What effect does mining have on the environment?

Answer 1

== The process of extracting gold from the mined ore uses poisonous chemicals which, if not treated properly, can contaminate water supplies and kill living things for miles. This is in addition to the local damage at the mining site itself, i.e., the hole in the mountain or the ground. == Gold mining has a long history of destruction. There are dramatic photos of flooded towns in the Imperial Valley of California. These communities were along rivers downstream from hydraulic mining operations in the Sierra Nevada. The flooding was entirely due to the silty runoff from places like Malakoff Diggins, which is now a state historical park. Use the link below to see pictures. Massive volumes of material were washed downstream and destroyed wildlife habitat, and this in addition to literally flooding town in the valley. In the world now there is more concern for the environment, but there are still mining operations in poor nations where little to no environmental consideration is given to mining operations. Massive holes in the ground are abandoned, and contaminated water seeps into aquifers unchecked. Contemporary mining requires the use of massive amounts of energy in the form of electricity and petrochemical fuels and chemical treatments to mine, extract and process ore to recover the gold. Gold is valuable, and money is being made mining it. But a lot of "secondary pollution" occurs in the process.

Answer 2

Some effects of mining on the environment

• destroys forest and wetlands.
• It may mean that you have to cut down lots of trees just to get to the spot that has all the gold or iron ore.
• Many mine require tailings dams to prevent waste being washed into the rivers. Unethical miners can dispense with the dams, to save costs, resulting in massive pollution downstream. In other cases, the tailings dam can overflow, and even breach, during periods of heavy rain.
• Underground coal mining can require the removal of almost an entire layer of material deep under the surface. When the timber supports collapse, this can lead to subsidence. The subsidence can mean economic loss to people above or damage to natural areas. It can even cause cracks in river beds, leading to loss of river flow.
• Some mining involves the inadvertent dispersal of heavy metals, such as lead, into the atmosphere. This can have serious health effects, including mental retardation in children.
• Asbestos mining causes the dispersal of asbestos into the environment. This will cause deaths among local residents and workers, often several decades later. Fortunately, the mining and use of asbestos are banned in most parts of the world.

There is no reason for a blanket ban on mining. However, the environmental impact of each proposed mine should be analyzed before permission to proceed is granted. Mining operators must be aware of the potential impacts of their operations and ensure minimum risk to the environment.The holes also spread a big germ to many parts of the world which soon gets the world polluted

Answer 3

it takes up land to be temperarelly disrupted,which creates soil ersosion, dust, noise and water pollution, and impacts local bioversity.

special emphasis on water quality determinaton due to acid mine drainage which results in significant concentration levels attract (toxic) metals.

Coal is the biggest source of mercery contamintipn in the us air

Answer 4

because when gold mining we use a method called open cast mining and that means to dig a large dip in the ground and work from there. before the hole was dug there was probably lots of vegetation they gone thrown away. looks is another thing the look of the hole afterwards

S. R 7D

Answer 5

Mining has a big effect on the environment. It creates air pollution, deforestation, water pollution, and it endangers animals.

Answer 6

No,it is human destruction over environment by mining.