Mining
Meeds Environmental offers a series of products to minimize environmental impacts from mining exploration and operations.
Mining by its nature consumes, diverts and can seriously pollute water resources. Today, there is growing awareness of the potential environmental impacts from mining, and many of these problems can be avoided or minimized as a result of well-designed and well-operated mining operations. There are four main types of mining impacts on water quality:
- Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is a process whereby sulphuric acid is produced when sulphides in rocks are exposed to air and water. When large quantities of rock containing sulphide minerals are excavated or opened up in an underground mine, it reacts with water and oxygen to create sulphuric acid. Acid is carried off the mine site by rainwater or surface drainage and deposited into nearby streams, rivers, lakes and groundwater. AMD drainage severely degrades water quality and can make water virtually unusable.
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- Heavy Metal Contamination and Leaching is caused when metals contained in excavated rock come into contact with water. Metals are leached out and carried downstream as water washes over the rock surface. Some metals commonly found in wastewater from mining activities include arsenic, cobalt, copper, cadmium, lead, silver and zinc. Although metals can become mobile in neutral pH conditions, leaching is particularly accelerated in low pH conditions, often created by Acid Mine Drainage.
- Processing Chemicals Pollution comes from spills, leaks, or leaching of chemical agents which are used by mining companies to separate the target mineral from the ore. These chemicals can be highly toxic to humans and wildlife.
- Erosion and Sedimentation from mining activities can carry substantial amounts of sediment into streams, rivers and lakes. Sediment can destroy aquatic habitats and harm fish and other wildlife.
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