Minerals industry and the environment

Many mining and mineral projects on stream incolve deposits discovered and mapped by the GTK. Shown here in Mustio Finland operated by Lohja Oy. Photo: Jari Väätäinen, GTK

Although minerals extraction has the potential for spectacular and long-lasting environmental damage, many detrimental effects can be avoided or mitigated simply through careful planning for asset life and application of sustainable development criteria. Appropriate environmental measures at site also avoid legacy problems after closure. The knowledge and technology for managing the impact of mining is often already available or can be easily developed.

Mineral mining activities necessarily modify the physical environment, affecting land, water and air quality and disrupting surrounding ecosystems. Geological approaches and techniques have proven quite effective in reducing environmental impacts such as:
 
Visual changes in the landscape
Subsidence, topsoil loss and other surface movements
Physical and chemical effects on surface and groundwater migration and quality
Noise and vibration
Liquid, dust and gas emissions

To minimize or eliminate adverse effects, mine operators should consider exploration approaches, land and water quality management during development, environmentally responsible production methods during mining and milling processes and their practices regarding closure and post-mining monitoring. Awareness of the need for an environmentally secure closure process needs to be maintained through the entire mining operation.

GTK is familiar with environmental, processing and regulatory conditions and various environmental remediation methods. For example, we carry out continuous R&D for safe disposal of tailings and protection of natural waters. Economics of deposit extraction and efficiency of minerals processing are important preconditions, because only profitable mineral production can ensure the necessary investments in environmental management.

The EU's Best Available Technology (BAT) requirement has encouraged GTK to develop innovative services for the minerals industry in involving cooperation among biologists, engineers, meteorologists, lawyers, social scientists, and specialists in health and environmental education.

Advanced remote sensing techniques

In addition to airborne electromagnetic and radiometric methods, hyperspectral mineral detection technologies such as AISA and HyMap can be used to monitor and evaluate the impact of mining on the environment. These techniques are based on detecting characteristic spectra from either secondary minerals generated by weathering of tailings and waste rock materials or from induced physiologic stress on vegetation.