Uranium mining in Portugal: a review of the environmental legacies of the largest mines and environmental and human health impacts

The history of uranium mining in Portugal during almost one century has followed international demand peaks of both radium and uranium, which in turn were driven by medical, military, and civil applications. Nowadays, following price drop in the 1980s, mining activities decreased and ceased in 2001. The current challenge is to deal with environmental legacies left by old uranium mines, mainly located in Viseu and Guarda districts. In 2001, based on several radiological surveys carried out, the Portuguese government assumed the remediation costs of abandoned mine areas for environmental safety and public health protection. Detailed environmental and public health risk assessments were performed under the scope of studies both requested by the government and by funded research projects. It was found that the existing risks, due to radiological and chemical exposures to metals and radionuclide’s, were particularly high at the old milling facilities and mines where in situ and heap leaching of low-grade ore occurred. The different studies, involving both humans and non-human species from different trophic levels, demonstrated the existence of effects at different levels of biological organization (molecular, cellular, tissues, individuals, and populations) and on ecosystem services. To mitigate the risks, the environmental rehabilitation works at the Urgeiriça mine complex are almost complete, while at Cunha Baixa mine, they are presently in progress. These works and environmental improvements achieved and expected are described herein.     

Zoning limestone deposits in Jamaica

In recent years social and environmental pressures have been threatening the supply of limestone aggregates in the urban areas of Jamaica. Faced with the problem of providing low price aggregates without creating intolerable environmental problems, a study made of the aggregate industry in the Kingston area showed that one possible solution was the relocation of all quarries in specially zoned areas.Three zones have already been designated in the Kingston Area and the Ministry of Mining and Natural Resources is at present engaged in a long-term programme aimed at creating quarry zones for all major urban and industrial areas.The important factors on which the strategy of zoning depends are: future consumption of limestone products; the Island's limestone resources; and the laws which govern the extraction of limestone.The expansion of urban areas and the increasing demand for aggregates strongly favours zoning in order to conserve resources for future use. However, this strategy requires the support of precise legislation aimed at reducing the environmental impact of quarrying and also very good planning and controlling machinery.     

Mathematical modeling and computer simulation of radioactive and toxic chemical species dispersion in porous media in the vacinity of uranium recovery operations

The management of uranium recovery operations, such as mill production, tailings, heep leaching or solution mining (in-situ mining), has been one of the most challenging issues facing environmental engineers and scientists in the last decade. Almost any activity (mill production, evaporative and holding ponds, storage sites of chemicals, tailings ponds and transportation) results in radioactive and toxic chemicals contamination of surface and groundwaters. Current estimates based on observations of plant operations indicate that 70–80% of the water used in mill production is lost by seepage and 10–20% by evaporation. This large quantity of seepage raises serious questions as to the degree of migration of radioactive and potentially toxic chemical species from the tailings pond and their impact on the surrounding surface and subsurface environments.This paper discusses the major radioactive and toxic chemicals involved in the uranium recovery operations and presents computer simulation results of their hydrodynamic dispersion, migration and prediction of future material movements.     

Preparing and presenting environmental impact statements in support of mining operations with particular reference to uranium mining

Throughout the world, the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements is rapidly becoming an integral part of any mining development. It would also appear to be a growing trend to have such Impact Statements submitted to a public forum before a decision on the proposed development is made. The proper preparation and presentation of a mining proponent's Environmental Impact Statement can make the difference between a lengthy and costly approval process and a more expeditious one.As a result of public concern over questions related to radioactivity, uranium mine projects have received special emphasis in the field of Environmental Impact Statements. This paper reviews briefly the background of various environmental hearings which have dealt with uranium mines in Canada and Australia and stemming from this analysis and the authors' experiences in respect of such hearings, makes suggestions on how Environmental Impact Statements can be prepared and presented from a technical and legal point of view so as to minimize the length of time and expense involved in the approval process and to maximize the chances of obtaining approval for the project.     

Assessing and evaluating environmental impacts at proposed nuclear power plant sites

The applicability of decision analysis for assessing, evaluating, and reporting possible environmental impacts of proposed large-scale projects is illustrated. A study concerning the ecological impacts of constructing and operating nuclear power facilities in the Pacific Northwest is used as an example. Possible impacts are quantified for two objectives: minimizing adverse impacts on salmonids and minimizing biological disturbance. The results provide information about both the direct and indirect consequences of the impact. This approach explicitly addresses the multiple objective and uncertainty issues inherent in environmental problems. It also provides a mechanism for illuminating the value structure which is utilized in the evaluation process.     

Some aspects of mining subsidence and its control in the US coalfields

The problem of surface subsidence is rapidly becoming an important environmental consideration of active as well as abandoned mining operations in the USA. The damages attributed to this phenomenon range from simple land settlement to severe structural damage and have been experienced in both rural and urban areas spreading across thirty states.This paper presents a discussion on mining subsidence and its characteristics above US longwall and room-and-pillar mines. The influence of the geological controls on subsidence is discussed in detail and the effects of subsidence on man and his environment are presented and exemplified. In addition, a historical review of rules and regulations governing subsidence-related problems is given, leading to Public Law 95-87, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, and finally, the new regulations being developed under the regulatory reform program are discussed.     

Mining on communal land as a new frontier –a case study of the Kunene Region,Namibia

ABSTRACT

This paper is about mining under communal ownership which makes this kind of mining a new mining frontier. The newness of the frontier is that it has introduced a series of institutional complexities that is uncommon to artisanal and large-scale mining. Mining companies have to negotiate deals with communities and their leaders to be able to prospect for mineral resources. We also argue that the state’s environmental legislation is poorly harmonised with the prevalent conditions in communal areas where mining is gaining greater importance. Legislation remains silent on the rights of those living on communal land. These rights remain in a state of confusion with often negative effects on the local communities who are exposed to a number of duplicating development programmes and legislative structures. The aim of this paper is to explore the dynamics communal mining in the Kunene Region in north-western Namibia.     

Environmental problems of coal production in the United Kingdom with particular reference to the Yorkshire coalfield

This paper reviews the environmental problems associated with the coal-mining industry on the Yorkshire coalfield. The main environmental problems are identified as being caused by:

1. The need to dispose of large quantities of colliery waste or ‘spoil’, in an environmentally acceptable manner.
2. Derelict and despoiled land, including the problems caused by the re-working of old tips for their coal content.
3. Opencast coal mining.
4. Subsidence.
5. Transportation of coal and coal waste.

These problems are reviewed in the context of the role of coal in meeting the United Kingdom's energy needs and the framework of environmental control within which the coal-mining industry has to operate. Particular stress is laid on the fact that the Yorkshire coalfield, as with the majority of coalfields, is an old one with a legacy of inherited dereliction. Whilst modernisation of the mining industry is proceeding there have not been parallel developments put in hand to cope with the changing nature of the environmental problems resulting from the modernisation of the industry. Particular stress is placed on the need to dispose of the greatly increased quantities of spoil now being produced.     

The coal problem in Belgium: matters related to the economy and the environment

Conclusions Whereas old coal tips were looked on in the past as constituting large reserves of energy resources, these very tips have today acquired a new ecological value, and because of their biological worth, or because of the fact that they improve the landscape, these considerations ought to supersede the old concept. Of course, the ecological and economic features can be said to be related when the biomass found on coal tips can be used economically.We can rightly say that the environmental impact of the coal extracting industry has left features that will remain whatever they may be: old coal tips, that give us much biological information; subsidence that has made lakes where so many bird varieties can be found; and also those mining sites, whether they are reclaimed and restored or not. All these features of today bear witness to the life and work of many generations.     

Mapping cumulative impacts of mining on sediment retention ecosystem service in an Australian mining region

Mining development can potentially lead to cumulative impacts on ecosystems and their services across a range of scales. Site-specific environmental impact assessments are commonly assessed for mining projects; however, large-scale cumulative impacts of multiple mines that aggregate and interact in resources regions have had little attention in the literature and there are few examples where regional-scale mining impacts have been assessed on ecosystem services. The objective of this study is to quantify regional-scale cumulative impacts of mining on sediment retention ecosystem services. We apply the sediment delivery ratio model of Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs to calculate and map the sediment retention and export using a synthetic catchment model and a real case study under different mining scenarios in an Australian mining region. Two impact indices were created to quantify the cumulative impacts associated with a single mine and the interactions between multiple mines. The indices clarified the magnitude of impacts and the positive/negative impacts associated with regional-scale sediment retention and export. We found cumulative impacts associated with multiple mines’ interaction occurred but the influence of these interactions was relatively weak. This research demonstrated the potential for utilising ecosystem services modelling for the quantitative assessment of the cumulative impacts. Such research provide decision-makers and planners with a tool for sustainable regional and landscape planning that balances the needs of mining and the provision of ecosystem services.     

Devising indicators of sustainable development for the mining and minerals industry: An analysis of critical background issues

The exact application of sustainable development in the mining and minerals industry has precipitated considerable debate in recent years. Since the publication of the Brundtland Commission's Report, Our Common Future, numerous explanations have been put forth in an attempt to define sustainable development in the mining and minerals context. Specifically, the inability of the Brundtland Report to outline an effective sustainability framework, combined with its contention that no single blueprint for sustainable development exists, has prompted a number of academics and practitioners to provide personal viewpoints on the application of sustainable development in the mining and minerals industry. This paper focuses on one aspect of the mining and minerals-sustainable development debate: the corporate perspective. It first uses the burgeoning body of literature to define sustainable development in the corporate mining context. Second, it addresses, against the background of this interpretation, many of the salient issues associated with developing a series of plausible Sustainable Development Indicators (SDIs) for use in the mining and minerals extraction industry. The paper clearly illustrates the difficulty in both arriving at a suitable working definition of sustainable development for an industry, and developing an acceptable set of universal standards for measuring environmental and socioeconomic performance.     

Some effects of century old abandoned lead mining operations on streams in Missouri,USA

Lead has been mined in the Old Lead Belt region of southeastern Missouri, USA since the early 1700s. Mining operations ceased totally in 1972. Since no other major industries were associated with the region, an investigation was initiated to study the long-term environmental effects of lead mining activities on the water quality sediments and biota otarea receiving streams. The principal study area was Flat River Creek,. which drained the major mining operations of the region. The findings of this study indicated the water of the lower Flat River Creek below the mining elevation contained elevated levels of lead, zinc, calcium and magnesium. The sediments and biota of the same stream area were also found to contain significantly higher levels of lead and zinc as well as copper and cadmium. Algae, crayfish and minnows were all found to have concentrated these metals. The studies indicated that some type of abandonment plan must be developed for the control and treatment of heavy metal pollution for mining operations on a continuing basis.     

Geochemistry,mining and the environment

This paper reviews literature on the sources of lead-zinc mining pollution, and specifically deals with the water and air pollution aspects of these operations. Problems associated with mining and the environment are also discussed. The problems are geochemical in nature but also economic, social, political and legal. Individuals doing research in these boundary conditions are poorly publicised and rarely recognised outside of their own narrow industry.The paper notes that it is possible to have both an economical mining operation and a clean environment. The New Lead Belt region of Southern Missouri, the world's largest lead-mining region lies underneath a national forest with a pure, pristine, undisturbed ecosystem having high recreational value to the nearby cities. By early cooperation between governmental scientists, mining industry, environmental scientists and engineers of the University of Missouri and other universities it was possible to develop this deposit and at the same time keep the pristine nature of the surrounding forest without spending a single day in court or litigation. Problems did arise, but problem-solving sessions dealt with them, not lawyers.     

Radionuclide diffuse in the environment

The purpose of this work is to relate the results and the conclusions which arose from the operation of nuclear plants from many years and from the application various radioecological models which describe the diffusing and the burdening of ecological system with radioactive substances in relation to the general problem of the pollution of the environment with whatever type of radioactive filthiness.

It is believed that the findings resulting from such comparison will be very interesting and will contribute to the taking of the right measures to face the pollution of the environment. This study is very important for countries such as Greece which has no nuclear plants but has a rapidly developed industry. The research has been mainly concentrated to the industrial area of Thessaloniki (Sindos) which is considered as the main source of diffused filthiness and which in the last few years has caused serious problems of pollution to the wider area of Thessaloniki.     

基于人群健康的污染产业转移环境效应研究——以广东省陶瓷行业为例

产业转移是经济发展过程中常见现象；产业生产与资源环境之间密不可分的关系决定了产业转移必然引起资源环境状况的变化。为评价产业转移对改善区域整体环境状况的作用，构建了以环境经济损益分析定量评价产业转移的环境效应的方法框架，并以广东省陶瓷行业转移为例，研究了基于人体健康的污染产业转移的环境效应。研究结果显示，一般而言，由于污染排放变化，产业迁出地将产生环境效益，同时承接地将发生环境损失。当产业转移产生环境净效益时，意味着整体区域环境的改善。这种改善主要得益于产业迁出地和承接地之间存在的社会经济特征差异、具有经济技术可行性的污染控制技术的推广以及环境自净能力的合理利用等因素的综合作用。为促进区域协调发展，区域内产业转移过程中，应采取优化产业转移目录、加强环境管理、建立环境信息公开和公众参与制度和统筹协调区域内的污染控制责任和环境利益等环境治理措施。     

城市垃圾肥在锡矿尾砂库植被重建中的应用

在广西大厂矿区废弃的锡矿尾砂库上进行植被的重建试验。设对照组、垃圾肥处理组和覆土组,种植固氮植物银合欢(Leucaenaleucocephala)。100d时采样分析,垃圾肥处理组的银合欢生长状况最好,重金属从土壤到植物的迁移明显降低,说明在锡矿尾砂库植被重建中,可以利用垃圾肥替代土壤,银合欢可以作为锡矿尾砂库植被重建的先锋树种。     

浅议郴州市废弃矿山生态恢复途径

郴州市矿产资源丰富,采矿业发达,矿山资源开发导致了环境污染、生态破坏等一系列问题,矿山废弃地的生态恢复及景观重建已成为郴州市经济和社会发展需要迫切解决的问题之一.概括地介绍了郴州市的基本状况,分析了郴州市采矿业的无序发展对生态环境的影响,并针对矿山废弃地环境的污染问题,探索性地提出了郴州市废弃矿山生态恢复的途径.     

Sorption and reduction of hexavalent uranium by natural and modified silicate minerals: A review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - In the context of rising anthropogenic activities and world conflicts, there is an urgent need for energy supply, such as nuclear power from uranium minerals....     

Impact of coal industries on the quality of Damodar river water

Increasing demand for water in domestic, agricultural, and industrial sectors necessitates exploitation of water either in the form of groundwater or from natural resources. To safeguard the long-term sustainability of water resources and their utilization, the quality of water has to be periodically monitored and determined for various characteristics, especially when the sources are polluted, such as Damodar river. Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Dhanbad, is carrying out research work on coal and its utilization and associated environmental concerns. The blood stream of life for the whole Jharia Coalfield is none other than the river Damodar. CIMFR's campus also depends exclusively on river Damodar for meeting its demand of drinking water. This study is a general survey toward the characteristics of Damodar river water, with special emphasis on the pollutant parameters, and evaluation of the treatment process being carried out at the institute for potability. Damodar river water is indeed affected by the disposal of the wastes without any pre-treatment by different coal-based industries established in its basin. The quantity of dissolved and suspended solids, total hardness, chemical oxygen demand, and coliform bacterial count are higher in Damodar water due to the disposal of the waste/effluents from coal-washing plants, coke ovens, cement, and other industries, but well within the permissible limit which is probably attributable to the high-carrying capacity of the river. The river is still not that much affected as it is usually apprehended, and it can be well utilized for potable and domestic purposes after simple treatment.     

Extraction,reclamation and after use at gravel quarries near Canterbury,Kent

A study of the extraction, reclamation and after use of flood plain gravel quarries between Bagham and Thannington, south west of Canterbury in Kent, South-east England, was made, based on a review of the literature and field work. The area represents a linear extension of the urban fringe of Canterbury. Gravel production has been the most significant industry in terms of environmental impact over the last thirty years, and the result of such activity has been the creation of an extensive area of lakes and wetland habitats. Present and future gravel production will more than double the existing lakes and wetlands areas. It is suggested that, in terms of land use, this man-made environment is best suited for water-based recreation and that three zones should be recognised for an amenity park, angling and wildlife respectively. Further mineral production between Ashford and Bagham may mean a reappraisal of the proposed water resource use, particularly for wildlife. As a result of this study, attention is drawn to the spatial relationships between recreational demand groups and flood plain location with respect to the urban centre and to each other.