A Procedure for NEPA Assessment of Selenium Hazards Associated With Mining

This paper gives step-by-step instructions for assessing aquatic selenium hazards associated with mining. The procedure was developed to provide the U.S. Forest Service with a proactive capability for determining the risk of selenium pollution when it reviews mine permit applications in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The procedural framework is constructed in a decision-tree format in order to guide users through the various steps, provide a logical sequence for completing individual tasks, and identify key decision points. There are five major components designed to gather information on operational parameters of the proposed mine as well as key aspects of the physical, chemical, and biological environment surrounding it — geological assessment, mine operation assessment, hydrological assessment, biological assessment, and hazard assessment. Validation tests conducted at three mines where selenium pollution has occurred confirmed that the procedure will accurately predict ecological risks. In each case, it correctly identified and quantified selenium hazard, and indicated the steps needed to reduce this hazard to an acceptable level. By utilizing the procedure, NEPA workers can be confident in their ability to understand the risk of aquatic selenium pollution and take appropriate action. Although the procedure was developed for the Forest Service it should also be useful to other federal land management agencies that conduct NEPA assessments, as well as regulatory agencies responsible for issuing coal mining permits under the authority of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) and associated Section 401 water quality certification under the Clean Water Act. Mining companies will also benefit from the application of this procedure because priority selenium sources can be identified in relation to specific mine operating parameters. The procedure will reveal the point(s) at which there is a need to modify operating conditions to meet environmental quality goals. By recognizing concerns early in the NEPA process, it may be possible for a mining company to match operational parameters with environmental requirements, thereby increasing the likelihood that the permit application will be approved.     

曲霉对水中重金属的吸附去除

利用2种曲霉A.sojae M146和A.oryzae M149的菌体，作为吸附剂对水中Pb^2＋和Cd^2 进行去除实验。结果表明，曲霉菌体的最佳培养时间为72h，吸附的最佳pH为5．5、温度为30℃、时间为1h。在最佳实验条件下，A.sojae M146对Pb^2 和Cd^2 的吸附率，分别为69．76％和72．28％；A.oryzae M149对Pb^2 和Cd^2 的吸附率，分别为60．64％和81．34％。使用稀碱溶液对曲霉菌体进行浸泡预处理后，可提高对重金属的吸附去除效果；而使用稀释、乙醇水溶液以及蒸馏水对菌体浸泡后，明显降低了重金属的去除效果。Na2CO3和EDTA溶液，可以有效地将重金属从曲霉体上解吸下来，从而达到重复利用菌体作为吸附剂的目的。     

Mine closure legislation in Indonesia: The role of mineral industry involvement

Major mining companies have recently embraced the sustainable development paradigm, in seeking to improve their competitiveness and increase shareholder returns. Successful mine closure is one important element of this process. Improved performance in this area is essential if surrounding communities are to see mining companies as responsible corporate and social partners.
In Indonesia, the new approach has coincided with the development of specific mine closure legislation. To facilitate the legislation, a consortium of mining companies joined to form the Industry Mine Closure Steering Committee. This Committee has lobbied the Government, actively negotiating to incorporate sustainable development ideals and practices into the new legislation. The Committee's aim has been to foster continued development of the mining industry, while taking account of variation in environmental, social and community conditions. In describing the process, this article seeks to provide guidance for the development of mine closure legislation in other nations.     

矿井通风系统模糊可靠性研究

定义模糊可靠度为一个服从正态分布的模糊数，并以模糊数作为通风系统的各风路可靠度，进而提出了矿井通风系统的模糊可靠度计算方法。同时在置信水平上，确定矿井通风系统的普通可靠度置信区间。若＝１，则模糊可靠度计算转化为可靠度计算。     

采掘诱发地震的成因及对策

根据煤或岩体的赋存特征及采动后的受力特点，将采矿及掘进等工程进行过程中诱发的地震灾害分为三类，即完整煤岩体受压应力作用的失稳、顶底板受拉应力型地震及断层走滑受剪型诱发地震。文章在分别分析其成因的基础上，研究了采矿诱发三种类型地震的发生条件，提出了防治发生诱发地震的对策。     

特大型煤和瓦斯突出的地质条件及其成因

特大型煤和瓦斯突出危害极大，具有独特的发生条件，应专门研究。在全国９９ 次特大型煤和瓦斯突出详细研究的基础上，总结了特大型突出的一般特征及发生的地质和采矿条件，并给出了南桐矿区的几个临界值。对特大型突出地质条件的成因进行了较深入的探讨，提出了防止特大型突出的几点建议     

Transforming open mining pits into fish farms: Moving towards sustainability

The legacy of mining activities has typically been land ‘returned to wildlife’, or, at some sites, degraded to such an extent that it is unsuitable for any alternate use. Progress towards sustainability is made when value is added in terms of the ecological, social and economic well‐being of the community. In keeping with the principles of sustainable development, the innovative use of flooded open pits and tailings impoundments as commercial, recreational or ornamental fish farms should be considered in some locations, as it could make a significant contribution to the social equity, economic vitality and environmental integrity of mining communities. This article highlights the growing significance of aquaculture and explores the benefits and barriers to transforming flooded pits and impoundments into aquaculture operations. Among other benefits, aquaculture may provide a much‐needed source of revenue, employment and, in some cases, food to communities impacted by mine closure. Further, aquaculture in a controlled closed environment may be more acceptable to critics of fish farming who are concerned about fish escapes and viral transmissions to wild populations. Despite the potential benefits, aquaculture in flooded pits and impoundments is not without its complications — it requires a site‐specific design approach that must consider issues ranging from metals uptake by fish, to the long‐term viability of the aquatic system as fish habitat, to the overall contribution of aquaculture to sustainability.     

铜坑矿区蔬菜和土壤汞污染研究及来源解析

为了深入了解铜坑矿区的汞污染状况,就矿区内蔬菜、土壤中的汞进行了含量研究,指出了矿区汞污染传播途径以及可能造成居民受汞污染的途径,最后针对矿区内不同污染程度的尾砂坝、山地、农田、住宅等不同地区提出了针对性的治理方案。     

Analysis of work related accidents in the Spanish mining sector from 1982-2006

Introduction

The rate for work related accidents in the Spanish mining sector is notably higher than in other countries such as the United States. It produces a very negative impact on the mining industry. This paper is the report of a study on serious and fatal accidents in Spanish mining from 1982-2006. It is based on the reports of 212 accidents (serious or fatal) carried out by the General Management of Energy and Mining of Catalonia (Spain). Method: The high work-related accident rate in the Spanish mining sector makes it necessary to carry out an analysis and research that can shed light on the causes of this high rate; this is the only way that a solution can be found. The study is based on Feyer and Williamson's analysis of accident causes, as they apply to 212 accidents. The types and causes of the accidents are coded according to the coding system used by the Spanish National Institute for Safety and Hygiene in the Workplace, which allows us to identify a series of direct causes and contributing factors in different accidents. Results If all the causes and factors that are present in the accidents are known, we are able to look for appropriate solutions to reduce them as much as possible. In short, we are able to come up with a series of conclusions that expose the weak links in the management of accident prevention in companies. This is helpful in the struggle to reduce work injuries in the Spanish mining sector.     

The science of corporate social responsibility (CSR): Contamination and conflict in a mining project in the southern Ecuadorian Andes

In this article, I explain the role that scientific studies play in shaping collaboration and conflict over mining exploration in the Ecuadorian highlands. Toronto-based IAMGOLD conducted water quality studies to simultaneously fulfill legal obligations and secure support for drilling in an environmentally sensitive zone. With these studies, IAMGOLD generated collaborative relations with local authorities and university scientists. However, water quality studies were also used by dairy farmers to establish new connections for an opposition movement. The scientific studies enabled IAMGOLD and the dairy farmers to make competing claims about the responsibility for contamination of an important watershed. This article analyzes the conflict that resulted and challenges conventional wisdom that distinguishes a corporation's legal obligations from its voluntary CSR programs.