1. APES 1/5
Get a computer

2. Mental Warm-Up
What do the terms over-burden, tailings, mitigation, and reclamation mean, in terms of mining? Give an example of each from the virtual lab/videos.

3. Mining Lab

4. Minerals and Ores
Earth’s crust is 88% iron, silicon, aluminum, and oxygen
Valuable, rarer elements are found in uneven clusters because of variable distribution of rock types
Mineral = naturally occurring, crystalline solid
Ore = valuable, concentrated accumulation of minerals in rocks

5. Important Ores
Metallic minerals- valuable for ability to conduct electricity, structural purposes, etc. (i.e, copper, gold, lead, rare earth metals for batteries)
Salt, sand
Fossil fuels (carbon-based)

6. MANGANESE
COAL
IRON
MICA

7. What do we mine for? Energy Metallic Non-metallic Ferrous Non-ferrous
Limestone
Coal
Iron
Gold
Nitrate
Petroleum
Manganese
Silver
Potash
Natural Gas
Chromite
Copper
Dolomite
Pyrite
Lead
Mica
Tungsten
Bauxite
Gypsum
Nickel
Tin
Cobalt
Magnesium

8. Mining Simulation Lab Materials Group Roles
Field Geologist (looks for ore)
Accountant (keeps track of $$$)
Miner (digger/transporter)
2 Process engineers (deshell ore)
2 Env. Engineers (clean up)
Bucket with your mining site
Small cup (your truck)
Forceps
Wooden skewers
Paintbrushes
Data table

9. Due Next Time
Cancer in Kentucky (on Google classroom)

10. Mining Basics How are sites selected?
consider env. cost, potential profits, amt. and stability of overburden (materials that must be removed to reach the mineral)
Types of Mining
Surface Mining (strip mining, open-pit mining, mountaintop removal, placer mining(
Subsurface mining

11. Surface Mining
Strip Mining: removal of mineral deposits in horizontal strips
Land is clear-cut and overburden is removed by explosives/heavy equipment
Mineral deposits removed by huge power shovels
Overburden is replaced
Land cannot be returned to original state, and heavy equipment compacts soil. Long-term damage.

12. Iron-Ore Mine, Liberia
Iron-ore mines like this one have altered the landscape of Liberia. The Liberian Civil War ( ) and the declining world demand for iron ore led to the complete shutdown of Liberian iron-ore mining in the early 1990s.
Coal Mine in Appalachia

13. Surface Mining 2. Mountaintop removal
Entire top of a mountain is removed by explosives, causing it to fall into surrounding valleys
Common in coal mining in Eastern U.S.
Permanently buries streams, alters topography

14. Surface Mining 3. Open-Pit Mining
A huge hole is dug using explosives and heavy equipment; ore is removed
Pit is abandoned and often fills with water
Pit becomes acidic and polluted with heavy metals due to mine waste left behind
Acid Mine Drainage: Sulfur compounds are oxidized by air, dissolve in rain water to form sulfuric acid run-off!

15. One of North America’s largest open-pit copper mines, located in Kennecott, Utah.

16. Surface Mining 4. Placer Mining
Searching for ores in river sediments (i.e. California Gold Rush of mid-1800’s
Rivers are diverted, dammed to make extraction easier
Mercury is used to chemically remove gold from ores, polluting rivers

17. Subsurface Mining
Deep, vertical shafts are drilled with horizontal branches
Less surface env. degradation, but can cause collapse, explosions (methane and coal dust)
Not just for coal!- any ore too far down to remove overburden

18. Types of Coal Mining
Often called mountaintop removal

19. Downsides of Subsurface Mining
Labor Intensive
Filling in mines after they are empty
Health of workers  Black lung disease, high rates of cancer from particulate matters
Danger of accidents

20. Major Coal Mining Accidents
China is by far the most dangerous!
2010 collapse in Chile

21. Environmental Impacts
Clear-cutting of forests
Destruction of soil horizons
Soil compaction
Stream/river destruction, diversion, pollution
Acidic and metallic waste-water pollution
Solid waste, toxic dust and emissions
75% if all solid waste in U.S. comes from mines!
This waste is called “tailings” or mining spoils- unwanted waste material

22. Animas River Spill (8/2015)

23. Important Legislation in U.S.
1. Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of (SMCRA)
Land must be reclaimed after surface mining
Clean up any pollution
**Various levels of enforcement**
2. General Mining Law of 1872
Encourages exploration of mineral resources
Corporations can buy large tracts of public land for cheap!
Minor modifications, but critics argue companies aren’t paying enough taxes on royalties or cleaning up well.