ANNOUNCEMENTS
Acid rock drainage poses a lot of severe environmental pollution problems due to their high acidity, toxic metals and sulfuric contents. It is the outflow of the acidic water from the metal mines or the coal mines. It was first used in the 1980s and 1990s to imply that the acidic drainage which can originate from the sources other than the mines. It occurs naturally in some locations as part of the rock weathering process, but it is worsened by large-scale earth disturbances, such as those caused by mining and other significant construction activities, and occurs most commonly in rocks with an abundance of sulphide minerals. Acid rock drainage can occur in areas where the earth has been disturbed, such as construction sites, subdivisions, and transportation corridors.
Mine closure is the time period when the ore-extracting activities of a mine has to be ceased, and the final decommissioning and the mine reclamation is completed. It is often associated with the reduced employment levels, which may have a significant negative impact on the local economies. It is also that time period when the majority of the mine reclamation is completed, hence making the land safe and useful again.
The closure process has been historically relied on the mining company’s expertise to conceptualize and deliver the results. In the modern practice, the communities and the governments also plays a key role in supporting the successful closure outcomes. Integrated mine closure is a dynamic and an iterative process that considers environmental, social and economic factors at an early stages of the mine development and throughout the life of an asset.
Mine closure also encompasses the rehabilitation process as a continuous effort aimed at restoring the physical, chemical, and biological condition of land that has been impacted by mining to a level that is acceptable to all stakeholders concerned. It must aim at leaving that particular area in such way that rehabilitation does not become a burden to society after the mining operation is over.
Key Terms: Acid Rock Draining, Environmental, Mine Closure, Rehabilitation, Mitigation.
