The mining industry and the community: joining forces for sustainable social development

This article joins the continuing policy debate over the social responsibility of corporations, particularly in the mining industry. The author argues that the 'old school mining orthodoxy'—approaching the exploitation of mineral deposits solely from the technical and economic points of view—is long dead. Mining companies must also encompass the social dimension.
New policies for the mining industry are discussed in terms of recent worldwide trends and movements, e.g. globalization, economic interdependence and decentralization of governmental authority, and the rise of civil society as a political factor. These trends, together with the United Nations policies in quest of sustainable development and the consensus expressed at international conferences during the last decade, have deepened social awareness and set the stage for enhanced social responsiveness from the private sector. Socially responsible corporate policies include decentralization of decision-making to the field level, reaching out to stakeholders and shareholders, supporting governments which provide official development assistance for good governance and building broad partnerships to reduce social exposures.     

Financial failures in mining : Implications for LDC mineral policies

The risk of financial failure among LDC mining projects, always significant, has apparently increased during recent years. This situation, which is unlikely to change in the near future, has important implications for LDC mineral policies. In particular, it can no longer be assumed that mining will generate significant government revenues, traditionally regarded as the single most important economic benefit arising from large-scale mining projects in LDCs. Many LDC governments consequently need to reassess their mineral policies and place greater stress on maximizing economic benefits which will accrue even where mines fail to generate significant profits. Two such benefits are discussed, and concrete policy measures are suggested to illustrate the initiatives available to LDCs.     

非线性理论在开采沉陷中的应用

简要介绍了近年来把非线性理论应用于矿山开采沉陷领域的一些研究成果,主要包括两大部分：（１）神经网络理论在开采沉陷中的应用;（２）离散单元法在开采沉陷中的应用     

张集矿区水系治理基本策略初探

在对张集矿区水系及水工建筑调查的基础上,根据张集矿区的十年规划,通过重复开采对地表的移动变形预计,得出开采对水系及其水工建筑的影响规律;根据矿区水系的分布规律及地表移动变形预计结果,得出水系治理的基本方法.     

一种就地固土抑尘用复合外渗剂的研究

用自行设计的试验方法节矿山汽车运输上质路面就地固土抑尘复合外渗剂的研究，分别选用碱金属盐和水玻璃为主料、配以３种表面活性为辅料，按不同浓度配制成３０种外渗剂溶液，进行了下渗（透）能力。表面张力试验和粘结强度，干湿反复的固土性能试验，筛选出了３类性能量优的复合外渗剂配方，并确定了其应采用的外渗施工顺序。该复合外渗剂面单经济、方便快捷，可以适用于广泛领域的固土防尘需要。     

初论矿区安全生态经济学研究的必要性

本文受世界环发大会“地球誓言”及我国古代“哲学诗”——《老子》“天地人的大法则”的启示。探讨了“矿区安全生态经济学”的概念与定义。阐述了研究本课题的必要性:我国拥有2000万矿业生产人员,24万座矿山,一大批依托矿产资源开发而兴起的矿业城镇,我国矿区总人口近亿人,如何用“整体、动态、平衡”的思维方法,深入研究我国矿区资源开发中生态、经济、社会协调发展的规律和模式,最大限度地减轻与消除矿藏开采对地球表层造成的综合性负效应,确保矿区生产环境,生活与生存、社会环境的安全与舒适,使矿区人民安居乐业。还给出了反映本课题必要性的两则实例,并研讨了主要研究内容与方法,提出了有关的基础理论与主导思想。     

Application of Prevention through Design for hearing loss in the mining industry

INTRODUCTION: Overexposure to noise remains a widespread and serious health hazard in the U.S. service providing and goods producing industries. Excessive noise can lead to poor verbal communication and reduce the ability to recognize warning signals. These dangerous work conditions can also cause stress and fatigue. Occupational hearing loss is a permanent illness, with no recovery currently possible. METHOD: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has recognized Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) as one of the ten leading work-related diseases and injuries in the United States, and has emphasized its importance as one of the critical areas expressed in the National Occupational Research Agenda. RESULTS: One of the most serious noise problems in the goods producing industries is the operation of continuous mining machines during underground coal mining. In order to minimize occupational hearing loss, noise hazards are "designed out" early in the design process. NIOSH is leading a national initiative called Prevention through Design (PTD) to promote this concept. This paper describes the quiet-by-design approach of a noise control that reduced noise exposures of continuous mining machine operators by 3dB(A) using the four functional areas of PTD, namely Practice, Policy, Research, and Education.     

Community Perception of Water Quality in a Mining-Affected Area: A Case Study for the Certej Catchment in the Apuseni Mountains in Romania

Mining-contaminated sites and the affected communities at risk are important issues on the agenda of both researchers and policy makers, particularly in the former communist block countries in Eastern Europe. Integrated analyses and expert based assessments concerning mining affected areas are important in providing solid policy guidelines for environmental and social risk management and mitigation. Based on a survey for 103 households conducted in a former mining site in the Certej Catchment of the Apuseni Mountains, western Romania, this study assesses local communities’ perceptions on the quality of water in their living area. Logistic regression was used to examine peoples’ perception on the quality of the main river water and of the drinking water based on several predictors relating to social and economic conditions. The results from the perception analysis were then compared with the measurements of heavy metal contamination of the main river and drinking water undertaken in the same study area. The findings indicate that perception and measurement results for the water quality in the Certej Catchment are convergent, suggesting an obvious risk that mining activities pose on the surface water. However, the perception on drinking water quality was little predicted by the regression model and does not seem to be so much related to mining as to other explanatory factors, such as special mineralogy of rock and soils or improper water treatment infrastructure, facts suggested by the measurements of the contaminants. Discussion about the implications of these joint findings for risk mitigation policies completes this article.     

Community-company relations in gold mining in Ghana

As a result of Structural Adjustment Programme from the 1980s, many developing countries have experienced an increase in resource extraction activities by international and transnational corporations. The work reported here examines the perceived impacts of gold mining at the community level in the Wassa West District of Ghana, Africa and discusses those perceived impacts in the context of globalization processes and growing multinational corporate interest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Interview data compared community members' perceptions with those of company representatives in three communities. The results indicate that communities held companies responsible for a series of economic, social, and environmental changes. While recognizing some of the benefits brought by the mines, communities felt that the companies did not live up to their responsibility to support local development. Companies responded by denying, dismissing concerns, or shifting blame. Findings from this work show that lack of engagement and action by government agencies at all levels resulted in companies acting in a surrogate governmental capacity. In such situations, managing expectations is key to community-company relations.     

A study of radium bioaccumulation in freshwater mussels, Velesunio angasi, in the Magela Creek catchment, Northern Territory, Australia

Freshwater mussels, Velesunio angasi, along Magela Creek in Australia’s Northern Territory were examined to study radionuclide activities in mussel flesh and to investigate whether the Ranger Uranium mine is contributing to the radium loads in mussels downstream of the mine. Radium loads in mussels of the same age were highest in Bowerbird Billabong, located 20 km upstream of the mine site. Variations in the ratio of [Ra]:[Ca] in filtered water at the sampling sites accounted for the variations found in mussel radium loads with natural increases in calcium (Ca) in surface waters in a downstream gradient along the Magela Creek catchment gradually reducing radium uptake in mussels. At Mudginberri Billabong, 12 km downstream of the mine, concentration factors for radium have not significantly changed over the past 25 years since the mine commenced operations and this, coupled with a gradual decrease of the ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra activity ratios observed along the catchment, indicates that the ²²⁶Ra accumulated in mussels is of natural rather than mine origin. The ²²⁸Th/²²⁸Ra ratio has been used to model radium uptake and a radium biological half-life in mussels of approximately 13 years has been determined. The long biological half-life and the low Ca concentrations in the water account for the high radium concentration factor of 30,000-60,000 measured in mussels from the Magela Creek catchment.