The withdrawal of land from mining — A study of the implications for the future

As a result of several decades of growing environmental awareness, pressures to restrict mining activity in areas of high scenic and recreational value are great. The development of planning law, and legislation for National Parks, are outlined as a framework for current mineral policies in this country, which highlight the fact that at present, almost any area in Britain could theoretically be mined, i.e. few areas are actually banned from mineral working. This contrasts with the situation in the USA where considerable acreages, especially in the Western States, are either covered by absolute bans, or are heavily restricted from mining activity.Should some areas of Britain become similarly off-limits to mining, possible implications include increased deficits in the balance of payments, reduced reliability of mineral supplies to industry, adverse social effects on a local scale, and, on the advantageous side, more efficient use of recycled waste and other alternative sources of materials. Taking all these into account, it is concluded that a ban on mining in some areas would be a dangerously short-sighted, inflexible and irreversible step, and a more moderate approach is required, while the need to protect highly valued areas is recognised as being very important.     

Reclamation and pollution control at a severely disturbed minesite in northern New Brunswick,Canada

This site in north-eastern New Brunswick, Canada, was developed as an open-pit copper mine in the early 1970s. The site was left in a severely disturbed state, contaminating the local drainage for over 10 years. Contamination to local runoff included low pH, high concentrations of lead, copper, zinc and iron and elevated concentrations of metals in general. Action taken to alleviate, the problems in the local drainage and establish a programme of site reclamation is described. The programme included water diversion, improvements in water quality control, site grading, material relocation and revegetation.The author was employed as site coordinator for Anaconda's health, safety and environmental activities during the period when the programme described in this paper was undertaken.     

Sterilisation and safeguarding of mineral deposits in Britain

This paper gives a detailed account, from a British viewpoint, of the sterilisation of mineral deposits by development and of approaches that can be adopted to safeguard mineral resources in the long term. The ways in which mineral deposits can become sterilised are discussed along with an account of sterilisation trends. Policies on avoidance of sterilisation and safeguarding are traced from their origins through to the present day. Central and local government roles are examined along with responsibilities of those in the mineral industry.Following policy approaches there is consideration of how widely policies have been implemented in practive and how far these approaches to implementation match the aims on safeguarding. Emphasis is placed upon mineral consultation areas and their definition and operation, though landbanks and prior extraction are also considered. Finally, discussion brings out some salient points which form the basis of some concluding recommended courses of action.     

The reclamation of worked-out sand and gravel quarries utilising domestic waste — the issue of groundwater pollution

Landfill is the cheapest method of domestic waste disposal but the amount disposed of in this way has declined in recent years. This decline in landfill is due principally to the unavailability of acceptable tipping sites. Up to 30% of land taken for sand and gravel extraction may not be restored to a productive use in the absence of fill material. Domestic waste is often available to reclaim derelict sand and gravel quarries, but unsubstantiated fears of tip leachate polluting groundwaters has prevented its use for this purpose.     

The selenium content of Welsh soils with special reference to bedrock and contamination from sulphide ores

This paper describes a survey of total selenium contents of surface soil samples in Wales. Samples were collected from three areas: over Silurian shales where deficiences in sheep have been reported, in an area severely affected by pollution from lead mining and in an area where black, marine shales outcrop. Selenium levels were low over the Silurian shales but high in the other two areas. Statistical analysis of the data permitted the separating out of a basal range of selenium values low enough to account for the reports of deficiences in sheep. Some selenium values were high enough to suggest the possibility of selenosis in sheep.     

The agricultural impact of opencast coal mining in England and Wales

Opencast coal mining in England and Wales can cause a wide range of environmental problems which are increasingly public issues due to the planned expansion in output and the impact this may have on agriculture and landscape. Opencast mining is reviewed on a county by county basis to identify the variations in the disturbance caused. A detailed review of restoration techniques and the agricultural quality of the restored land is presented, and the role of Planning Authorities is discussed. Significant variations in the impact of opencast operations are identified, especially in relation to the potential for derelict land reclamation and the grade of agricultural land affected. The latter is generally lower grade 3 and below, although in certain areas operations are entering land of higher agricultural and scenic quality. The quality of restoration, while good, still has scope for improvements, such as reducing soil compaction and the subsequent management of the land by the farmer. The impact on agricultural productivity is difficult to assess, but it appears to be only slight in those cases where recent restoration techniques were used and when lower grade agricultural land is taken.     

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.     

Reducing the environmental impact of coal-washing practice in Australia

All Australian coal for export is washed — that is, the low-grade high-ash material is separated out and disposed of at the washery site. The coarse rejects are generally placed in embankments and the tailings are pumped into settling ponds. These methods of waste disposal can create environmental problems. In addition, they represent a significant energy loss, because about one-third of the waste material is combustible and is thus a potentially valuable source of energy. Laboratory studies at the CSIRO Division of Fossil Fuels at North Ryde, New South Wales, have shown that energy can be successfully recovered from washery wastes by the process of fluidized-bed combustion. A pilot fluidized-bed combustor, with a capacity of 2 tonnes/hour, is undergoing prolonged trial at the Clutha washery near Camden, New South Wales, in a joint project between the Joint Coal Board and CSIRO. The results from the pilot plant tests have provided the basis for a conceptual design and feasibility study for a full-scale tailings treatment plant. This study has indicated that fluidized-bed combustion:

1. offers an environmentally attractive and economically competitive alternative to the disposal of tailings in settling ponds, and
2. can be used to generate large quantities of energy from the wastes, reducing the energy lost in coal washing from around 16% to 6% of the coal mined.