scholarly journals The intrinsic roles of regulatory instruments in mining operations

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-140
Author(s):  
Kola Odeku

Prospecting and exploiting natural mineral resources for economic growth and development could be beneficial if done in sustainable ways and manners. However, if the operation is done in such a way that cause harm to the environment and people, this will amount to unsustainable mining activity and anti-sustainable development. Therefore, there is need to ensure that appropriate and adequate plans and programmes are put in place in order to mitigate, minimise and avoid negative environmental impacts. Against the backdrop of these concerns and the need to ensure that the environment is not degraded and destroyed, South Africa, as part of the countries that promotes sustainable prospecting and mining has put in place and currently implementing tools known as environmental management plan and programme to regulate and control all prospecting and mining activities. These tools contain a bundle of remedial actions in the forms of compensation, rehabilitation and restoration of any harm done to the environment during the course of mining activities. They also contain information on mitigation, ingredients for good practice approach on how to conduct sustainable prospecting and mining. This article looks at the intrinsic roles of these tools and accentuates the importance and operations of their use in the decision making processes.

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Y. M. ◽  
Oruonye E. D.

<p><em>Artisanal and </em><em>S</em><em>mall </em><em>S</em><em>cale </em><em>M</em><em>ining (ASM) is an important livelihood activity to most rural dwellers living in communities endowed with mineral resources. Mining in Taraba state is dominated by informal mining activities undertaken by individuals or groups who rely heavily on manual labour, using simple implements and methods. This artisanal and small scale miners’ indiscriminately carryout extensive mining activities without any consideration to the environment and other users. Despite serious dangers posed by this activity, artisanal gemstone mining operations continue to spread due to; rise in the demand for gemstone and unattractive nature of other means of livelihoods such as farming in the rural areas where the mineral is substantially available. This study therefore examines the socio-economic impact of artisanal and small scale mining on the Mambilla plateau area of the state. The research design involved the use of field observation and structured questionnaires to collect data required for the study. The findings of this study revealed that ASMs operation in the study area were informal and classified as </em><em>“</em><em>Rush</em><em>”</em><em> ASM. The involvement of people of different sex, age and other social groups in ASM operations in the study area to generate income was largely poverty driven. The noncompliance of ASM operations to mining rules, regulations and environmental laws accounted for the socioeconomic impacts observed in the study area.</em><em></em></p>


Author(s):  
V. V. Agafonov ◽  
V. Yu. Zalyadinov ◽  
M. E. Yusupov ◽  
N. S. Bikteeva

Sustainability of mining companies is of of high concern. The problem is specifically acute at companies that are monotownor monosettlement-forming. Sustainability of a mine depends in many ways on product quality and production resource-intensity. This article discusses formation of mineral quality indexes in terms of an open pit chrysotile mine. The studies took into account specific features of operation procedures implemented by each structural division of the mine. The analysis has found managerial and technological inconsistencies which affect quality and marketable product output, as well as efficiency of the mine in whole. The background for efficiency enhancement at a company is, by the authors’ opinion, consolidation of personnel subject to the single development strategy, namely: improvement of production and control efficiency, as well as use of available reserves and resources by means of better setup for production. The proposed approaches to planning mining operations and forming mineral quality allow higher quality of processing stock. In addition, a new model proposed for interaction between structural divisions of a mining company ensures improvement of general production indexes.


Author(s):  
Giovanna Bianchi

In 1994, an article appeared in the Italian journal Archeologia Medievale, written by Chris Wickham and Riccardo Francovich, entitled ‘Uno scavo archeologico ed il problema dello sviluppo della signoria territoriale: Rocca San Silvestro e i rapporti di produzione minerari’. It marked a breakthrough in the study of the exploitation of mineral resources (especially silver) in relation to forms of power, and the associated economic structure, and control of production between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. On the basis of the data available to archeological research at the time, the article ended with a series of open questions, especially relating to the early medieval period. The new campaign of field research, focused on the mining landscape of the Colline Metallifere in southern Tuscany, has made it possible to gather more information. While the data that has now been gathered are not yet sufficient to give definite and complete answers to those questions, they nevertheless allow us to now formulate some hypotheses which may serve as the foundations for broader considerations as regards the relationship between the exploitation of a fundamental resource for the economy of the time, and the main players and agents in that system of exploitation, within a landscape that was undergoing transformation in the period between the early medieval period and the middle centuries of the Middle Ages.


2019 ◽  
Vol 109 ◽  
pp. 00089
Author(s):  
Serhii Skipochka

The goal of the work was to develop a concept of intensification of mining operations, taking into account geomechanical processes occurring in the “rock massif – mining workings – support and protective structures” system. The article is the result of theoretical and experimental research materials analysis and synthesis, carried out for the conditions of coal, non-metallic and iron-ore mines. Positive and negative geomechanical processes and phenomena, occurring during intensification of mining operations, have been substantiated. A set of technical and technological solutions to eliminate the negative phenomena associated with high mining rates development of mineral resources has been proposed. Recommendations, presented in this article, will significantly reduce the conditionally fixed costs of mining production and improve miner’s safety.


2019 ◽  
Vol 105 ◽  
pp. 02006
Author(s):  
Tatiana Gvozdkova ◽  
Pawel Stefanek ◽  
Michaela Koščová

Ecological problems in the open pit mining of coal deposits are extremely hard, since mining operations are accompanied by disturbed land to a large depth with significant changes in the landscape, hydrometeorological conditions, mixing of rocks and removal of infertile or even harmful rocks with radioactive isotopes to the surface. Disturbed lands are unusable if they are not repaired. All man-made disturbances of the environment caused by open pit mining are divided into landscape (changes in terrain, vegetation and soil cover) and environmental (violation of living conditions within the allotment and adjacent lands: changes in water regime, pollution of the soil, air and water basins) onesOne of the most important areas in the field of environmental protection is the reclamation (restoration) of the earth’s surface. In accordance with the requirements of the protection of the subsoil, enterprises engaged in the development of mineral deposits are obliged at their own expense to bring disturbed lands into a state suitable form for their further use. Reclamation of ought to be carried out during open pit mining operations and must be completed after mining of mineral resources in the terms established by the authorities that provide land for use.


Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 164
Author(s):  
Honorine Gauthier-Manuel ◽  
Diane Radola ◽  
Flavien Choulet ◽  
Martine Buatier ◽  
Raphaël Vauthier ◽  
...  

Over the course of history, the development of human societies implied the exploitation of mineral resources which generated huge amounts of mining wastes leading to substantial environmental contamination by various metal(loid)s. This is especially the case of coal mine tailings which, subjected to weathering reactions, produce acid mine drainage (AMD), a recurring ecological issue related to current and past mining activities. In this study, we aimed to determine the origin, the fate and the ecotoxicity of metal(loid)s leached from a historical coal tailing heap to the Beuveroux river (Franche-Comté, France) using a combination of mineralogical, chemical and biological approaches. In the constitutive materials of the tailings, we identified galena, tetrahedrite and bournonite as metal-rich minerals and their weathering has led to massive contamination of the water and suspended particles of the river bordering the heap. The ecotoxicity of the AMD has been assessed using Chironomus riparius larvae encaged in the field during a one-month biomonitoring campaign. The larvae showed lethal and sub-lethal (growth and emergence inhibition and delay) impairments at the AMD tributary and near downstream stations. Metal bioaccumulation and subcellular fractionation in the larvae tissues revealed a strong bioavailability of, notably, As, Pb and Tl explaining the observed biological responses. Thus, more than 70 years after the end of mining operations, the coal tailings remain a chronic source of contamination and environmental risks in AMD effluent receiving waters.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-173
Author(s):  
Gerard Porter ◽  
Anita Kotwani ◽  
Lovleen Bhullar ◽  
Jyoti Joshi

This article assesses the regulatory framework relating to over-the-counter (OTC) sales of antibiotics for human use in India. The OTC sale of antibiotics is recognised as a pathway for the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR); a serious public health challenge in need of urgent regulatory responses. Analytically, this article identifies opportunities within existing laws in India and highlights gaps that need to be filled by modifying existing laws or developing new ones. Conceptually, it suggests a need to reflect on the limits of traditional, top-down, ‘command-and control’ regulation and to think about alternative approaches. The article therefore advocates for an approach to regulation that incorporates two elements. First, it argues for a broader concept of regulation that encompasses binding as well as non-binding regulatory instruments and initiatives aimed at influencing stakeholder behaviour (including soft regulation, economic incentives, information campaigns and uses of technology). Second, it makes the case for enhanced stakeholder participation in regulatory design. The article will be relevant for health policy and drug regulators in India and other low- and middle-income countries, as well as legal scholars, social scientists and others interested in the regulation of OTC sales of antibiotics for AMR containment.


2004 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magali Delmas ◽  
Alfred Marcus

This paper compares the economic efficiency of firm-agency governance structures for pollution reduction using transaction costs economics. Two governance structures are analyzed with the transaction costs approach: command and control regulation (CCR) and negotiated agreements (NAs). We propose that the choice of governance structure depends on the strategies firms pursue given the attributes of their transactions and their market opportunities. The application of transaction cost economics analysis leads to different choices of regulatory instruments. Firms in more mature, stable industries are likely to choose command and control, while firms in new, dynamic sectors are more likely to opt for negotiated agreements. Frequency of transactions is a key factor in firm choice.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Stevens ◽  
John Woolham ◽  
Jill Manthorpe ◽  
Fiona Aspinall ◽  
Shereen Hussein ◽  
...  

Summary This paper reports on part of a research study carried out in three local authority adult social care departments in England, which explored links between adult safeguarding and personalisation. The study included statistical analysis of data on safeguarding referrals and the take up of personal budgets and qualitative interviews with managers, social workers, other staff working on safeguarding and with service users. The paper reports the findings from 16 interviews with managers and social workers, highlighting their perspectives and experiences. Findings Five main themes emerged from our analysis: contexts and risk factors; views about risks associated with Direct Payments, approaches to minimising risk; balancing risk and choice; and weaving safeguarding and personalisation practice. Social workers identified similar ranges and kinds of risks to those identified in the national evaluation of Individual Budgets. They described a tension between policy objectives and their exercise of discretion to assess and manage risks. For example, some described how they would discourage certain people from taking their personal budget as a Direct Payment or suggest they take only part of a personal budget as a Direct Payment. Application This exploratory study supports the continued need for skilled social workers to deliver outcomes related to both safeguarding and personalisation policies. Implementing these policies may entail a new form of ‘care and control’, which may require specific approaches in supervision in order to ensure good practice is fostered and positive outcomes attained.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laxmi Goparaju ◽  
P. Rama Chandra Prasad ◽  
Firoz Ahmad

Abstract Forests, the backbone of biogeochemical cycles and life supporting systems, are under severe pressure due to varied anthropogenic activities. Mining activities are one among the major reasons for forest destruction questioning the survivability and sustainability of flora and fauna existing in that area. Thus, monitoring and managing the impact of mining activities on natural resources at regular intervals is necessary to check the status of their depleted conditions, and to take up restoration and conservative measurements. Geospatial technology provides means to identify the impact of different mining operations on forest ecosystems and helps in proposing initiatives for safeguarding the forest environment. In this context, the present study highlights the problems related to mining in forest ecosystems and elucidates how geospatial technology can be employed at various stages of mining activities to achieve a sustainable forest ecosystem. The study collates information from various sources and highlights the role of geospatial technology in mining industries and reclamation process.


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