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By Reginald E. Reid

Mining on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered lands is affected by Federal laws and regulations requiring the mining industry to plan for the environmental consequences of surface disturbance. Regardless of the requirements for obtaining a claim, permit, lease or contract to mine, a notice or a mining and reclamation plan will be submitted and an acceptable environmental document must be prepared prior to mining. A bond may be required based on the results of the environmental evaluation, public interest and the operator's past history of compliance. In several areas, Federal requirements are different from California's requirements under their Surface Mine and Reclamation Act (SMARA). Therefore, the BLM is negotiating with the State in order to work out problem areas of responsibility and duplication of effort.

Jan 1, 1984

By Jim Dunn

For decades many of us who are associated with the mineral industry have tried to show the public its economic and strategic importance. Some of the mineral industry's proponents have been politically powerful figures and have been widely quoted. Yet, as measured by public opinion, legislative support, or almost any other standard, our efforts have been inadequate. It is apparent that a set of environmental beliefs that discredit industry, firmly held by a number of idealistic persons, has had wider coverage in the media and in schools than has the mineral industry's message. Although the fervor of our idealistic friends is often unfounded and, their stands unscientific, they must be considered seriously. Unless we address the issues in terms the idealists will understand, the mineral industry will have little influence on them or on the general public. A. striking thing is that, quite often, translation of idealists' views into action has been counterproductive. The reason is obvious. Excessive amounts of money and energy have been spent on relatively minor problems. The common result is that larger problems have been created. It may be possible to help anti-industry idealists understand their own dependence on minerals, and thus render their views more realistic, if they are shown more effective ways to reach their stated goals. If those goals can be shown to be held in common by all sensitive human beings -- including those in business and industry - the dialogue becomes one of how to achieve common ends. Individual mining companies acting by themselves have little possibility of success, and companies working in unison through trade associations have not been successful. Further, it is unlikely that industry in general can be successful in changing minds unless it seeks outside help. But friends among those who influence public opinion have been hard to find. Historically, help from media has proven difficult to get. Nor has enough help from educators been forthcoming. Yet, a war is going on in the technological, philosophical, and political trenches, even though much of the public is not aware of it. For the first time in years, there is row a significant and growing number of eloquent and brilliant thinkers on the side of free enterprise and industry, many of them environmentalists, but without the anti-industry mind-set. They have had remarkably little help from the private sector or even from the present administration. Industry may do far more for itself in the long run by encouraging these brave but bruised individuals and their organizations than by trying to work alone. These friends of free enterprise are working against a seemingly stacked deck relative to much of the media, the bureaucracy, and the educational system. However, despite their problems, their success to date has been remarkable. With more cooperation from industry they should do even better.

Jan 1, 1987

By M. C. van Blerck

This paper outlines the tax provisions that became defective in January 1992, which allow a working mine to make tax-deductible contributions to a dedicated environmental body that is itself not subject to tax. Such a body will then provide a source of funding for the mine's future environmental expenditures. It is concluded that the establishment of such environmental bodies is a financially sound, tax-effective route, allowing mines, prospectors, and quarry operators to provide for future environmental rehabilitation.

Jan 1, 1994

By R. C. Berry

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has become a routine requirement for mining operations on federal lands. A similar document is being required in developing countries. Baseline studies are needed prior to writing an EIS and these studies involve surface water, groundwater, air quality, and wildlife/ native plant evaluations. The required baseline hydrology and geochemical studies are often the most expensive and lengthy evaluations. This paper summarizes the hydrology and geochemical baseline studies required for .An EIS and presents suggested methods to expedite these studies and to shorten the time and the cost to complete the studies and the EIS.

Jan 1, 1999

In September 1980 the N.S.W. Environ- mental Planning and Assessment Act was gazetted. This legislation created a new arena of government involvement in the procedure for obtaining approval to open a new mine, or expand an existing mine in N.S.W. Since 1980 the legislation relating to environmental protection requirements, the procedure for obtaining Development Consent and the nature of relevant government policies have caused considerable confusion on the part of many potential developers. Implementation of the legislation has now become systematic and relatively predictable. However, certain aspects can be improved and require urgent government action.

Jan 1, 1983

By D C. Franklin, C T. Farrelly

The future of human exploration in space is intimately bound to the future of mining and energy production on Earth. By 2025, one or more manned bases will probably exist on the Moon, exploring the lunar landscape and geology, and acting as a learning platform, and possibly a resource platform, for expeditions to Mars and beyond. Unless the mining and space industries take an active and cooperative interest in the technologies required to exploit minerals and fuels in and from hostile environments, the necessary advances to support permanent extraterrestrial exploration will not be ready in time. With the notable exception of using lunar Helium-3 as a fusion power fuel, no other reason has been identified for the mining industry to take any direct interest in the exploitation of extraterrestrial resources for the benefit of its customers on Earth. Ample reasons exist, however, for the industry to take a direct interest in supporting technological development of the extraterrestrial resources necessary to support the economical exploration of space. The mining industry has critical experience in the development and application of technologies for the discovery, extraction and processing of natural resources; experience that the space industry will need to create a viable permanent presence in space. The industry also understands the end to end process of resource development and utilisation. On the other hand, the space industry can directly benefit the mining sector by helping mature and advance the extractive and processing technologies needed to economically and sustainably develop resources in hostile terrestrial environments, such as those available in low concentrations, at extreme depth and/or inconvenient geographic locations. We propose that strategic partnerships be created between the mining, space and allied industries and research organisations. Such partnerships would develop a joint capability for mutual benefit, targeting the most significant advances in the least time. The space industry will learn how to exploit essential resources off-planet, and the mining industry will gain access to technologies to help extend their activities on earth.

Jan 1, 2008

Review of the mining legislation in New Zealand has coincided with a number of radical changes. These include a redirection of economic management towards a more open and competitive economy; major reform of the state sector aimed at greater efficiency, transparency and accountability; a new environmental administration; and a fundamental review of policy for management of natural and physical resources. These changes provide an opportunity to develop a consistent and coherent approach in the minerals and related statutes that will achieve objectives of economic efficiency, equity, practicability and good environmental management.

Jan 1, 1987

This paper discusses the social and economic impact of mining, and in particular goldmining, on New Zealand. The range of topics covered and their complexity has confined us in this paper to highlighting the main points of concern û a detailed report is under preparation. A major problem in undertaking this study was the lack of hard data on important environmental, economic and social issues and if there is to be effective planning in the area of natural resource use this situation must be rectified. The following conclusions were drawn: Goldmining was very important in shaping New Zealand's early social and economic development, providing wealth, employment and impetus for social change.Foreign investment and technology has been an essential element in New ZealandÆs economic development.Mining is a small industry at present by this must not be allowed to obscure its potential to broaden New Zealand's economic base and provide foreign exchange.With modern methods, development of mineral resources and environmental protection are not incompatible but certain unique and irreplaceable areas must be preserved.There are problems in evaluating mining and other projects because different groups hold different values, and arguments often hinge on the valuation of costs and benefits rather than the technical aspects of the analysis.Mineral exploration is a high risk business and the potential returns must be sufficient to attract capital if New Zealand's mineral resources are to be developed.A resurgence of goldmining will clearly have obvious benefits for Waihi but the local community must plan carefully for their future. New Zealand will also gain valuable foreign exchange required for higher levels of economic activity.

Jan 1, 1981

By W. G. Scott

IT IS APPROPRIATE that your Institute should have chosen, for its 1956 Annual General Meeting, the Capital City of a province which is making such rapid advances in mining. The railway industry is proud to be playing an active role in this development, expenditures on equipment and railway construction in the Province of Quebec alone in recent years being in ?excess of a quarter of a billion dollars. In looking up some background material for this address I ran across a definition of a mine by Mark Twain, the great American humorist, which I thought might amuse you. He said that a mine was "a hole in the ground owned by a liar". I am sure that if he were alive to witness the enormous value attached to Canada's mineral resources today he would quickly change his definition. Canada's postwar record of mining development has been staggering in its variety and enormity. Historically, only the ?construction of our transcontinental rail ways outranks the largest of three of these development projects - the aluminum undertaking at Kitimat; the Quebec-Labrador iron ore deposits ; and the petroleum and natural gas developments in Wes tern Canada.

Jan 1, 1956

By A P. Brown

Comparison of legal permits required for mining (as opposed to prospecting or exploration) inNew Zealand, under the Mining Act 1971 and the Resource Management Act/Crown Minerals Act 1991. Mining generally receives the same treatment as any other industrial or commercial activity.

Jan 1, 1995

By Brown AP

Comparison of legal permits required for mining (as opposed to prospecting or exploration) in New Zealand, under the Mining Act 1971 and the Resource Management Act/Crown Minerals Act 1991. Mining generally receives the same treatment as any other industrial or commercial activity.

Jan 1, 1995

By Bern Klein, Rafael Fernandes de Mesquita, Fatima Regina Ney Matos, Andre Xavier

"193 United Nations members are signatories of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Even though it does not make it legally binding to the country members, the SDGs establishment incites national and managerial frameworks to achieve the SDGs. The mining industry inserts itself in this context by its global presence and frequent location within ecologically sensitive and less developed areas. This paper aims to consolidate the state of academic research on mining, sustainability and sustainable development, by organizing the results of previous studies within a systematic review on the SDGs set. To do so, the ISI Web of ScienceTM Core Collection database was chosen as a database of record, as it is one of the most widespread databases of academic journals. We have used all years available in the ISI database, from 1945 to 2016 (for complete years). The systematic review process comprised of five steps: (i) to search terms [(“sustainability” or “sustainable development”) and mining] on the database and to apply filters of criteria; (ii) organizing papers; (iii) metrics and relations between papers and authors; (iv) classification of the results through content analysis techniques; and (v) synthesis. The results were divided in two groups: the highly cited and the most recent papers, to include papers that have academic impact and those which show the newest contributions to the field. The results showed that, in spite of a growing amount of publications in the past years that relates to mining and sustainability, the main focus of these publications are still on the environmental dimensions of the UN goals. This suggests that more practical and academic work in the mining sector are required to fill in the blank spaces regarding the other set of goals that compose the SDGs framework.Introduction A total of 193 United Nations members are signatories of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Even though it does not make it legally binding to the country members, the SDGs establishment incites national and managerial frameworks to achieve the SDGs. The mining industry inserts itself in this context by its global presence and frequent location within ecologically sensitive and less developed areas (Atlas 2016). The goals are important because they add common targets for different countries and easily establish discernible criteria for it (Costanza et al 2016). A forward-looking approach like the SDGs would be able to attach the sustainable development framework with profitable activities taken by the mining companies (Starke 2016). This paper aims to consolidate the state of academic research on mining, sustainability and sustainable development, by organizing the results of high impact previous studies and recent publications, within a systematic review, on the SDGs set. By doing so, the results can portray the actual concern and the lacks that the academic field had on this subject in comparison to the UN contemporary agenda."

Jan 1, 2017

By Leonard Harris

Most of those involved in the mining industry are aware of the negative feelings that the well-informed citizens of this country, also known as the American public, have for the industry. As noted in an issue of Mining World News, “The general public perceives mining as dirty, noisy, destructive and belonging somewhere else.” The same theme was raised at a conference in Scotland in July 1991. It was noted there that mining has an unattractive public image around the world “as dirty, dangerous work that pollutes and degrades the environment.” Why is this? Why does mining have such a bad rap? I’m afraid that some of the blame rests with the mining industry itself - both in the past and in the present. Hopefully, we can do something about this in the future. And hopefully, the information here will help the reader to spread the word to offset the negative messages being issued almost daily by industry foes. I hope this will become more than just the words of another miner talking to miners and their friends. In the past, belching smokestacks and polluted streams and waterways were common sights. Today, the negative results of mining operations can also be seen in the form of waste dumps, leaked acid mine waste water and dust blowing from tailings piles. Some will argue that mining did nothing illegal in the past, and that all the regulations in force at that time were carried out to the letter. That may be so. The fact remains, however, that mining did these things, and the evidence is very clear in many parts of the country. It is visible to the well-informed citizens, in spite of the fact that many mine sites have been cleaned up and new technologies, such as flash smelting, dump leaching, pressure leaching and bioleaching, have greatly overcome many of the pollution problems. What is not so visible is the importance of the mining industry in our daily lives. Not long ago, knowledge about our non-renewable mineral resources ranked low on the list of qualifications for being a well-informed citizen. Events during the past two decades have changed this scenario. Politicians, writers, newscasters, economists and administrators, as well as the ‘public,’ are expressing opinions and forming judgments on oil company profits, desecration of landscapes, waste disposal sites and pollution by the extractive industries.

Jan 1, 1992

By Grover J. Holt

A DETAILED description of the many variations in iron mining and transportation practice in Minnesota would require much space. Since a fairly detailed description of the practices then in use was published in the guidebook issued in connection with the meeting of the Institute on the iron ranges in 1920, and subsequent developments have been described by E. E Hunner,1 M. H Barber,2 and A. E. Anderson, J. M. Riddell and G. J. Holt,3 it will not be necessary here to do more than review the highlights of current practice Details on any points of interest can be obtained through correspondence with the operators involved.† The iron ores of Minnesota, which have been formed through enrichment, of the iron formation in which they occur, largely by the removal of silica, are usually covered by a blanket of glacial drift known locally as "surface." Surface material, including sand, clay, hardpan and boulders, makes up the greater portion of the stripping in open-pit operations. In some instances, stripping also includes taconite and "paint rock," directly below the surface material and overlying the ore. Taconite is the iron formation, a ferruginous chert with interbedded slate layers. "Paint rock" is a local term for oxidized slate layers interbedded in the iron formation, high iii phosphorus, alumina and moisture The iron ores fall into two classes- (I) direct shipping (merchantable ores or ores requiring no treatment except possibly crushing or screening to make an acceptable sized product), and (2) ores requiring beneficiation (such as sintering, drying, washing, jigging, high-density treatment, or magnetic separation in the case of magnetite) The Mesabi Range produces chiefly soft Bessemer and non-Bessemer ores. The Cuyuna Range produces mainly low-manganese brown ore and high+manganese black ores, with some iron ore. The Vermilion Range yields mainly Bessemer and non-Bessemer iron ore, with some hard or lump ore that finds use in the open hearth. Open-pit mining is limited to the Mesabi and Cuyuna Ranges but underground mining is done on all three. The choice of mining methods is determined by the relative economics of overburden-removal and shaft-mining costs. STRIPPING PRACTICE Common practice has been to remove the bulk of the overburden during the winter season and to mine during the summer. In the present emergency many operators are forced to forego the economies attained by year-round utilization of equipment and to equip for, and carry on, stripping and mining simultaneously. In the normal years or lean years to come, most properties probably will be overequipped and high depreciation charges will have to be absorbed

Jan 1, 1942

By Grover J. Holt

A DETAILED description of the many variations in iron mining and transportation practice in Minnesota would require much space. Since a fairly detailed description of the practices then in use was published in the guidebook issued in connection with the meeting of the Institute on the iron ranges in I920, and subsequent developments have been described by E. E. Hunner,1 M. H. Barber,2 and A. E. Anderson, J. M. Riddell and G. J. Holt,3 it will not be necessary here to do more than review the highlights of current practice. Details on any points of interest can be obtained through correspondence with the operators involved. [T] The iron ores of Minnesota, which have been formed through enrichment of the iron formation in which they occur, largely by the removal of silica, are usually covered by a blanket of glacial drift known locally as "surface." Surface material, including sand, clay, hardpan and boulders, makes up the greater portion of the stripping in open-pit operations. In some instances, stripping also includes taconite and "paint rock," directly below the surface material and overlying the ore. Taconite is the iron formation, a ferruginous chert with interbedded slate layers. "Paint rock" is a local term for oxidized slate layers interbedded in the iron formation, high in phosphorus, alumina and moisture. The iron ores fall into two classes: (I) direct shipping (merchantable ores or ores requiring no treatment except possibly crushing or screening to make an acceptable sized product), and (2) ores requiring beneficiation (such as sintering, drying, washing, jigging, high-density treatment, or magnetic separation in the case of magnetite). The Mesabi Range produces chiefly soft Bessemer and non-Bessemer ores. The Cuyuna Range produces mainly low-manganese brown ore and high-manganese black ores, with some iron ore. The Vermilion Range yields mainly Besse¬mer and non-Bessemer iron ore, with some hard or lump ore that finds use in the open hearth. Open-pit mining is limited to the Mesabi and Cuyuna Ranges but underground mining is done on all three. The choice of mining methods is determined by the relative economics of overburden¬-removal and shaft-mining costs. STRIPPING PRACTICE Common practice has been to remove the bulk of the overburden during the winter season and to mine during the summer. In the present emergency many operators are forced to forego the economies attained by year-round utilization of equipment and to equip for, and carry on, stripping and mining simultaneously. In the normal years or lean years to come, most properties probably will be over-equipped and high depreciation charges will have to be absorbed.

Jan 1, 1942

By Richard M. Foose

FIVE miles southwest of Mt. Holly Springs, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Clay Co. has been mining and milling a white clay since 1896; for use in white cement, as a filler in rubber, pigment and paper, in the manufacture of insecticides, and for other minor purposes. Until late in 1942, when the mine was abandoned because of labor shortage, combined underground mining and surface stripping produced approximately 30,000 tons of clay a year, of which 10,000 tons were refined in the mill. GEOLOGY Lower Cambrian Antietam quartzite and the Montalto quartzite, stratigraphically older, trend N.55°E. and make a sharp 1600-ft. anticlinal ridge of the South Mountains. The Tomstown dolomite overlies the Antietam quartzite on the southeast flank of the anticline, which is displaced near its crest by a steeply dipping oblique fault. Erosion of the less resistant Tomstown formation has resulted in a narrow valley at an elevation of 700 ft. Directly on top of the Antietam quartzite and at the base of the Tomstown formation is a zone of sandy white clay, lenticular along the strike of the formations, ranging in thickness from 10 to 300 ft. within a mile. All of the formations dip steeply to the southeast, from 65° to vertical. The clay crops out at an elevation of about 1000 feet. ORIGIN AND CHARACTER The uppermost part of the Antietam formation is sericitic and schistose at many places, and at all these places weathering is in an advanced stage. The clay is the residual product of weathering of this sericitic quartzite or sandy schist. The crude clay has the physical aspect of a sandy kaolin, but there are large areas in the clay formation that are low in free silica, and commonly the 30 ft. adjacent to the Antietam quartzite is notably free of silica. The overlying Tomstown dolomite has been weathered almost completely to a mixed yellow and brown clay, which carries a zone of nodular and chunky limonite and manganese ore, 4 to 12 ft. thick, about l00 ft. from the contact with the white clay. In mining, this zone is an important "marker," indicating where the white clay may be expected in an advancing tunnel. The contact of the white clay formation with the yellow and brown clay of the Tomstown formation is relatively sharp, although the line of contact is irregular and therefore responsible for the lenticular character of the white clay formation. Following is an analysis of the refined clay containing less than one per cent of moisture when dried at 212°F.: Si02, 67.05 per cent; A1203, 22.27; Fe203, 0.40; CaO, 0.00; Ti02, 1.05; MgO, 0.52; Na20, 0.04; K20, 0.88; ignition loss, 7.65; total, 99.86.

Jan 1, 1944

By Frank Riddle

PRODUCTS made from the ores of the sillimanite group, and synthetic substitutes for them, have unique properties, and service tests prove that they are playing, and will continue to play, a major part in improvements in metallurgical processes. Also, they are examples of how comparatively useless, rare, or "museum" minerals have been made available in commercial quantities. Until research developed uses for them, the minerals had been observed only in small, scattered masses, or crystals. Improvements in ceramic processes and compositions have come about very gradually. In the last 10 or 15 years, several outstanding developments have been made. Of greatest interest to the mining and metallurgical engineers are those affecting the composition, necessitating the mining of new minerals, and improvements in ceramic products used in metallurgical processes.

Jan 1, 1932

By D. Rankin, H. J. Stucke, W. K. B. Loftus

Discussion: H. J. Wright (Member): The authors are to be congratulated on presenting such a comprehensive and lucid account of bringing a large diamond mine into efficient production from the grass roots. When one considers the vast amount of planning and hard work that had to be put into the project the authors have done a praiseworthy job in condensing the story, so as to present all the important technical aspects, the logic behind the major decisions and the future thinking on the operations, in a concise and readable form. This was the first experience of De Beers personnel in starting a large diamond mine as an opencast project and nor do they employ a large planning staff, most of the planning being carried out by the executive staff themselves. It is operating most efficiently on a large tonnage and it is neatly and very well laid out. In fact, with its model townships, both for European and Coloured employees, tarred roads, recreation club and its grass golf course, it is like an oasis in the arid climate of the North-Western Cape. The key operation of opencast mining is, of course, the planning of the geometry of the pit. This has been adequately dealt with by the authors. It is of interest to consider some of the consequences arising from complete lack of open pit planning, based on actual operating mines. I refer of course to the present, four producing mines in Kimberley. The Kimberlite pipes were all discovered in a short span of time from the year 1870, onwards. They soon became a hive of activity with diggers industriously working their claims at varying rates. The country rock comprises from the surface downwards, some 90 ft of decomposed dolerite followed by approximately 260 ft of soft Karroo shales, which in turn is underlain by a hard competent Ventersdorp lava, known locally as melaphyre. The average water table was just below the dolerite at a depth of approximately 90 to 100 ft. Only the blue ground was mined leaving the waste rock sides almost vertical, and as the depth increased beyond 100 ft, large falls of sidewall started to take place. The shale was unstable and the falls covered

Jan 3, 1969

By D. Rankin, H. J. Stucke, W. K. B. Loftus

SYNOPSIS Planning for the Finsch opencast mine is described with particular reference to the proposed stages of mining, the method used to determine the limits of surface waste rock stripping and the derivation of the waste rock mining rate. Actual mining practice is described and the possibility of installing a skipway into the open mine at a later date is discussed. In addition, the waste dumping policy is referred to: this includes the cutting of slots through the hill on the west side of the pipe to increase tramming speeds. The crushing, washing and recovery sections of the treatment plant are described together with the various changes being made to the circuit. The most important of these are the installation of X-ray sorters for the final recovery of + 7 mesh diamonds, and the vibrating grease belt for the recovery of - 7 mesh diamonds. INTRODUCTION The Finsch Mine, a subsidiary of De Beers Consolidated Mines, Limited, is situated approximately 90 miles west of Kimberley, and some two miles from the village of Lime Acres, in the Northern Cape. Lime Acres is a company village shared with the Northern Lime Company which operates a limestone quarry and works near the township. The mine is near the southern end of a well mineralized belt producing limestone, asbestos, diamonds, manganese and iron ore, and the whole area has developed rapidly in the last 20 years. Power for mining operations is drawn from the Electricity Supply Commission. The mine is conveniently close to the main Kimberley-Postmasburg railway line. Water is drawn from the Vaal River through a 57 mile State-owned pipeline at present temporarily operated by mine staff. DISCOVERY AND PROSPECTING OPERATIONS The diamondiferous orebody is situated on the farm Brits, which is State-owned ground that has been leased to the Company for the period of mining operations. There are indications of interest in the area by prospectors (Richter, de Bruin and others) over a period of some 30 years and the discovery would possibly have been made years earlier but for a law preventing prospecting for precious stones on State-owned land. Although the pipe formed a clear depression on the hill where it was situated, it was overlain by some 5 to 40 ft of banded ironstone rubble which was washed into the depression from the hillside above the pipe and obscured the deposit. In 1958, Mr Allister Thornton Fincham applied for, and was granted, the right to prospect for base minerals on the farm Brits. Asbestos is known to occur in the area and, initially, was Mr Fincham's primary interest. However, during the prospecting operations, garnets were discovered and it was realised that diamonds might be present. In 1960, when the Precious Stones Amendment Act was passed, a company

By Richard W. Smith

THERE are three distinct varieties of phosphate rock, in Tennessee, known commercially as: (a) the "brown" rock, which is the residual pro- duct of the weathering and natural concentration of certain phosphatic Ordovician limestones; (b) the "blue " rock, which is an unaltered phosphatic stratum of Mississippian or Devonian age; and (c) the "white" rock, which is the result of chemical replacement and deposition. Before 1894, South Carolina and Florida had supplied most of the phosphate of the United States, South Carolina leading until that date and Florida from then until the present time. In December, 1893, the blue phosphate of Tennessee was discovered almost simultaneously on Swan Creek, in Lewis County, by two independent parties-by one as the result of a careful and systematic search for a workable deposit of the long known kidney phosphate, and by the other through mistaking it for a "bloom" of coal. Leases were taken and, with further prospecting disclosing other deposits in the region, the development progressed as rapidly as 'could be expected without railroad transportation

Jan 1, 1924