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Why are open pit mines negative?

Updated: 9/15/2023
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14y ago

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There is nothing negative about open pit mines in and of themselves. However, open pit mines have three problems. The first problem comes with what the mine owners do with the overburden over the ore. The second problem comes with what the mine owners do with the tailings. And the third problem involves what to do with the pit after the ore is extracted. Different governments handle it in different ways. In the United States, The State of Pennsylvania has a law that requires the mining company to restore the land. Where there were open pit mines, there are now beautiful meadows. In West Virginia were there were open pit mines, there are denuded hill tops and acid filled streams.

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What kind of mines are open pit and quarry mines?

open pits and quarries are what kind of mine


What are the three types of surface mines?

Strip mining, Open pit mining and Mountaintop removal mining


What happens to land after coal is mined?

In an ideal world: * Deep mines have a small footprint although the treating and processing may leave piles of waste rock which should be covered wih dirt for reforestation. * Open pit mines may be converted to open grassy or forested areas.


What minerals are mined in open pit mines?

There are several, the main ones are coal, chalk and stone for building purposes. Many countries have restrictions on open cast mining and there are regulation for repairing the land afterwards.


Why are open pit mines used more?

There are some things that are difficult to mine via the open pit method. But when it is possible to apply the techniques of the open pit mine to recover rock and minerals, this mining type is good for basically two reasons. One is because it is relatively safer, and the other relates to the scale of the mine. We recover materials from the ground every day, and have done so for thousands of years. The open pit mine presents far fewer hazards than underground mining, and the reasons are fairly obvious. In a shaft or drift, there are many things that can go wrong and cause loss of life and/or equipment. There are far fewer in an "outdoor" mining activity as it is practiced in an open pit. The largest mines in the world are essentially big holes in the ground. These open pit mines use the economy of scale to produce materials, copper being one. The concentrations of copper are not high, so it is essential to move large volumes of ore to recover the metal in a manner that makes it cost effective on the site, and competitive on the world market to do so.

Related questions

What are open pit mines called?

they are quite simply called open pit mines, they can also be known as quarries.


Were can i find gemstone mines?

open pit mines in newbrunswick


How the mining of uranium occur?

Extraction of uranium:- extraction from underground mines- open pit mines- leaching


What kind of mines are open pit and quarry mines?

open pits and quarries are what kind of mine


What are open pit mines?

Open Pit Mines are big excavations of dirt that go very deep into the earth be using big trucks. They start from groung level and work their way down. This is what it looks like


What are two reasons why open-pit mines are more common in western Canada than underground mines?

Open pit mining is used when the materials being mined are closer to the surface. It is safer to do open pit mining than it is to do underground mining. Underground mining is only used for mining hard minerals.


How do you calculate stripping ratio for Open Pit Mines?

Overburden tons/ore tons


What are the types of surface mines?

Strip mining, Open pit mining and Mountaintop removal mining


What some mines are?

underground minning, open pit minning, solution mining, strip mining


The name of three kinds of mines?

Strip mine Open-pit mine Shaft mine


How do trucks get to the bottom of a kimberlite pipe?

Kimberlite pipes are typically quarried using open pit mines.


What are the three types of surface mines?

Strip mining, Open pit mining and Mountaintop removal mining