Environmental Impacts Related to Closed Mines in Inner Mongolia

Honglei Liu, Qiang Wu, Jianxin Chen, Mingjun Wang, Di Zhao and Cheng Duan
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Honglei Liu: School of Geosciences & Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China
Qiang Wu: School of Geosciences & Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China
Jianxin Chen: Geological Environment Monitoring Institute of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot 010020, China
Mingjun Wang: Geological Environment Monitoring Institute of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot 010020, China
Di Zhao: School of Geosciences & Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China
Cheng Duan: Geological Environment Monitoring Institute of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot 010020, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-19

Abstract: Mining activities, while promoting social and economic development, alter the environments and ecosystems of mining areas. Some of the alterations have negative impacts on the environment, while some have positive impacts. By understanding the positive and negative impacts related to closed mines in Inner Mongolia, this research aims to seek advantages of the positive impacts on the environment and reduce the harm of the negative impacts, extending the mining value chain. The paper reviewed four main negative environmental impacts (NEIs) of closed mines and proposed four positive environmental impacts (PEIs) which include ecosystem services, cultural services, land resources and underground space resources, and energy sources and mineral resources. The paper focused on the environmental problems and the PEI utilization of closed mines in Inner Mongolia with 20 representative cases. It carefully studied the Minda Mine which is a good example to combine several PEI utilization objectives. Multiple PEI objectives, as well as the correlations among different objectives, can benefit closed mines ecologically, economically, and socially. In addition, a three-step framework for closed mine revitalization and the factors affecting the compound PEI objectives are mentioned in the paper.

Keywords: closed mines revitalization; post-mining land uses; positive environmental impacts; sustainable utilization; mine environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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