GEO-INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABLE MINING DEVELOPMENT AT VARIOUS SCALES

3rd International Scientific Conference - SGEM2003, www.sgem.org, SGEM2003 Conference Proceedings/ ISBN: 954-918181-2, June 9-13, 2003, 243- 250pp

ABSTRACT

Mining-related environmental problems should be studied not only at site
scale (as imposed by most environmental regulations), but also at a regional scale,
enabling satisfactory solutions to be found from the environmental and socioeconomic
viewpoints. The regional environmental assessments by BRGM in
collaboration with the Indian Bureau of Mines in 2000 are a good illustration of
what can be achieved at the scale of a mining district. At a larger scale, the
Environmental GIS of Central Europe shows the possibilities, but also the limits,
of such geo-information systems for assessing and predicting environmental
impacts related to mining activities. The integration of geological, metallogenical
and mineralogical data with information concerning land use, water and soil
quality, and geomorphology appears to be an efficient basis for outlining the main
opportunities for mining development while incorporating environmental
priorities, such as avoiding risks of acid mine drainage or heavy metals pollution.