Fracking and Mining
By Kylie Konar
fracting
Fracking is when process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well. Up to 600 chemicals are used in fracking fluid, sometimes the fluid seeps into the ground around the site and contaminating ground water. Only 30-50% of the fracturing fluid is recovered, the rest of the toxic fluid is left in the ground and is not biodegradable. The waste fluid is left in open air pits to evaporate, releasing harmful VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) into the atmosphere, creating contaminated air, acid rain, and ground level ozone. At the price of numerous environmental, safety, and health concerns.
Surface Mining- Causes more environmental disturbance
mountain top removal “Mountaintop removal/valley fill is a mining practice where the tops of mountains are removed, exposing the seams of coal. Mountaintop removal can involve removing 500 feet or more of the summit to get at buried seams of coal. The earth from the mountaintop is then dumped in the neighboring valleys.” | Open Pit Mining Open pit mines involve having large open holes in the ground connecting to a small mining tunnel. These pits devastate the environment around them. This is a surface mining and is mostly used for copper and molybdenum. | Strip Strip mining involves any-type of mining where raw minerals are deposited in sand or gravel or on the surface and are picked up without having to drive, use dynamite or any other significant means. Specific types of placer mining are panning, dredging, sluicing, using a Rocker, or just picking up what lies on the ground. |
mountain top removal
“Mountaintop removal/valley fill is a mining practice where the tops of mountains are removed, exposing the seams of coal. Mountaintop removal can involve removing 500 feet or more of the summit to get at buried seams of coal. The earth from the mountaintop is then dumped in the neighboring valleys.”
Open Pit Mining
Open pit mines involve having large open holes in the ground connecting to a small mining tunnel. These pits devastate the environment around them. This is a surface mining and is mostly used for copper and molybdenum.
Strip
Strip mining involves any-type of mining where raw minerals are deposited in sand or gravel or on the surface and are picked up without having to drive, use dynamite or any other significant means. Specific types of placer mining are panning, dredging, sluicing, using a Rocker, or just picking up what lies on the ground.
Subsurface Mining- Less Environmental disturbance by being underground
Slope sloping access shaft travels downwards towards desired material. Slope mines differ from shaft and drift mines, which access resources by tunneling straight down or horizontally | Drift This is the type of mining most people think of when asked what is mining. By creating large tunnels through the earth to find a vain of ore. This is usually done on the side of a hill or slope. | Shaft Shaft mining or shaft sinking refers to the method of excavating a vertical or near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom. |
Slope
sloping access shaft travels downwards towards desired material. Slope mines differ from shaft and drift mines, which access resources by tunneling straight down or horizontally
Drift
This is the type of mining most people think of when asked what is mining. By creating large tunnels through the earth to find a vain of ore. This is usually done on the side of a hill or slope.