What are some things that could be negatively affected by mining operations in the Bingham copper mine?

What are some things that could be negatively affected by mining operations in the Bingham copper mine?

Mining activities have resulted in damage to fish and wildlife habitat, extensive water pollution, and public health and safety risks. The mine and its expansion plans are a threat to air quality as well.

Where is the biggest mine in the world?

The world’s biggest open-pit mine currently is the Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah. The copper mine, which is part of Rio Tinto’s Kennecott operation, is roughly 4km wide and more than 1.2km deep.

What are the environmental impacts of mining copper?

A peer-reviewed study of the track record of water quality impacts from copper sulfide mines found severe impacts to drinking water aquifers, contamination of farmland, contamination and loss of fish and wildlife and their habitat, and risks to public health.

Is sulfur mining bad for the environment?

Mining sulfide rock releases acid and toxic metals and contaminants that pollute rivers and groundwater for hundreds of years, long after the profits are spent and the products buried in landfills.

How hot is it in a gold mine?

The mine is a dangerous place to work, with an average of five miners dying in accidents each year. The mine is so deep that temperatures in the mine can rise to life-threatening levels. Air-conditioning equipment is used to cool the mine from 55 °C (131 °F) down to a more tolerable 28 °C (82 °F).

Are mines hot?

Deep underground mines are “hot” work sites because of the heat from the rock itself. Ground water flowing through hot rock formations becomes hot and adds to the air temperature. Activities like drilling, blasting, and welding add to the heat load put on miners, on the surface and underground.

Where is the Kennecott mine?

Kennecott Utah Copper LLC (KUC), a division of Rio Tinto Group, is a mining, smelting, and refining company. Its corporate headquarters are located in South Jordan, Utah. Kennecott operates the Bingham Canyon Mine, one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world in Bingham Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah.

What are the environmental and social impacts of mining?

Some of the negative impacts of mining are loss of vegetation cover, mass destruction of water bodies, loss of biodiversity, land-use changes and food insecurity, increased social vices and conflicts, high cost of living, and air pollution.