2-5. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS DUE TO MINING

2-5-1. Types of Environmental Problems

• Health hazard due to increased particulates and gases

• Safety issues (Accidents) during the development and transportation

• Subsidence caused by the underground vacancies (voids) from the mining

• Degrading (destruction) of the ecosystem through the contamination by (acid) mine drainages

2-5-2. Health Hazard

• Very similar of those described in 2-3.

2-5-3. Safety

Korean coal miners workedIn German (without Masks)http://iloverossi.egloos.com/476529

Year All Mining Manufacturing Construction Home utilities Transportation Other Industrial

1985 3.15 11.98 3.15 3.14 0.75 3.76 1.13

1990 1.76 11.55 1.87 1.54 0.49 1.98 0.96

1995 0.99 5.35 1.18 1.01 0.28 1.25 0.46

2000 0.73 4.51 1.21 0.61 0.27 0.87 0.41

2005 0.77 14.1 1.18 0.75 0.24 0.7 0.51

Comparison of the casualty rates (=# casualties/# total worker *100) among different industrial categories

(Korean Statistical Information Service, 2009)

2-4-3. Subsidence

Subsidence due to the collapsing of the underneath mine adits in Ggotdongnae, Eumseung, Choongbook (May 24, 2008)

http://www.donga.com/fbin/output?n=200805240249

The Crooked House, Dudley

This pub and restaurant is not like your usual local. As its name suggests, the building leans making it look tipsy. It was built in 1765 but was affected by subsidence due to local mining in the 1800s, leading to one side of the building being four feet lower than the other! The Crooked House attracts intrigued drinkers from all over to see its leaning walls and glasses slide across the tables.

Although the walls are crooked, the floors are straight, creating interesting optical illusions and the owners have annual inspections carried out - just in case it moves! Visit thecrooked-house.co.uk

http://travel.aol.co.uk/2011/05/18/ten-of-the-weirdest-tourist-attractions-in-britain/#!slide=aol_1249878

Subsidence (sinkholes) in Indiana due to coal mininghttp://igs.indiana.edu/Hazards/Subsidence.cfm

2-4-4. Acid mine drainage (AMD)

• Acid generation: by oxidation of pyrite (or other sulfides)

• FeS2 + 3.5O2(aq) + H2O = Fe2+ + 2SO42- + 2H+

• Fe2+ + 0.25O2(aq) + H+ = Fe3+ + 0.5H2O

• FeS2 + 14Fe3+ + 8H2O = 15Fe2+ + 2SO42- + 16H+

• Fe3+ + 2H2O = FeOOH + 2H +

• Can be accelerated by microbes (typically, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans)

Acid mine drainage in a stream just outside of Pittsburgh, PA.http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Acid_mine_drainage

http://www.baekdudaegan.or.kr/newpage/bbs/board.php?bo_table=tb11&wr_id=117

• Impacts by AMD• Make it aesthetically bad• Degrade water quality • Destroy the ecosystem