Nonrenewable Minerals

Friday - 11/4/16 Question of the Day Agenda Where is mountain top removal occurring and in what ways is it environmentally harmful? Notes Test is Thursday 11/10

Why do we mine?

14-3 What Are Mineral Resources, and what are their Environmental Effects? Concept 14-3A Some naturally occurring materials in the earth’s crust can be extracted and made into useful products in processes that provide economic benefits and jobs. Concept 14-3B Extracting and using mineral resources can disturb the land, erode soils, produce large amounts of solid waste, and pollute the air, water, and soil.

We Use a Variety of Nonrenewable Mineral Resources Mineral resource – a concentration of naturally occurring material from the earth’s crust that can be extracted and processed into useful products and raw materials at an affordable cost Examples Fossil fuels Metallic minerals Nonmetallic minerals

We Use a Variety of Nonrenewable Mineral Resources Ore: a rock that contains a large enough concentration of a particular mineral – often a metal – to make it profitable for mining and processing High-grade ore (contains a large amount) Low-grade ore (smaller amount) Importance and examples of nonrenewable metal and nonmetal mineral resources Aluminum, iron, copper, sand, limestone 6

What are reserves? Reserves – Identified resources from which the mineral can be extracted profitably at current prices. Reserves increase when New deposits are found Technology advances allowing for cheaper removal Price increase makes hard to reach resources profitable to extract What to do when resource costs more than its worth to find?

How scarcity affects resources When a resource becomes scarce, prices rise This encourages Exploration for new deposits Development of better technology Mining for lower-grade ores Searching for substitutes Resource conservation

Mineral Use Has Advantages and Disadvantages (Mining/Processing)

Mineral Use Has Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages of the processes of mining and converting minerals into useful products Income for individuals Taxes, fees, royalties for local and nat’l government Employment (both direct and indirect) Extraction, processing, and use Disadvantages Energy use Land disruption Pollution Environmental problems are affected by the grade (percentage of content)

The Life Cycle of a Metal Resource

Extracting, Processing, Using Nonrenewable Mineral and Energy Resources

There Are Several Ways to Remove Mineral Deposits Surface mining Shallow deposits removed Subsurface mining Deep deposits removed Type of surface mining used depends on Resource Local topography Video: What is surface mining and sub-surface mining?

Types of surface mining About Surface Mining Types of surface mining Open-pit mining Strip mining Contour mining Mountaintop removal

Mining Has Harmful Environmental Effects Scarring and disruption of the land surface E.g., spoils banks Loss of rivers and streams Subsidence – collapse of land above subsurface mines Major pollution of water and air Especially sulfuric acid, mercury and arsenic Effect on aquatic life Large amounts of solid waste VERY Dangerous work (sub-surface mining)

Banks of Waste or Spoils Created by Coal Area Strip Mining in Colorado, U.S.

Video: Trapped Chilean Miners

Ecological Restoration of a Mining Site in New Jersey, U.S. 500,000 surface mines in the U.S. need to be cleaned up – the cost: $70 billion

Natural Capital Degradation: Summitville Gold Mining Site in Colorado, U.S. A Canadian company used the 1872 mining law to buy the land very cheap They spent $1 million to develop the site They mined $98 million worth of gold… Then they declared bankruptcy and walked away without cleaning anything up.

Removing Metals from Ores Has Harmful Environmental Effects Ore extracted by mining Ore mineral (desired) Gangue (waste) Tailings (toxins released when ore and gangue are separated) Smelting Releases air pollutants (sulfur dioxide & suspended particulates) Water pollution Liquid and solid hazardous wastes produced Use of cyanide salt of extract gold from its ore Summitville gold mine: Colorado, U.S.

Video: Land Reclamation (Gold Rush)

14-4 How Long Will Supplies of Nonrenewable Mineral Resources Last? Concept 14-4A All nonrenewable mineral resources exist in finite amounts, and as we get closer to depleting any mineral resource, the environmental impacts of extracting it generally become more harmful. Concept 14-4B An increase in the price of a scarce mineral resource can lead to increased supplies and more efficient use of the mineral, but there are limits to this effect.

Mineral Resources Are Distributed Unevenly Most of the nonrenewable mineral resources supplied by United States Canada Russia South Africa Australia 3 biggest “users” United States, Germany & Russia (8% of population, 75% metals worldwide)

Dependence on Foreign Imports Strategic metal resources for the U.S. important for the country’s military and economic strength Manganese (Mn) Cobalt (Co) Chromium (Cr) Platinum (Pt) We have little to none of these.

Market Prices Affect Supplies of Nonrenewable Minerals In developed countries, governments use subsidies and tax breaks to control supply, demand & price (keep prices artificially low) Scarce investment capital hinders the development of new supplies of mineral resources, exploration is costly 1 out of every 10,000 possible deposits becomes a mine.

Is Mining Lower-Grade Ores the Answer? We can increase supply by extracting lower grade ores Factors that limit the mining of lower-grade ores Increased cost of mining and processing larger volumes of ore Availability of freshwater Environmental impacts of increased land disruption Improved mining technology could help Use microorganisms, in situ

Biomining – mining with bacteria Benefits Drawbacks Removes ores without disturbing surrounding land Reduced air pollution (smelting) Reduces water pollution from hazardous chemicals (like cyanide & mercury) Slow (decades instead of months) Only feasible when conventional mining is too expensive

Can We Extend Supplies by Getting More Minerals from the Ocean? Mineral resources dissolved in the ocean-low concentrations Deposits of minerals in sediments along the shallow continental shelf and near shorelines Hydrothermal ore deposits Metals from the ocean floor: manganese nodules Effect of mining on aquatic life Environmental impact Ownership High cost

14-5 How Can We Use Mineral Resources More Sustainability? Concept 14-5 We can try to find substitutes for scarce resources, reduce resource waste, and recycle and reuse minerals.

We Can Find Substitutes for Some Scarce Mineral Resources (1) Materials revolution - Substitutes For metal: Silicon, ceramics, plastics Nanotechnology Grancrete: Styrofoam sprayed with ceramic Bridges and houses Reduces cost & timber use Twice as strong For copper & aluminum wires: Fiber-optic glass cables For metal: High-strength plastics Requires fossil fuels for production Alternative – make it from plants

We Can Find Substitutes for Some Scarce Mineral Resources (2) Substitution is not a cure-all Platinum: industrial catalyst Chromium: essential ingredient of stainless steel

Solutions

There Are Many Ways to Use Mineral Resources More Sustainability How can we decrease our use and waste of mineral resources? Use resources more sustainably Pollution and waste prevention programs Pollution Prevention Pays (3P) – a project of 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.) Cleaner production Cut waste by 1/3 Air pollution decreased by 70% Saved $750 million in disposal/material costs

Solutions: Sustainable Use of Nonrenewable Minerals