Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology pp 1–25Cite as

Coal and Other Mining Operations: Role of Sustainability

  • 97 Accesses

Glossary

Abandoned mines:

Mines for which the owner cannot be found, or for which the owner is financially unable or unwilling to carry out cleanup. They may pose environmental, health, safety, and economic problems to communities, the mining industry, and governments in many countries.

Acid (rock or mine) drainage:

Many metal ore bodies and coal deposits contain significant quantities of sulfide minerals – often including the ore minerals themselves. When such minerals are brought to the surface, they react chemically with air and water producing sulfuric acid, which may dissolve other minerals containing potentially toxic elements. This acid drainage from coal and metal mining around the world can pollute water and the surrounding land, affecting plant and animal life. Acid drainage is known as acid mine drainage when it is closely associated with mining activities, and acid rock drainage when this phenomenon occurs naturally, without human intervention. Both phrases are in common...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Bibliography

  1. Annandale JG, Beletse YG, Stirzaker RJ, Bristow KL, Aken ME (2009) Is irrigation with coal-mine water sustainable? In: Proceedings of international mine water conference, Pretoria

    Google Scholar 

  2. Brady KBC, Smith MW, Schueck J (1998) Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Harrisburg

    Google Scholar 

  3. Conkle HN (2008) Engineering analysis report, value recovery from mine or rock drainage water, with water purity enhancement, using innovative, low cost technology. Battelle, Columbus

    Google Scholar 

  4. DEFRA (2007) Waste strategy for England 2007. Presented to Parliament by command of her majesty. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. PB12596

    Google Scholar 

  5. EIA (2010) Annual energy outlook 2010 with projections to 2035. U.S. Energy Information Administration, Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC. DOE/EIA-0383(2010)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Du Plessis HM (1983) Using lime treated acid mine water for irrigation. Water Sci Technol 15:145–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Earth Justice (2010) Petition for rulemaking under the clean air act to list coal mines as a source category and to regulate methane and other harmful air emissions from coal mining facilities under section 111. Denver

    Google Scholar 

  8. Gardner G, Sampat P (1998) Mind over matter: recasting the role of materials in our lives. Worldwatch Institute, Washington, DC, p 18

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hodge RA (2004) Mining’s seven questions to sustainability: from mitigating impacts to encouraging contribution. Episodes 27(3):177–184

    Google Scholar 

  10. IEA (2007a) World energy outlook 2007 – China and India insights. OECD/IEA, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  11. IEA (2007b) CO2 emissions from fuel combustion, 1971–2005, 2007 edn. OECD/IEA, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  12. IISD (2002) Seven questions to sustainability: how to assess the contribution of mining and minerals activities. Task 2 work group, mining, minerals and sustainable development North America (MMSD) North America. International Institute for Sustainable Development, Winnipeg

    Google Scholar 

  13. ITRC (2010) Technology overview of phytotechnologies for mining solid waste and mine impacted waters. The Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council

    Google Scholar 

  14. Johnson DB (2001) Importance of microbial ecology in the development of new mineral technologies. Hydrometallurgy 59:147–158

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Johnson DB, Hallberg KB (2002) Pitfalls of passive mine drainage. Rev Environ Biotechnol 1:335–343

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. MEND (2001) List of potential information requirements in metal leaching/acid rock drainage assessment and mitigation work. Mining Environment Neutral Drainage Program. Price WA. CANMET, Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Mishra PC, Jha S (2010) Dust dispersion modeling in opencast coal mines and control of dispersion in Mahanadi coalfields of Orissa. Bioscan 2:479–500

    Google Scholar 

  18. Norris PR, Burton NP, Foulis AM (2000) Acidophiles in bioreactor mineral processing. Extremophiles 4:71–76

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Okibe N, Gericke M, Hallberg KB, Johnson DB (2003) Enumeration and characterization of acidophilic microorganisms isolated from a pilot plant stirred tank bioleaching operation. Appl Environ Microbiol 69:1936–1943

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Nordstrom DK, Southam G (1997) Geomicrobiology- interactions between microbes and minerals. Miner Soc Am 35:261–390

    Google Scholar 

  21. Pulles W (2006) Management options for mine water drainage in South Africa. In: WISA, mine water division (ed) Mine Water Drainage-South African Perspective. Water Institute southern Africa, Johannesburg

    Google Scholar 

  22. Rawlings DE (2002) Heavy metal mining using microbes. Annu Rev Microbiol 56:65–91

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Schippers A, Sand W (1999) Bacterial leaching of metal sulfides proceeds by two indirect mechanisms via thiosulfate or via polysulfides and sulfur. Appl Environ Microbiol 65:319–321

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. SDWF (2011) Mining and water pollution. Available from Safe Drinking Water Foundation. http://www.safewater.org/PDFS/resourcesknowthefacts/Mining+and+Water+Pollution.pdf

  25. Sherlock EJ, Lawrence RW, Poulin R (1995) On the neutralization of acid rock drainage by carbonate and silicate minerals. Environ Geol 25(1):43–54

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Skousen J, Simmons J, McDonald LM, Ziemkiewicz P (2002) Acid-base accounting to predict post-mining drainage quality on surface mines. J Environ Qual 31:2034–2044

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Tabak HH, Scharp R, Burckle J, Kawahara FK, Govind R (2003) Advances in biotreatment of acid mine drainage and biorecovery of metals: 1. Metal precipitation for recovery and recycle. Biodegradation 14:423–436

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. U.S. EPA (1995) Identification and description of mineral processing sectors and waste streams. Office of Solid Waste. Washington, DC. RCRA Docket No. F-96-PH4A-S0001

    Google Scholar 

  29. U.S. EPA (2006a) Global mitigation of non-CO2 greenhouse gases. Office of Atmospheric Programs, Washington, DC. EPA 430-R-06-005

    Google Scholar 

  30. U.S. EPA (2006b) Management and treatment of water from hard rock mines. Engineering issue. Office of Research and Development National Risk Management, Research Laboratory, Cincinnati. EPA/625/R-06/014

    Google Scholar 

  31. U.S. EPA (2009) Identifying opportunities for methane recovery at U.S. Coal mines: profiles of selected gassy underground coal mines 2002–2006. Coalbed Methane Outreach Program. EPA 430-K-04-003

    Google Scholar 

  32. Waddell S, Pruitt B (2005) The role of coal in climate change: a dialogic change process analysis. The generative dialogue project launch meeting, New York, 6–8 Oct

    Google Scholar 

  33. WEO (2007) World energy outlook 2007: China and India insights. International Energy Agency, Paris. 61 2007 01 1 P1

    Google Scholar 

  34. Younger PL, Wolkersdorfer C (2004) Mining impacts on the fresh water environments: technical and managerial guidelines for catchment scale management. Mine Water Environ 23:S2–S80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Von Fahnestock, M. (2010) AMD value extraction process. Water Cond. Percificat 52(1):38–40

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tetra Tech Inc., Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Sandip Chattopadhyay

  2. US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Washington, DC, USA

    Sandip Chattopadhyay

  3. ERG (Eastern Research Group, Inc.), Chantilly, VA, USA

    Devamita Chattopadhyay

Authors
  1. Sandip Chattopadhyay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Devamita Chattopadhyay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandip Chattopadhyay .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ramtech Ltd., Larkspur, CA, USA

    Robert A. Meyers

Section Editor information

  1. Energy Consultant, San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA

    Ripudaman Malhotra

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Chattopadhyay, S., Chattopadhyay, D. (2019). Coal and Other Mining Operations: Role of Sustainability. In: Meyers, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_864-4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_864-4

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2493-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2493-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Coal and Other Mining Operations: Role of Sustainability
    Published:
    28 May 2019

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_864-4

  2. Original

    How Sustainability Helps Coal and Other Mining Operations
    Published:
    16 May 2017

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_864-3

Search

Navigation