano ◽  
Hassay L. Medina ◽  
Francisco J. López-Bellido ◽  
Francisco J. Fernández-Morales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Mining Areas

scholarly journals An Overview of GIS-Based Assessment and Mapping of Mining-Induced Subsidence

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (21) ◽  
pp. 7845
Author(s):  
Jangwon Suh
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Geology ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Mining Subsidence ◽  
Data Uncertainty ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
Predictive Mapping ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Analytic Methods ◽  
Hazard And Risk

This article reviews numerous published studies on geographic information system (GIS)-based assessment and mapping of mining-induced subsidence. The various types of mine subsidence maps were first classified into susceptibility, hazard, and risk maps according to the various types of the engineering geology maps. Subsequently, the mapping studies were also reclassified into several groups according to the analytic methods used in the correlation derivation or elements of the risk of interest. Data uncertainty, analytic methods and techniques, and usability of the prediction map were considered in the discussion of the limitations and future perspectives of mining subsidence zonation studies. Because GIS can process geospatial data in relation to mining subsidence, the application and feasibility of exploiting GIS-assisted geospatial predictive mapping may be expanded further. GIS-based subsidence predictive maps are helpful for both engineers and for planners responsible for the design and implementation of risk mitigation and management strategies in mining areas.

scholarly journals Features of new sites designing on quarry fields of the existing open pit mines of Kuzbass

2020 ◽  
Vol 174 ◽  
pp. 01003
Author(s):  
Eugene Plotnikov ◽  
Valery Kolesnikov ◽  
Zuzana Šimková ◽  
Nuray Demirel
Keyword(s):  
Mining Area ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Underground Mines ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Open Pit Mining ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Mining Operations ◽  
Surface Mine ◽  
Open Pit Mines ◽  
Mining Areas

At a number of large open pit mines in Kuzbass, coal production costs have increased due to the deepening of mining operations. In order to reduce them, separate sections of coal mining at the upper horizons are operating or are being designed for mining at low current stripping ratio. For the same purpose, open-pit mining areas at the fields of existing quarries are operated and designed. Examples of such existing and projected areas are: the “Complex Synclinal” area at the Krasnobrodsky surface mine; the “Prirezka” area at the Chernigovsky surface mine; a number open-pit areas at the underground mines; etc. The main factors complicating the involvement in the development of new sites are: the presence of residential areas, industrial buildings and structures near the boundaries of the mining area; power supply lines, transport communications, which limits or excludes the production of mass explosions in the preparation of overburden for excavation; limited size or lack of areas for external dumps at a short distance from the site (in some cases, it is possible to close the mined-out space of the worked-out quarry field). When designing the development of areas characterized by such conditions, it is necessary to consider the application of new technical and technological solutions.

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