1. MINING CH. 15

2. 2 main mining techniques  Surface  Mountain top removal Depends on location of resource and topography Open pit vs strip mining  Subsurface  Dangerous (miners in WV and Chile trapped in mine), more expensive

3. Open-pit Mining  Machines dig holes and remove ores, sand, gravel, and stone.  Toxic groundwater can accumulate at the bottom. Figure 15-11

4. Strip mining

5. Fig. 15-13, p. 346 Contour strip mining Overburden Highwall Coal seam Overburden Pit Bench Coal seam Spoil banks

6. Mountaintop Removal  Machinery removes the tops of mountains to expose coal.  The resulting waste rock and dirt are dumped into the streams and valleys below. Figure 15-14

7. Mining Impacts  Metal ores are smelted or treated with chemicals to extract the desired metal like arsenic, mercury, and cyanide which can contaminate groundwater.  Disrupts land, increases erosion  Pollution: solid wastes, acid drainage (sulfuric acid) Figure 15-15

8. SUPPLIES OF MINERAL RESOURCES  Depletion curves for a renewable resource using three sets of assumptions.  Dashed vertical lines represent times when 80% depletion occurs. Figure 15-16

9. Why are goods made from mined products so cheap?  Should they cost more to account for environment recovery efforts?  Should mining be sent overseas due to strict regulations in US?

10. Fig. 15-18, p. 351 Solutions Sustainable Use of Nonrenewable Minerals Do not waste mineral resources. Recycle and reuse 60–80% of mineral resources. Include the harmful environmental costs of mining and processing minerals in the prices of items (full- cost pricing). Reduce subsidies for mining mineral resources. Increase subsidies for recycling, reuse, and finding less environmentally harmful substitutes. Redesign manufacturing processes to use less mineral resources and to produce less pollution and waste. Have the mineral-based wastes of one manufacturing process become the raw materials for other processes. Sell services instead of things. Slow population growth.