Environmental Assessment and Management of Mining Waste: A Report

This report provides an executive summary, introduction, and detailed analysis of environmental management and assessment concerning mining waste, specifically addressing the issue of mercury pollution originating from mining activities, using Anglesey Mining as a case study. The report explores the negative impacts of mercury on aquatic ecosystems and natural cycles, including the potential for bioaccumulation and ecological imbalances. It then proposes a plan of action to reduce environmental issues, encompassing considerations such as the current situation of the firm, stakeholders, environmental management systems (EMS), legal requirements, environmental aspects reviews, and the implementation of operational controls and training plans. Furthermore, the report outlines applicable legislations and environmental policy principles, including protection of specific rivers, safety measures for mine workings, and the protection of aquatic life. The conclusion summarizes key findings and recommendations for effective mining waste management to mitigate environmental damage. The report emphasizes the necessity for mining companies to adopt responsible practices, adhere to legal regulations, and proactively manage waste to ensure the health of both the environment and aquatic organisms.

Environmental Management
and Assessment on Mining
Waste

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The mining can be described as that process which involves extraction of desired
elements properly. It includes several types of scientific activities through which extraction of
required nutrients can be done for essential purpose of human life. This report is based on
Anglesey Mining which basically conducting exploration work on Parys mountains zinc-copper-
lead deposit In North Wales. The assignment will include description about improvement of
environment in terms of reducing pollution and study of applicable legislations or policies. The
discussion is basically about the pollutant called mercury which has negative impact on many of
aquatic animals and environment as well.

Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Plan of action to reduce environmental issue.........................................................................1
Applicable legislations and environmental policy principles.................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Mining can be described as extraction of minerals from soil ore for many purposes in
human life. But there are various kind of mining wastes that dispose to environmental areas and
it is really harmful for natural environment. Every organisation who carrying out several
activities of mining mineral are required to put efforts on management of such waste (Saer and
et. al., 2013). This report is based on Anglesey Mining which basically conducting exploration
work on Parys mountains zinc-copper-lead deposit In North Wales. This assignment will discuss
about development of environmental improvement and management plan to reduce mining
waste. The discussion is basically about the pollutant called mercury which has negative impact
on many on fishes, other aquatic organisms and environment. Several sources and methods can
be utilised to sort out problem of toxic element such as mercury. It includes applicable
legislations, policy principles, best practices and pollution impacts.
MAIN BODY
Plan of action to reduce environmental issue
There are various kind of environmental, issues are observed due to mining waste
produced in an organisation. These are very harmful for nature as it contains different toxic
chemicals which may damage many of environmental aspects that are essential for living beings.
These poisonous substances may leads to death of many of aquatic animals and decrease soil
fertility which may results into loss of crop production in country (Chadwick, Highton and
Lindman, 2013). Several other negative impacts are also observed in environment regarding
mining waste if it will transfer to rivers or seas. In this case, the pollutant is mercury which has
symbol Hg. It is commonly known as quick silver and usually considered as hydrargyrum. This
is useful for human beings but many times produce some negative aspects also like pollution. It
is necessary to utilise an appropriate method of treatment of mercury waste from mining industry
so that toxicity of chemical waste can be reduce which helps to decrease water pollution as well.
Impact on ecological systems and natural cycles
Due to disposal of chemical waste from mining firms like Anglesey Mining, toxicity of
water will increased due to which many of aquatic animals are leading to death. In case of some
fishes they get enlarged body due to swallowing amount of mercury. This will facilitate that
these large fishes become predator and eat more small marine animals that results into imbalance
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in natural cycles and ecological systems. It is necessary to conduct proper treatment of chemical
waste because it will create huge problem in environment in terms of raise imbalance in natural
systems.
It is important for mining industry to implement several activities to carrying out
treatment of this waste and then do final disposal of it so that it will not harm nature. All living
beings on Earth has their own role to maintain stability of environment which is very important
because it is not possible to survive on it without having healthy nature all around (Vanclay and
Esteves, 2011). It is really mandatory to prepare an appropriate plan to solve several
environmental issues regarding mining waste because it is very toxic for other living beings.
Such planning must involve certain factors that are given below:
Current situation of firm :- Present scenario must of evaluated by suitable and
authorized person so that appropriate actions can be taken through preparing correct plan of
action to gain more effective results from it in order to reduce waste production along with it's
toxic element like mercury. Every strategy must be build through proper information about
current facing issues to sort out them in accurate way.
Stake holders :- These are key people of any organisations such as employees, owners,
investors etc. whose profits are based on outcomes of company. It is compulsory to involve them
while preparing strategies for reducing toxicity of waste material.
Plan :- Planning is an important criteria before doing anything so that efforts will be put
in right directions for achieving better outcomes on order to decrease toxic pollutants such as
mercury from mining company like Anglesey Mining.
EMS Policy  It refers to environmental management systems in which events
are conducted in systematic or comprehensive manner through
organisational structure, planning and resource for applying
more effective as well as efficient policy to maintain nature
healthy (Cordell, Jackson and White, 2013). In case of mercury,
it is toxic element which impacts negatively on lives of marine
animals. It is necessary to apply required treatment of chemical
waste in systematic manner to reduce water pollution and save
aquatic organisms. Anglesey Mining have to organise such
events in correct way as per legal terms and conditions.
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Legal requirements  Several legal norms are required to follow by mining firms like
appoint some workers specially to take care of treating waste
material in appropriate manner before finally disposing it to
environment so that its harmful impacts will be reduced (Prno,
2013).
Environmental
management
 Making targets and objectives in plan of action are mandatory
to boost up management of waste material so that it will not
harm species of living organisms by toxic agents released by
extraction of minerals.
Environmental
aspects review
 It is important for higher authorities of organisation investigate
about those activities as well as equipments of extraction that
produces more polluted waste to implement several
modifications or changes into extracting activities and
procedures for decreasing such poisonous wastage (Kuletz,
2016).
Implementation :- Plan of action should be applied in appropriate manner to attain
desired outputs from it.
Operational control :-  BAT is a kind of technique to identify
appropriate practice for tracking,
segregating and maintain records of
waste so that it will become possible to
build a proper plan of carrying out
operational activities to reduce waste.
Modifications into manufacturing
process along with resources can be
applied to avoid this issue (Muduli and
et. al., 2013).
Roles and responsibilities :-  Various employees are working in
mining company then it is necessary
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top determine roles and responsibilities
of them towards waste management
and convey his information to them.
Also it is needed to conduct suitable
training and learning procedures to
make people aware about these duties
that required to be completed by them
Training plan :-  It is necessary to prepare plan for
organising appropriate training
procedure through which it may inform
to fulfil desired roles and duties to each
employees relevant to waste
management from the very beginning
to final stage (Rhyner and et. al., 2017).
Emergency plan :-  Sometime, it is observed that an
emergency is created due to few of
critical circumstances then it is
mandatory to build suitable plan for
that time to decrease issues.
Evaluation :- Evaluation is compulsory to be carrying out to observe all negative and
positive impacts of implemented plan of action.
Monitoring Requirement  It is important to make record about
waste material including volumes,
documentation and tracking
information. Requirements are needed
to be monitored on regular basis to
determine about problems an issues so
that they will sort out at correct time
(Azcue, 2012).
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Audit conformance  Waste material is required to manage
for perspective of health and safety of
human beings. It is compulsory to
conduct audit conformance
management activities for getting
desired outcomes.
Management review :- This term can be described as to take a look on several
implementations of planned activities as well as procedures in order to evaluate threats so that
necessary modifications can be done. Rechecking of applied plan of action is required to know
about its outputs in positive and negative ways. It facilitate to identify problems at correct time
so that it will get solved easily.
Applicable legislations and environmental policy principles
There are different types of legal norms and environmental policies which are
compulsory to be followed by organisations specially the mining businesses. This is because of
the fact of producing more toxic and harmful chemical which takes place by mining companies
like Anglesey Mining. It is important to make effective strategies and policies to develop
environmental condition and sustain that through efficient principles which should be followed
by each and every organisations in order to reduce waste to decrease it toxic ability so that it will
not harm other living beings surviving in nature (Chowdhury and et. al., 2014). As these
wastages results into poisonous pollutants in environment which may leads to deal of several
aquatic species and become reason being extinct species. These legislations and policies that mus
be followed by Anglesey Mining are given below:
Protection of specific rivers :- There are various kind of rivers on which government
authorities have special focus like due to particular speciality. The mining firms have to
implement some of finance to make several procedures and equipments for treatment of waste
producing by mining activities. These rivers have different minerals and living beings that get
deeply harmed by such toxic materials disposed from such industries (Northey, Haque and
Mudd, 2013).
Safety of exit from mines underground workings: - It involves that exit of wastage
from mines underground workings which is required to be treated before disposing outside to
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environment. In case of mercury, it is necessary to reduce it's toxicity through some of effective
as well as efficient technique as per legal regulation so that water pollution can be decreased.
The prevention of inrushes in mines: - The wastage of mercury is very toxic as it
inrushes in mines directly so that it is mandatory for mining firms like Anglesey Mining to
prevent this wastage from directly disposal of chemical waste to surroundings. It is legally
required to conduct proper treatment of chemical waste before disposing it to environment as it is
responsible for death of many aquatic animals.
Protection of fishing and aquatic life :- There are various kind of aquatic species get
affected by several chemicals disposed by mining organisations. Government had prepare and
implement some of legal norms for all chemical and mining industries so that they become able
to protect different aquatic animals that leads to death. Other problem is that some of these fishes
become less fertile or lost their fertility due to inhaling these chemicals. It is essential to saver
them form these poisonous things because each and very lining being have their own role to
make stable biological process. And this is mandatory to maintain stability of environment which
is compulsory for all living organisms to survive on earth.
Discharge of liquid wastage :- Discharge liquid waste from,m mining firms are usually
responsible for making water of river poisonous and decrease fertility of soil as well this will
facilitate to huge loss of crop production in agricultural industry. Overall, this loss is results into
reduce in annual income of the nation as it contribute a very precious amount into that to make
country economically strong.
Corporate social responsibility :- This term refers to carrying out several events and
campaigns on behalf of organisations to put efforts by employees for social welfare. It is
necessary to maintain a positive image of company in front of people in society so that it will
impacts on profitability as well as productivity of Anglesey Mining. CSR also involve to
maintain healthy environment by reducing toxic agents from waste disposed from enterprise
through treating it in appropriate manner (Yakovleva, 2017).
Best Available Technology (BAT) :- This term described as that effective as well as
efficient technology that renders support for approving limited pollutant discharges. It will
facilitate to decrease toxicity of waste material due to Presence of an element called mercury
which is produced by activities or procedures of extraction. Anglesey Mining required to use this
techniques for treating wastage in proper way to avoid it's negative impacts on nature.
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Principles of sustainable development and management of wastage
There are various types of principles that are required for mining businesses to follow
them strictly for reducing impacts of wastage producing by extraction activities or procedures.
These are establish by legal authorities with an essential objective of fresh and equitable global
partnerships through creation of new levels of cooperation amongst key sectors of society and
people. It is mandatory to maintain environmental stability to make favourable condition for al
living beings to survive comfortably on earth (Bernstad and la Cour Jansen, 2011).
Save human life :- This principle is based ion protecting lives of human beings in order
to sustainable development to facilitate a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.
Many of polluting impacts are facing by community of people due to wastage of mining
companies and these are harmful for citizens. Many of issues are observed about patients who
are already suffering from diseases such as asthma, emphysema etc. get more critical situation of
their health. They get immediate asthmatic attack due to such toxic polluted air while inhaling
oxygen.
Limitations of disposing such wastages :- There are several policies which states that
disposal of particular industries running in state have to make sure that such substances will not
exploit into their states to countries. It is legally not correct to conduct disposal of waste material
to other areas because they put objections to it. This is due to that fact these wastages are really
toxic which may damage several species and cause poisonous environment. Such actions are
necessary to be carrying out to reduce negative impacts so that provide better environment to
forthcoming generations.
Non financial and financial efforts :- Enterprises of mining like Anglesey Mining have
to put some of capital to implement plans or machinery for treatment of mining wastage. They
required to apply finance for treating waste chemicals before disposing it to environment. At the
other hand, non-financial aspects includes modifications in activities and procedures to reduce
toxicity of wastage factors.
Sustainable development of and environmental protection is essential aspect which
facilitates to achieve better biological lives. It is compulsory to put appropriate steps by
organisations as well as legal authorities of country to improve balance of environment because
health nature is key for different living beings for their comfortable survival.
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Impacts of pollution
Loss of biodiversity :- Various kind of species of animals, fishes, birds get extinct
because continuous death due to production of toxic chemicals like mercury through mining
business. Biodiversity is a term which means about different types of genus and species of
mining beings surviving on Earth. Every lining organisms has their own role to balance nature
and due to loss of them, environment get imbalanced. There is a biological cycle which is
required to be stable that is done by different animals, insects and birds in nature.
Occupational health issues :- Many of staff member are working in such mining
companies and in some of them, these employees are suffering from various diseases like
asthma, emphysema etc. Due to continuous working in mist and smog of dust generated while
carrying out the procedures of mining minerals for several purposes. They have to cut very tough
mountains to extract such elements like zinc, copper or iron because they are metals.
Land degradation :- A mining firm like Anglesey Mining required a large and specific
area for collecting desired ore of minerals from which extraction of elements like cooper, zinc
and iron takes place. Due to Now, the major issues in this, that area from which ore is already
collected then that field is not suitable for crop cultivation or agriculture. Due to extraction of
minerals that part of Earth remain less fertile. Hence, production of crops get harmed by this as it
will not results into desired outcomes in agricultural industries (Min And et. al., 2013).
Practices for waste management in mining industry
Field visits and investigations in workshops :- Investigations must be conducted by high
authorities of organisation to know about procedure and production of waste along with disposal
method. It is important to implement proper techniques of managing toxic chemicals in mining
firm like Anglesey Mining so that legal penalties can be avoided. Workshops of company should
be observed and analyse on regular basis to ignore such problems through applying appropriate
methods.
Processing plants :- Different types of plants, machineries and equipments through
which various kinds of activities or procedures are carrying out to gain desired results. These are
necessary to be analysed strengths and threats of such elements that are utilised in current
situation and determine mandatory requirements to be applied. Necessary changes must be
implemented in company so that it will not generate more poisonous waste material.
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Laboratories :- Various kin of chemical and mineral extracting company that has their
different laboratories in separate manner to extract desired minerals in dissimilar departments as
per nature of elements. Every mineral has its own properties, like meting and freezing point and
applicable to several chemical reactions.
Offices :- Official aspects are required to observe various strengths and weaknesses into
criterion of work and roles which are completing by staff members like accounting, record
maintenance and many more (Gozzard and et. al., 2011). Several official wastes are also impacts
on environment in negative manner and they need to put efforts to reducing it.
Waste dump sites :- Such dump sites are those places where entire waste material of an
organisation get thrown by workers. It is important to take care of these areas by conducting
proper treatment of wastages through suitable plants or considering them for recycling to make
reuse of them.
CONCLUSION
Mining can be described as extraction of minerals from soil ore for many purposes in
human life. There are various kind of environmental, issues are observed due to mining waste
produced in an organisation. Wastages results into poisonous pollutants in environment which
may leads to deal of several aquatic species and become reason being extinct species. There are
various types of principles that are required for mining businesses to follow them strictly for
reducing impacts of wastage producing by extraction activities or procedures. There is a
biological cycle which is required to be stable that is done by different animals, insects and birds
in nature.
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