Mines are excavations in the earth that have been dug in order to extract geological materials and valuable minerals found in deposits under the ground. These minerals include gemstones, coals, metals, limestone, potash, gravel and rock salt.
Why is managing quarries necessary?
A quarry forms when excavation of rock like gravel or sandstone occurs in an open-pit mine. The presence of a quarry in a given area can affect the surrounding environment in different ways, from changing the chemical composition of water when it dissolves in it to inhibiting photosynthesis through the dust from the mine that settles on the vegetation. Trucks leaving the quarries pollute public roads. Sound pollution is also a problem, given all the digging, wedging and blasting that occurs in mines.
Quarries located in areas with shallow groundwater usually have problems with drainage. To keep a dry floor for operation while excavation continues, the water is pumped out in small amounts. This makes the surrounding water susceptible to contamination, making it vital to manage both the commercial yield and waste output of a quarry. Clean water is needed for growing food, drinking as well as keeping multiple habitats, including our own. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that water management programs have been designed and put in place to make sure that water at the site is responsibly used and that they observe the legal requirements governing its use and avoid contamination of the water.
Water pollution may be caused by run-off which may hold solids that could block channels, causing flooding and stifling marine life. This is why it is important to build a well-designed quarry with either tanks, lagoons or settlement ponds that can be used to collect run-off in order to prevent contamination of the surrounding environment.
Quarry operators must apply for permits if they are to revert water from settlement ponds into public sewer systems, lest they face fines or worse, imprisonment. The quantity and quality of these discharges must be measured, recorded and reported to the authorities in charge, in line with work plan and license requirements. Quarries should also minimize the amount of ground that is exposed, as well as limit the number of accumulated stock held in reserve for use either during a shortage or in an emergency.
Surface water and groundwater monitoring programs have also been designed to predict the potential effects and assess the real effects of quarrying on local water quality based on proven approaches and methods. This ensures that the health of the environment around the quarries and water purity is maintained in these areas to prevent suffocation of the natural habitats through contamination while also learning new ways to reclaim contaminated grounds/ water and make them safe again for all living organisms.
Monitoring programs that are well fitted to operations help the quarries operate efficiently and maximize output while minimizing the effect it has on the environment.
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