Mining Background Literature Review

Appendix 2: Environmental and Social Impacts of Mining
This appendix is meant to provide a brief review of the literature with regard to environmental and social impacts from mining, as well as key regulatory issues.
Key Environmental and Social Impacts
Environmental and social impacts of mining have been well-documented and an ample literature exists on this topic. The following discussion summarizes those environmental and social issues that formed the basis for the Mining and Critical Ecosystems framework. Environmental and social impacts are divided into waste management issues, impacts to biodiversity and habitat, indirect impacts, and poverty alleviation and wealth distribution. Those seeking additional details may wish to consult the many resources available on this topic.1
Waste Management
By nature, mining involves the production of large quantities of waste, in some cases contributing significantly to a nation’s total waste output. For example, a large proportion of the materials flows inputs and outputs in the United States can be attributed to fossil fuels, coal, and metal mining (Matthews et al., 2000:107). The amount of waste produced depends on the type of mineral extracted, as well as the size of the mine. Gold and silver are among the most wasteful metals, with more than 99 percent of ore extracted ending up as waste. By contrast, iron mining is less wasteful, with approximately 60 percent of the ore extracted processed as waste (Da Rosa, 1997;
Sampat, 2003).
Disposing of such large quantities of waste poses tremendous challenges for the mining industry and may significantly impact the environment. The impacts are often more pronounced for open-pit mines than for underground mines, which tend to produce less waste. Degradation of aquatic ecosystems and receiving water bodies, often involving substantial reductions in water quality, can be among the most severe potential impacts of metals extraction. Pollution of water bodies results from three

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