Mining- Environmental Degradation & Sustainability: Newmont's Mining Operations

 

                Newmont is one of the world's largest producers of gold and holds

 numerous active mines in a wide range of locations, including Nevada, USA. Numerous environmental problems are associated with these hazardous open pit mines. Most of these issues regard water quality, water usage, and mercury air pollution. Without proper care, Newmont's mining operations will become immensely harmful to the environment.

               The Newmont open pit mines are used to extract gold which can be found in both high-grade and low-grade ores using different extraction methods. Gold is a highly valuable mineral that is used to make a wide range of products that are used today. Some items that contain gold are currency, jewelry, electronic devices, and furniture. Its rarity, usefulness and desirability make it command a high price.

                     

 

 

          There are several methods to extract and process gold depending on the ore. The most common method is dewatering. During this process, water is pumped out of the ground surrounding the facility to have easier access to the gold ores within the "Cone of Depression." High-grade ore is mined by excavating large amounts of earth to get a small sum of gold. For every ounce of gold refined, approximately 100 to 200 tons of earth had to be moved (Environmental Problems at Newmont Mines in Nevada 11 Jan. 2011). Gold is extracted from low-grade ore using the cyanide heap leach method, in which the crushed ore is formed into a heap and sprayed with a solution of odium cyanide. The cyanide solution filters through the ore and dissolves the tiny particles of gold. Afterwards, the solution of gold is caught at the bottom of the pile and then pumped to processing facilities.

         All of these methods result in some form of environmental degradation and pollution. After the gold mines extract gold, the waste is discharged into "holding ponds," called tailings impoundments which can affect the water quality as well as all living organisms located there. In the process of dewatering, a huge amount of water is needed. Water is a critical resource in the dry Great Basin and the large scale dewatering activities at the mines impacts regional water resources upon which all life depends on (Environmental Problems at Newmont Mines in Nevada 11 Jan. 2011).
It can take hundreds of years to reach a new equilibrium water table, and the new level is likely to be lower than the pre-mining level, due to the existence of a "pit lake."(Environmental Problems at Newmont Mines in Nevada 11 Jan. 2011) Pit lakes can also become toxic when the walls and bottom react with the air and groundwater. Besides being a hazard unto themselves, toxic water from the pit lake can infiltrate back into the surrounding groundwater system therefore polluting it.

 

Cone of Depression

 

                                                          

                Water flows down to lower points, and the cone of depression could change the direction groundwater flows in and eventually result in ground water contamination.  The cone of depression might also affect whether the pollution flows toward or away from the well. Changing the direction the groundwater moves isn’t the only effect pumping may have on groundwater. If water is pumped out faster than it can be replaced, the water table will drop and the well might run dry temporarily and water supply will decrease in the entire region (a "drawdown").

               As of 2007 the Gold Quarry/Leeville/Carlin operations were pumping about 50,000 acre-feet of water per year (equivalent to the annual water use of 93,000 people in an urban setting.) In addition to water contamination, these gold extraction methods also result in acid mine drainage. Acid mine drainage is the process of rock "rusting" due to the exposure to air and water. The acidified water corrodes the rock to dissolve out various minerals that become hazardous to the environment and highly unhealthy for wildlife and humans. (Environmental Problems at Newmont Mines in Nevada 11 Jan. 2011).

 

 

 



Acid Mine Drainage

                   Like the tailings impoundment, the heap leach pile needs secure containment to prevent contamination of the ground and water table. Newmont pollutes groundwater and surface water with mercury and other toxic chemicals, resulting in the little water in the area to be polluted.
 Gold ores commonly contain various metals, but mostly mercury. Pure mercury is a liquid at room temperature, and is gasified easily during mining processes, sometimes reacting with other substances. Mercury is released into the air from gold mines as either mercury vapor, ionic or charged mercury, or bounded to adsorbed mercury. Mercury is known as the most dangerous heavy metal because it is extremely toxic to humans and moves freely throughout the environment. It is connected to various nervous system disorders such as intention tremor, poor mental concentration, and emotional ability. Mercury can also affect the kidneys and immune system. One of the common end products of mercury in the environment is methyl mercury, an insidious form that concentrates in the food chain (Environmental Problems at Newmont Mines in Nevada 11 Jan. 2011).

 



Cyanide Heap Leach Method

                 Minimal substantive action has been taken to resolve this environmental degradation due to its complexity, but there is no doubt that effort has been put in. An example of these efforts is that The Great Basin Research Watch has been trying to work with Newmont and state and federal regulators to handle and prevent damage done. Another example is the time the Environmental Protection Agency gave Newmont, mainly its Gold Quarry Mine, a notice of violation for four issues: failure to identify toxic materials in the mining waste, failure to meet waste treatment standards, generation and storing of waste without a permit, and failure to minimize the release of hazardous waste into the environment. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act is a federal law meant to control the disposal of hazardous waste.(Environmental Problems at Newmont Mines in Nevada 11 Jan. 2011).  Actions have been taken for restoration and reclamation relating to issues such as acid mine drainage and pit lakes. An investigation ensued determining specific leakage points in the tailings dam and identified a contamination plume(Environmental Problems at Newmont Mines in Nevada 11 Jan. 2011). A trench drain system was devised to effective catch any contamination, and a series of monitoring wells was put in place to assure that the contamination plume was not advancing(Environmental Problems at Newmont Mines in Nevada 11 Jan. 2011). It is unclear at this time whether the trench system is capturing all the contamination from the tailings, and further analysis is most likely needed to assure that springs and groundwater is not being impacted(Environmental Problems at Newmont Mines in Nevada 11 Jan. 2011). Newmont needs to determine the source of the water, and see if it can be redirected. If not, active management will be required for an extensive amount of time.If Newmont had a better understanding of the hydrodynamics, this problem could have been avoided. To resolve all of these environmental problems, Newmont would have had to consider environmental protection to be at least as important as the profits from the gold extracted.

                                                                 Works Cited

"Environmental Problems at Newmont Mines in Nevada" Great Basin Resource Watch 11 jan. 2011. Web. 10 mar. 2015.

Gold Coins-http://learngoldcoins.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/gold-coins-and-banks.png

Acid Mine Drainage-http://yre-connect.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Photo_33.jpg

Gold Heap Leaching-http://www.artinaid.com/2013/04/gold-heap-leaching/

Cone of Depression-http://www.sustainableaggregates.com/sourcesofaggregates/landbased/water/water_opsstage_page2.htm

 

 

 

 

                                                                   

 

Biodiversity Hotspots: Madagascar

Biodiversity is the variety of living organisms on the entire earth, or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. Biodiversity increases the productivity of an ecosystem. All species, regardless of their size, play a big role. For this particular study, our group chose the beautiful island of Madagascar. Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot because of its unique animal and plant species, and the fact that the island is under extreme threat. Habitat destruction, fires used for agriculture, erosion, and high risk of species extinction are some of the factors that have affected the island negatively.

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Madagascar consists of several biomes- the savanna, desert, tropical rainforest, and mountain ecosystems. The savannah is a dry and hot grassland, while the desert is extremely dry, hot and has very little vegetation. The tropical rainforest is mostly on the east coast of Madagascar. The mountain ecosystems are found in higher elevations. The savannah and the desert are found along the western side of of the island, where most of the rain has fallen on the eastern side.The tropical rainforests are found on the opposite side of the savannah and desert biomes due to rainfall. "Madagascar is home to many particular animals, including: lemurs, chameleons, geckos, lizards, and endemic snakes." (Savannahs of Madagascar)

                                                                   Madagascar's Biomes
                                        

                         

  Aye-Ayes  are threatened by habitat loss (rainforest destruction).          

        

                                                                                                                       Lemurs are local to to the island of Madagascar.     

According to the Human Development Index of 2003, 70% of Malagasy people face malnutrition, and the average Malagasy makes about 1 US dollar a day. The economy is poor due to corruption caused by former leader/dictator Didier Ratsiraka. Madagascar and other areas have colonial-like economies focused on poor resource extraction, like mining. Many Malagasy locals live in rural areas and rely on slash-and-burn agriculture to survive. This results in habitat loss and possibly species extinction. The global economy influences these issues by having little interest in Madagascar. The small population of the area, lack of development, and sustainable industry causes investors to turn away, keeping the country in a cycle of poverty and degradation. 

The natural vegetation of Madagascar is moderately diverse. Tropical rainforests in Madagascar consists of western dry deciduous forests along the western coast. An unusual spiny desert, also referred to as "spiny thicket", covers the extreme south. The island is also host to various high mountain ecosystems such as Tsaratanana and Andringitra massifs. These ecosystems are covered in moss and lichens. Soil degradation and habitat loss result from farming, mining, and logging. Only 17% of the original forest remains in Madagascar today. Some threatened plant species include the Traveller's Palm and the Rosy Periwinkle.

                              Rosy Periwinkle


                                     Traveller's Palm

The species diversity is relatively high. There are at least 13,000 species of plants (90% endemic). The mammal and bird diversity is slightly low, but high with reptiles and amphibians. There are about 1,200 vertebrate species including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and freshwater fish (approximately 85% endemic). Hunting has harmed numerous animal populations. Invasive species like rats and cats eat some of the native species. Other invasive species, such as goats, consume the majority of food meant for the native species. Madagascar has several critically threatened species including the Silky Sifaka, a lemur, which is one of the rarest mammals on earth.  Another threatened species, the rare Ploughshare tortoise, is found only in a small area of northwestern Madagascar where as few as 1,000 of these animals survive. 

WWF aims to protect, restore and maintain Madagascar’s unique biodiversity in harmony with the culture and livelihoods of the local people. We work closely with governments, scientists, industry and local communities on several areas that present the best opportunities to secure the future for the island’s people and species.

WWF works with traditional fishermen and government authorities to manage marine and coastal resources so that they not only contribute to conservation but also benefit local communities.

The beautiful island of Madagascar is one of the most known biodiversity hotspots because of its range of diverse wildlife and uniqueness as a whole. This evolutionary treasure-house is of great importance from a worldwide perspective. Deforestation and habitat destruction, agricultural fires, soil degradation, over exploitation of living resources, and invasive species are all factors of the environmental problems of Madagascar. The human population must become more aware of the negative effects of their activities. Madagascar is a unique, diverse, and beneficial location worthy of attention.

                                  Works Cited

-International, C. (2011). Biological diversity in Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands. Retrieved from http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150623

-"Savannahs of Madagascar" 

http://www.eniscuola.net/en/argomento/savannah/savannah-biome/savannahs-of-madagascar/

-"Facts on the Rainforests in Madagascar"

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/rainforest-madagascar-43243.html

                                     

Learning About Food Webs and Energy Pyramids Summary

There are various types of organisms, all of which belong to ecosystems. Within an ecosystem,food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids are used to show how organisms interact/depend on each other to obtain nutrients. They show who eats who or who eats what through the study of trophic levels (relationships) that are put in order.Organisms are divided into two groups, autotrophs (producers) and heterotrophs (consumers). Producers are organisms that have the ability to make their own food by using energy from the sun (photosynthesis), carbon from CO2 in the air, and H2O from soil. Consumers are organisms that get their food (energy) from consuming those producers. Consumers are narrowed down into specific trophic levels such as primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers and so on. Those trophic levels form a food chain, which leads us to a food web. Food webs show how members in a range of food chains may interact with one another. With food chains and food webs comes the flow of energy. "Most of the food that is produced by photosynthesis is used to run all of the activities and processes going on in the plant's cells, including energy for growth and reproduction...in fact, most of the sun's energy either doesn't reach Earth's surface or doesn't fall on areas where plants live. When a primary consumer eats a plant, it only gets a small fraction of the original sunlight energy that made it to earth."("Unit 3 | Lab 9: Learning About Food Webs and Energy Pyramids Student Guide") When a primary consumer eats a producer, the primary consumer retains only 10% of the producer's energy. A secondary consumer ingests a primary consumer and once again retains only 10% of the primary consumer's energy. As this process continues, the amount of energy eventually reaches the point where no more energy can be transferred.

Photo: A food web representing some of the numerous creatures that lie in the aquatic biome of planet earth.

In my group's food web, the organisms all connect in some way. The order of the trophic levels in the picture (from top to bottom) are scavengers(organisms that consume dead animals), tertiary consumer, secondary consumers, primary consumers, and producers. In the second row (from top to bottom) a sea cucumber, sea turtle, sea star, oithona, and diatoms are shown. Diatoms use photosynthesis to get their energy. The oithona then feed on the diatoms and energy is transferred. Later, a sea star consumes the oithona. This flow of energy is continued as a sea turtle starts hunting for food and finds the star fish. Lastly, when the sea turtle inevitably dies, sea cucumbers feed on the decaying body of the turtle.

"Earth is divided into major divisions called biomes." ("Unit 3 | Lab 9: Learning About Food Webs and Energy Pyramids Student Guide") The type of food web my group's food web represents is the aquatic. The aquatic biome may be broken down into two basic regions, freshwater(streams and rivers, wetlands), and marine regions (oceans).("The Aquatic Biome") Our food web revolves more around the ocean which contains a great diversity of species. The organisms displayed in the photo come from three of the four zones of the the ocean regions. These zones are the intertidal zone, the pelagic zone, and the benthic zone.

                       

                                                                          Works Cited

"Unit 3 | Lab 9: Learning About Food Webs and Energy Pyramids Student Guide"

"The Aquatic Zone." Link: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/aquatic.html

Ecological Footprint Summary

The ecological footprint is a measure of how much of an impact you have on the environment. The amount of productive land and water required to produce the resources consumed by an individual or population is estimated. During the Ecological Footprint activity, I've learned numerous new facts about the planet earth, as well as how our daily activities contribute to the Ecological Footprint.

    Figure 1. The diagram above shows the ecological footprint. Comparisons are made between the consumption and production of renewable resources.

A big factor of the ecological footprint is biocapacity, short for biological capacity. Biocapacity is the ability of an ecosystem to provide biological resources.

     
Figure 2. The graph above shows a comparison between the ecological footprint and the biocapacity of a population. As presented, the ecological footprint exceeds the biocapacity.

When the needed amount of resources required for human demand exceeds the biocapacity, this results in ecological overshoot.

 "The data show that humanity’s demand on the biosphere for providing natural resources and absorbing carbon dioxide emissions is 44 percent more than what nature can provide. This ecological overshoot means it now takes approximately 18 months for the Earth to regenerate what we use in one year. The urgent threats we are facing today - most notably climate change, but also biodiversity loss, shrinking forests, declining fisheries and freshwater stress - are symptoms of this trend."

Figure 3. The T-Chart above shows the amount of planet earths required if everyone consumed a certain amount of resources.


Because of excessive use of energy, oil, water, and other resources, we consume much more than we produce. This routine results in a high ecological footprint, especially in more developed countries such as the U.S. (see Figure 3).There are multiple ways we can maintain sustainability. In order to live a sustainable life on earth, we must reduce our utilization of resources - such as water and energy. Recycling must be encouraged as using recycled materials will reduce waste. Forests and soil also need to be preserved.


References
Computer Lab Research. 24 October 2013. http://hmsclassroommaterials.blogspot.com/2013/10/ecological-footprint.html

http://www.footprintnetwork.org/images_ef/05_china_efbio.gif

http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/newsletter/bv/humanity_now_demanding_1.4_earths