Mining and the Mining and the EnvironmentEnvironment

Depending on the location, different Depending on the location, different methods are used to extract minerals.methods are used to extract minerals.

• Surface miningSurface mining

• Subsurface mining Subsurface mining

• DredgingDredging

Iron OreIron Ore

Open-pit minesOpen-pit mines dug to extract mineral ores that dug to extract mineral ores that can form deep depressions where hills once can form deep depressions where hills once stood.stood.

Subsurface miningSubsurface mining requires a requires a complex network of tunnels and complex network of tunnels and shafts to remove minerals from shafts to remove minerals from deep deposits.deep deposits.

DredgingDredging = scrape sediments and minerals from = scrape sediments and minerals from stream beads and ocean floors. This may stream beads and ocean floors. This may removing nutrients and disturb food chainsremoving nutrients and disturb food chains

Mine ReclamationMine Reclamation

• The process of creating useful landscapes that meet a variety of goals, typically creating productive ecosystems (or sometimes industrial or municipal land) from mined land.

• Includes material placement, stabilizing, capping, regrading, placing cover soils, revegetation, and maintenance.