Mining is a process that is known to have a tremendous effect on both the land that the mine is contained within and the surrounding areas. Two of the most common mining processes are those of underground mining and strip mining.
Underground mining is known to cause a variety of things to take place, during the mining process. As a mining process, it consists of going deep into the ground, digging and tunneling through layers of dirt and soil, in order to reach deposits of coal, as well as various types of minerals, among other resources.
Strip mining has a much more direct effect on the soil and vegetation of an environment. When you strip mine, you remove the soil and vegetation off of a piece of land, and then you are able to access deposits of coal, and other minerals, that are closer to the surface – thus causing a need for land rehabilitation after mining.
Both of these mining processes create various problems that affect the land that is housing these mines. Erosion is one of the most common problems that often takes place, and this is because removing the vegetation from one piece of land disrupts the soil. From this disruption, the soil is subject to heavy rain, storms, hurricanes, and other natural events, this creates further chaos within the surrounding area.
Mines that have been abandoned for many years are also quite problematic. During the process of mining, chemicals, and heavy metals are used, and as this process goes on, these chemicals and heavy metals are released. When they are released, they affect the air and water, damaging the entirety of the land, and affecting the local agriculture.
Due to the effects that mining has on the environment, the land that has been mined must be rehabilitated, in some way, so that it can remain healthy, without damaging or affecting the surrounding environment in a negative manner.
Safe Mining & Rehabilitation
AMS is dedicated to creating the best mining services available. Mining services that are efficient, and safe. There is no need for “shortcuts” in any area of the mining business, and this includes land rehabilitation after mining.
After mining, the land must be rehabilitated in a manner that is safe and efficient, so that the land will continue to be healthy. If this doesn’t happen, then the land that has been mined will affect the rest of the land, and the surrounding area, in a disastrous manner.
For many years, AMS has worked to rehabilitate land that was once used for mining, and we have done this in a variety of ways.
Land Rehabilitation Services
Mines that have been closed or abandoned are not safe. If the mine itself has not been rehabilitated, then the chemicals within the mine will continue to affect the surrounding land.
Rehabilitating a mine that has been closed, or abandoned, is not always easy. Every mine is different, and this means that every mine has different rehabilitation needs.
Some of the mines that have been abandoned still contain a variety of heavy metals and toxic chemicals that were either used in the mining process or found within the mine itself. Mines that consist of significant quantities of ore tend to have chemicals that, when exposed to water from the rain, can oxidize. Sulfuric acid, in particular, is known for this, and it can cause severe burns on the body.
Mining Rehabilitation
If the individual minerals and substances that contain those heavy metals and toxic chemicals aren’t closed off, then those chemicals can still oxidize, which will lead to them affecting the air quality in the surrounding areas, which could lead to the local population becoming injured.
Other mines require a slightly different approach. Due to the nature of erosion, and how it affects the land itself, there is a need for new soil to be laid out, and new vegetation to be planted, so that the land can resume its former environmental purpose, without causing any significant damage to that lands environment.
When it comes to the rehabilitation of mines that have been abandoned or closed, they must be rehabilitated through specific structural changes. Changes that allow the land to flourish once again, while also ensuring that the properties within the mine are unable to affect the surrounding land.
During the mining process, accidents do happen, and it is very difficult to work with the land itself, due to the chaos that it presents and the variables that affect a single mine.
Mine Rehabilitation – American Mine Services
AMS has provided and continues to provide, supervisors, and experienced crew members that deliver emergency response services to mines that are facing specific difficulties. Difficulties such as ground that has been improperly excavated, floodings, toxic chemicals, and heavy metals affecting the air within the mine, as well as other accidents that endanger the lives of the miners. Our response teams are capable of dealing with these problems in a safe and efficient manner.
In many countries, before the mining process is able to begin, the appropriate governmental entities must be presented with a plan that details the specific actions that will be taken, during and after the mining process, to ensure that the land is rehabilitated in the proper manner, and so that any potential negative side-effects will be minimized.
Land rehabilitation after mining isn’t just something that happens once the mining has finished, instead, it’s something that needs to happen every step of the way, and it is one of the first things that must be considered.
AMS provides mine services that allow you to create a mining design plan that is safe and efficient while putting a great deal of emphasis on a secure and structurally valid land rehabilitation plan. Using our services to aid in this will ensure that your mine meets all of the federal mining codes and that the land won’t endure significant harm.
Mining is not an easy business, and it demands a great deal of patience, precision, and consideration. Without considering the individual effects that a single mining operation can have on the land that surrounds the mine, a great deal of damage can be created. With AMS, that’s no longer a problem.
