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By N. K. Dumakor-Dupey, G. B. Sakyi-Addo, K. J. Bansah

"Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) occurs in many countries around the world, and provides a source of livelihood to many impoverished local people in areas where it occurs. This paper reports the role of female participants and reasons why they engage in ASM. Field visits were made to 12 ASM sites located in the Tarkwa Mining District of Ghana to conduct interviews with male diggers and female participants. It was observed that over 100 women between the ages of 18 and 50 participate in ASM for survival. They engage in ASM largely because they have no alternative employable skills and income sources. These female participants depend on ASM to sustain the lives of their dependents. INTRODUCTION Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) conventionally involves use of rudimentary tools (such as picks, shovels, chisels and hammers) to exploit precious minerals and metals from the ground. It has been a major source of livelihood to many impoverished local people for more than a century. In many instances, it is the only source of income to indigenous people who have no alternative employable skills. The World Bank estimated that more than 100 million people around the world benefit from ASM which largely occurs in developing countries in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and South and Central America (World Bank, 2013). Cobalt, which is used in lithium-ion batteries to power cellphones, laptop computers, and electric vehicles, is largely produced by artisanal miners in Congo (The Washington Post, 2016). In Sudan, ASM is a significant contributor to the national economy, accounting for about 85% of total gold extracted yearly from 2010 to 2015 (Ibrahim, 2015). Also, according to the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Washington DC, USA, 90% of mineral export in Sierra Leone can be attributed to thriving artisanal diamond mining in the country (Sierra Leone Embassy, 2016). In Ghana, the ASM sector was recognized by government as a multimillion industrial activity, and through a series of initiatives, it was legalized by promulgating the Small Scale Gold Mining Law of 1989 (PNDCL 218). Presently, artisanal mining is widely practiced in two forms: licensed (registered), sometimes referred to as formal ASM, and unregistered (informal or illegal) operations, popularly called “galamsey”, a name believed to have been derived from “gather and sell” by ancient miners who could not communicate in the English language with European/British miners. The ASM sector in Ghana, like other countries, has seen a rise in female participation over the years. A report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) indicated that women account for about 15% of total workforce in ASM in Ghana, and up to 50% in Africa (ILO, 1999). Other researchers have also estimated women participants in ASM to be between 30 and 70% in Africa (Hinton et al., 2003a; Hinton et al. 2003b; Hilson, 2002). Presently, there is no reliable data from Ghanaian authorities on number of females engaged in ASM. However, data obtained from 15 ASM sites suggest that at least 40% of the employees are women. It is expected that a similar trend exists across ASM operations in Ghana."

Jan 1, 2017

By G. R. Harrod

Effective mine operation demands that the right people have the right information at the right time. Caterpillar's Mining and Earthmoving Technology System (METS) meets this demand by providing "real-time" information transfer between the mine offices and machines equipped with the Caterpillar Computer Aided Earthmoving System (CAES). Transfers of mine plans from the mine planning software to CAES-equipped machines give operators access to current mine plans within minutes of their creation. Additionally, office personnel have access to a current digital terrain model (DTM) of the mine site as it is updated in "real-time" by CAES-equipped machines. METS provides mine personnel in operations, planning, and management the information they need when they need it.

Jan 1, 1998

By Jeremy Cawley, Jeff Murphy, Horry Parker, Brock Gaspar, Jake Keegan

The Lower Olentangy Tunnel project includes 47,000 cubic yards of planned ground improvement for earth pressure balance machine (EPBM) tunneling (5.2 km) and microtunneling (335 m) in glacial soils. Jet grouting started in late 2021 and will continue through 2023 to complete operations at 5 shafts, 14 safe havens, 5 watermain ground improvement zones, and a river crossing. Typical jet grout columns are installed at depths between 15–24 meters. Discrete soil-cement blocks range from 267–8,900 cubic yards in volume. This paper discusses the methodology, testing, and technical considerations associated with jet grouting operations in glacial overburden across an urban environment.

Jun 13, 2023

By C. P. Blair

In discussing so-called "volume rates" for the movement of coal, I start from one basic premise: That it is the job of the railroads to devise rates which will move the traffic, while at the same time assuring a fair return on their investment. No matter how reasonable and nondiscriminatory freight rates may be, if they fail to attract and hold traffic to the rails, they are utterly useless - both to the carriers and the shipping public. And it will be my purpose here to show that under certain circumstances the use of volume rates by the railroads enables them. to hold traffic which would otherwise be lost, and to avoid needless dissipation of revenues, Properly employed, volume rates should benefit both the coal industry and the railroads, I do not, however, advocate the discarding of the carload as the basic rate-making unit. Far from it. Sound operating reasons dictate the making of rates based on car- loads, and the tradition of carload rates has a firm foundation in railroad operating costs, many of which vary directly with cars handled. In short, the carload was, Is and, in my opinion, will continue to be the basis for most rail rates on coal, as well as on other commodities. But change is an inevitable result of progress, and we should not be so bound by tradition that we are unwilling to try novel methods of ate making, should the circumstances require, The modern rate maker must, now and then, run the risk of being called an iconoclast if he is to keep up with the times. As T will point out, volume rates were for many years rejected by both the Interstate Commerce Commission and the railroads, But now both the Commission and the carriers have come to recognize that under proper circumstances and conditions volume rates are a powerful and effective tool.

Jan 1, 1959

By D. J. McParland

This paper will deal with some of the considerations which, were involved in the design and construction of the uranium mills in the Elliot Lake area . These plants, eleven in number, range from 1500 to 6500 tons per day milling capacity. Most references are with respect to the seven plants in the Rio Tinto Group which have a combined milling capacity in excess of 20,000 tons per day. In dealing with such abroad subject as mill design, one has the choice, of covering a few specific problems in great detail, or else attempting to cover many subjects superficially and briefly. In preparing this presentation, an attempt has been made to compromise on these extremes, and to select some interesting illustrations which are of general interest in the field of mill design, and of value to persons concerned with mill design broadly, beyond the field of uranium mills.

Jan 1, 1959

By H. Lowers, P. Hageman, S. Diehl, D. Fey

Understanding relationships between mineralogy, texture, microstructural features, and element distribution and residence in minerals, is critical for accurate modeling of mineral weathering in waste-rock piles. The morphology of minerals and deformation structures, such as veins and faults, are important factors that control: (1) fluid access to the mineral surface to initiate dissolution, (2) the distribution of trace elements, and (3) formation of secondary minerals. We characterized the mineralogy, textures, and chemical properties of waste-rock material at three sites at scales ranging from outcrop to micrometer scale. A comprehensive hand-sample to thin-section scale methodology utilizing light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe, and laser ablation ICP-MS was used to thoroughly characterize the waste-rock material.

Jan 1, 2007

By C. M. Jones

Cyprus Sierrita Corp. has developed a training program that has led to several significant improvements in safety performance and productivity. Truck productivity has increased 6% as measured by truck cycle times. Increased skill levels and awareness on the part of the mine's operators are due to the new training effort. Costs associated with productivity training have been about $185,300. This includes program development and execution costs, as well as lost productivity during the training itself. These costs are offset by $1.9 million in savings attributable to the increased skill levels of technicians due to the training effort. Cyprus Sierrita is a subsidiary of Cyprus Amax of Englewood, CO. The company operates a copper and molybdenum mining and processing facility south of Tucson, AZ, near the town of Green Valley. The Cyprus Sierrita operation produces about 109 kt/a (240 million lbs/ year) of copper, 11.3 kt/a (25 million lbs/year) of molybdenum, 31.1 t/a (1 million oz/year) of silver and 1.8 t/a (4,000 lbs/year) of rhenium. The opera¬tion employs 770 people at the site. About 200 of these employees work in the mine operations. Mining at Sierrita uses standard open-pit techniques. Crews of 43 people rotate on 12-hour shifts. Hourly technicians are nonunion and do not use rigid job classifications to define pay. Rather, the system is designed to pay employees for what they are able to do. Administering this effort requires that training opportunities are provided to those people who desire them. Successful training opportunities al¬low people to gain skills. The more skills an employee can demonstrate, the higher his or her "tech level." A technician's pay is commensurate with his or her tech level. Much of Sierrita's training in past years concentrated on building basic

Jan 1, 1998

By Bruce Congleton

One year ago this month, we in Central Florida witnessed the beginning of a most exciting and glamorous attraction. After three years of construction and anticipation, Walt Disney World opened its gates near Orlando and during its first year of operation received a flood of over 10 million visitors---half of all who came to Florida last year! The side effects of this newest addition to Florida have been phenomenal. Traffic on heavy days has been backed up for 30 miles from the amusement park along a major interstate highway. Hotels and motels have been jammed packed for months, and reservations are still difficult to make. Gasoline stations, restaurants and souvenir shops are doing a booming business. Everywhere you look as you ride the highways of Central Florida you see the signs of growth. New hotels spring up almost overnight. Golf courses galore. New housing projects and apartments sprawl where orange groves used to be. New roads criss-cross areas which were once deserted. There seems to be no end to the steady influx of tourists and new residents to the Sunshine State. And it's mainly because that we are the Sunshine State that they come. Air and water pollution is and has been at a minimum in Florida. Pollution and emissions are fighting words among some groups dedicated to preserving the bountiful environment we share in Florida. Little wonder then that some of these people display concern when they learn that just 50 miles from the entrance to the Magic Kingdom of Disney, phosphate draglines strip away thousands of acres of land each year to extract one of our nation's most precious

Jan 1, 1972

On my arrival in New York after the Russian examinations John D. Ryan, president of Anaconda, asked me what my plans were. I told him I wanted to be useful somehow in the World War that we had entered while I was away, but I did not know how. Ryan and Thayer told me that the new American Air Corps was gathering a group of executives, most of them young, to go to France as Army officers to help with the industrial side of our aviation activities. This would include construction of military airports, maintenance, and supply for our rapidly growing Air Corps. They thought I might be accepted in this group of about 30. It seemed to be just what I wanted, and I put in my application at once. My application was accepted about three weeks later and I was told to come to Washington to take physical and other tests and to meet others of the group. I liked them. They were a cross section of competent American manufacturers, bankers, automobile executives, and merchants. I was the only miner. I had many discussions in the days in Washington with members of our organization and others I knew who were going into war service. Attitudes were very different from those 55 years later. There was no discussion as to whether war was right or wrong. We were in it and must do all we could to help. At the same time there was a holdover from the days when, at least for the elite, war was high adventure. Even the most high-minded did not then realize that war is a horrible form of wholesale murder and, in 1917, it would have been treason to suggest this. I had two weeks before our industrial group was to start work which gave me time for a hurried trip to Berkeley where Dorothy and I announced our engagement.

Jan 1, 1976

By P. W. Conrad, C. Todd, N. West, R. Kramer

"Surface subsidence caused by both underground room-and-pillar mining operations and solution mining operations have each been studied separately, but never combined. In 2008, FMC Minerals began using solution mining at its Westvaco Mine as a secondary extraction method in an area that had been previously mined using the room-and-pillar mining method. Mining regulations require that subsidence associated with underground mining activities be monitored and measured annually. Researchers at Montana Tech were able to develop a relationship between measured surface mine subsidence and solution mining that can be used at the Westvaco Mine to estimate the production of trona from solution mining operations. PROJECT BACKGROUND FMC Minerals (FMC) has increased the production of trona from its Westvaco Mine near Green River, Wyoming, using solution mining as a secondary extraction method in an area previously mined using the room-and-pillar method. The area of interest was mined until 2001 with the use of a borer miner at a depth of approximately 1,600 feet. Currently, FMC determines the amount of trona produced using its solution mining operations by measuring the dissolved solids pumped from the mine. This approach, however, does not account for the location from which the trona was removed. The location from which the trona was removed and the size of the cavern created by the solution mining operations is important to FMC’s mine planning. FMC believed that with proper investigation of the subsidence at the Westvaco test site, a correlation might be found that would allow for the use of surface subsidence measurements to estimate the amount and location of trona production from the solution mining activities. The primary goal of this project, conducted by Montana Tech, was to find a relationship between the measured subsidence and the solution mining activities. The project attempted to model the relationship between the measured subsidence and the solution cavern using Salt_Subsid, an existing subsidence software package from the Solution Mining Research Institute (SMRI), to determine the program’s usefulness for locating and developing the cavern created by solution mining activities. The project also attempted to develop an equation that could be used to predict solution trona production based on measured subsidence. The data used in this study were collected over a seven year period, 2008 through 2014."

Jan 1, 2016

By Sotiris N. Kamenopoulos, Zach Agioutantis

Rare earth elements (REEs) are considered critical minerals for the industrial and defense sectors. In 2018, the U.S. Department of the Interior presented the final list of critical minerals that are vital to the U.S. economy and defense [1], which included REEs among other mineral commodities. REEs are not rare, despite their name, but economically viable deposits of REEs can be found only in certain geographical areas, and the political and social conditions characterizing these areas may not always be in favor of mining operations. Mining operations may be placed in great operational and financial risk if operations are planned in such areas. Erroneous decisions by decision makers may lead to a chain of events that can completely shut down a mining project. 

By Curt Swanson, David C. Mathy, Dru R. Nielson, Kent VonAspern

In 1997, Central Contra Costa Sanitary District undertook the design of the Martinez East Side Trunk Sewer Improvements Project. Microtunneling was specified for approximately 1,035 meters (3,400 feet) of 600-mm (24-inch)diameter pipeline to be installed through estuarine soil deposits (San Francisco Bay Mud) and alluvium beneath the congested city streets of downtown Martinez, California. Directional drilling was specified for approximately 275 meters (900feet) of 200-mm (8-inch) diameter pipeline in four separate segments to be drilled through bedrock within narrow utility easements between residential properties. This paper presents a case history for the design and construction of themicrotunneling and directional drilling aspects of the project.

Jan 1, 1999

By Chris Howell

PotashCorp?s Aurora phosphate mine, in Beaufort County, NC, operates four low pressure boilers and four high pressure boilers to meet its process steam requirements. Maintaining these boilers is critical to meeting production demands. Processing phosphate ore into phosphoric acid requires large amounts of sulfuric acid and steam. Ore is mined from the phosphate deposit with large bucket excavators after 9 to 30 m (30 to 100 ft) of overburden is removed. The phosphate ore is mixed with water to make a slurry that is pumped to the mill. Elemental sulfur is burned in the presence of air to make sulfuric acid. This process is highly exothermic and boilers produce steam while cooling the process. The phosphate ore is reacted with sulfuric acid and the resulting products are refined into different grades of phosphoric acid for fertilizers, feed stock and food additives. Plant operators at the mine were challenged with boiler feed water that was high in silica and other contaminants. As a result, boiler operations were experiencing difficult, labor-intensive operations and equipment deterioration. This resulted in higher operating costs and diminished processing performance. The facility was operating an aged boiler feedwater pretreatment system that included warm lime softening followed by pressure filtration and a cation/anion/mixed bed demineralizer system. The demineralizer required frequent regeneration and chemical usage was high and costs were difficult to predict. Depressurized well water (DPW water), used for plant utility water and boiler makeup, is very high in silica, in the range of 60-70 ppm. Silica can form scale at pressures below 600 psig. Above 600 psig, silica starts to volatize, carrying over with steam to potentially form deposits on downstream equipment and processes. Mine officials decided to upgrade the boiler feedwater pretreatment system to a state-of-the-art reverse osmosis (RO) membrane system. This new system, which started up in March 2009, has improved operating performance and reduced water consumption and overall operating expenditures.

Jan 1, 2011

By M. L. Clark

Advances in the recovery of gold from heap leaching are being made daily, but of all the systems vital to the maximum recovery of gold from a leach pile, none is more important than the methods used to construct the pile in preparation for the leaching operation. The technology described in this paper illustrates the latest systems developed to minimize compaction in the pile during its construction and reduce the cost of placement of ore on the pile. The Florida Canyon Mine of Pegasus is evaluated in detail to show reasons for its high degree of success to date.

Jan 1, 1988

By Gregory R. Wagner

As you know, NIOSH is the part of the United States Public Health Service with responsibility for conducting and supporting research leading to prevention and control of occupational diseases and injuries. Some years ago, NIOSH went through a process of identifying and leading occupational health and safety problems in the United States. Candidate problems were evaluated in terms of the number of people affected, the importance of the effects, and how amenable the conditions are to preventive interventions. Lung diseases were ranked first on the resulting list. Diseases from mining continue to contribute substantially to this unfortunate position of prominence. The work of the Generic Center is one of many answers to this critical problem. Although the research is often expressed in terms of dust characterization or dust control, the reality is that high dust levels are much like high blood pressure. No one cares about hypertension per se. We are concerned about the consequences of exposure to untreated high blood pressure--heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. Similarly, if dusts were truly only a nuisance, there would be little justification for the diverse research program supported by the Bureau of Mines or by NIOSH. But mineral dusts do cause a range of significant health problems: pneumoconiosis, bronchitis, and emphysema. The research supported by the Center is aimed at doing something about them. Within a public health approach to occupational health, we have a hierarchy of interventions. Primary prevention of problems is prevention at the source: solving a problem before it affects a worker. What we call secondary prevention is an attempt to identify health problems at a sufficiently early stage that some intervention will interrupt the disease process or the development of significant impairment. Tertiary prevention refers to rehabilitation of the worker who has already suffered significant loss of function. At NIOSH, and in the Generic Center research programs, the focus is on primary prevention. Basic investigations into those things about specific dusts that promote or reduce toxicity is critical for our understanding of how to prevent disease. Also, the search for engineering solutions to reduce or control dust generation is essential to solving problems of dust over-exposure. But until the engineers create the foolproof safe environment, it will also be necessary to discover better ways to identify the earliest markers of disease. To do this, we must explore and explicate the basic mechanisms of disease through laboratory investigations as well as human observation and physiologic testing. The unique opportunity provided by the Generic Center program and highlighted in this diverse program over the next few days is that these efforts are being carried out in multiple disciplines concurrently. Also, there are periodic small and large gatherings such as this one where investigators have the chance to get together, formally present papers, and informally stimulate each other's progress towards disease prevention. To ignore the potential for this cross-cutting interaction would be a significant loss. To take full advantage of it is potentially revolutionary. I recently pulled out a book I hadn't read since I was an undergraduate. It specifically concerns the nature of intellectual ferment surrounding the development of the concept of a sun-centered rather than an earth-centered universe in the sixteenth century. The book is about more than developments in astronomy: it is a discussion of the nature of scientific revolutions. Scientific revolutions result from the brilliance, insight, and good fortune of the few superimposed on the evolutionary work of the many. They both cause and reflect significant itellectural and social ferment. For example, the revolutionary work of Copernicus in recognizing the limitations of the concept of an earth-centered universe reflected contemporaneous developments in optics, mathematics, physics, economics, and philosophy.

Jan 1, 1991

By Peter Dietrich, Joseph DeMello, Norbert Fuegenschuh, Kerwin Hirro, Jeff Brandt, Mike Cole

This paper presents a successful case history of the ground improvement efforts and excavation of twenty-three cross passages between twin bore tunnels driven by EPB tunneling machines in Los Angeles, California on Section 1 of the Westside Subway Extension. Unique and complicated ground conditions local to the tunnel alignment include San Pedro sands, siltstone/claystone Fernando Formation, and zones of “asphalt impacted soils.” To provide water cut-off and soil stabilization, jet grouting was performed prior to TBM excavation at the location of many of the cross passages. However, upon investigating the cross passages prior to excavation, the subsurface conditions required additional measures and SEM tools to ensure successful completion of the project.

Jun 13, 2023

By F. L. Bazzanella

Cyprus Pima has two concentrators, one with a conventional crushing-grinding circuit and the other using semi-autogenous grinding followed by ball mills.

Jan 1, 1978

By T. Hollingsworth

The Boddington Gold Mine, located near Perth in Western Australia, has recently completed the construction of a new process plant. An overland conveyor system was installed to convey the ore from the primary crusher to the process plant. This paper will discuss the overland conveyor?s mechanical design including dynamic analysis and the selection of primary mechanical and electrical components.

Jan 1, 2010

By M. G. Papasotiriou

For our company, S&B Industrial Minerals S.A., restoration of areas which were mined and the effort for bringing up again a balance of nature is an important priority over the last 3 decades. The successful qualitative results of restoration works have delivered to nature over 1.700.000 m2 of surface after mining activity. Our fundamental method in order to achieve the best results for restoration of mined areas is the use of local plants (bush or tree type). Grass and herbs are installed by using the method of hydroseeding. Small trees and bushes are produced and they grow up at our fully owned Milos nursery and they are installed during winter when weather conditions are suitable. During the initial stages of restoration activities a great amount of surfaces, adequately shaped, are delivered by the mining department covered with top soil. These surfaces are suitable not only for the local nature community but also for a combination between natural and agricultural environment. The above fact was a great chance to create small horizontal agricultural cultivations as pilots inside the restored areas. At the beginning the agricultural items that could potentially be installed in these pilot areas were studied and examined analytically. The following agricultural items were finally qualified to be furthermore researched: 1) Vineyard (Vitis vinifera ) 2) Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica) 3) Jojoba (Simmonsia chinensis) 4) Olive tree (Olea europea)

Jan 1, 2007

By C. A. Rowland

When studying the feasibility of using autogenous or semi-autogenous grinding, operating and engineering companies frequently request assistance from the mill manufacturers in three areas - 1. Recommendations for studying the suitability of autogenous or semi-autogenous grinding for the specific ore. 2. Mill sizing, to accomplish required grind. 3. Recommendations on mill design and operation. Rod mills and ball mills are selected by the use of bench scale standard grindability tests and established calculation procedures, of which the most frequently used are the Bond Grindability tests and the Bond Work Index equation(1). The accuracy of these have been reviewed by C. A. Rowland in his papers, showing the correlation of work indices calculated from plant operating data and laboratory grindability tests(2)(3). The selection of autogenous and semi-autogenous primary mills has not reached the stage where mill size selection can be made from bench scale tests. Considerably more extensive testing will be necessary than required for selecting rod mills and ball mills.

Jan 1, 1974