Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

1 Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 Faculty of Mining, Petroleum & Geophysics Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran

Abstract

Mining and mineral industry have important role in supporting sustainable development of countries. Many countries rely on the income derived from natural resources, but the exploitation of the natural resources may impact the environment and destroy the ecosystem. Mining activities usually affect the surrounding lands and ecosystems. The natural, social, and economic environments are part of this ecosystem that are directly involved in these activities. In order to reduce environmentally destructive effects of mining on ecosystem, some important measures must be taken to minimize the negative impacts of mining and related industries. In this paper, for the first time in Iran, a study was conducted to define and categorize the reclamation criteria in three largest iron ore mines. During this research, an attempt was made to establish, define and evaluate forty reclamation criteria. Since the number of criteria is high, to adopt the best practice in mine reclamation program, these criteria should be prioritized. The defined criteria ranked by mining experts, mining managers and related university professors according to their experience and knowledge. The raw collected data were evaluated, processed by Delphi-Fuzzy process and finally analyzed using the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method. The prioritized criteria can provide the authorities with a guideline to start reclamation planning based on the mining and environment requirements and budgeting and also to make the most fruitful, effective and low-cost decisions.

Keywords

[1]. MMSD. (2002). Research on Mine Closure Policy No. 44. International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
[2]. Meshcheryakov, L.I. and Shirin, A.L. (2011). Reclamation Technology of Land Destroyed by Mining and Logistics Monitoring Criteria. Earth and Planetary Science. 3: 62–65.
[3]. Osanloo, M. (2001). Mine Reclamation, Amir Kabir University of Technology, 228 P.
[4]. Warhurst, A. and Noronha, L. (2000). Environmental Policy in Mining Corporate Strategy and Planning for Closure, CRC Press LLc.
[5]. Bangian, A.H. and Osanloo, M. (2008). Decision-Making for Plant Species Selection in Mined Land Reclamation Plans through MADM Model. Mine Planning andEquipment Selection Conference 20-22, October, Beijing, China, 81-94.
[6]. Festin, Emma. Tigabu, Mulualem. Chileshe, Mutale. Sympungani, Stephen. Dden, Perchrister. (2019). Progress in restoration of post-mining landscape in Africa. Journal of Forestry Research. Springer. 30 (2): 381-396
[7]. Osanloo, M. (2007). Surface mining methods. Amir Kabir University of Technology.
[8]. Didier, C. (2008). The French experience of post mining management. Post-Mining Conference, Nancy, France, 1-17.
[9]. Vrbova, M. and Stys, S. (2008). 60 years of land reclamation after opencast coal mining – a success story of Czech reclamation work. Mine Planning and Equipment Selection Conference, Beijing, China, 20-22 October, 23-27.
[10]. Mchaina, D.M. (2001). Environmental planning considerations for the decommissioning, closure and reclamation of a mine site. Int. J. Surface Mining, Reclamation and Environment. 15:163-176.
[11]. Bascetin A, (2007). A decision support system using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) for the optimal environmental reclamation of an open-pit mine. Environ Geol. 52: 663–672.
[12]. Li, M.S. (2005). Ecological restoration of mine land with particular reference to the metalliferous mine wasteland in China: A review of research and practice. Science of the Total Environment. 357:38– 53.
[13]. Schladweiler, Brenda K. (2018). 40 years of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA): what have we learned in the State of Wyoming. International Journal of Coal Science & Technology. Springer, 4 (2): 67-79
[14]. Miao, Z and Marrs, R. (2000). Ecological restoration and land reclamation in open-cast mines in Shanxi Province, China. J. Environmental Management. 59: 205–221.
[15]. Tordoff, G.M., Baker, A.J.M. and Willis, A.J. (2000). Current approaches to the revegetation and reclamation of metalliferous mine wastes. Chemosphere. 41: 219-228.
[16]. Dudeney, A.W.L., Tarasova, I.I. and Tyrologou, P. (2004). Co-utilisation of mineral and biological wastes in mine site restoration. Minerals Engineering. 17: 131–139.
[17]. Antwi, E.K., Krawczynski, R. and Wiegleb, G. (2008). Detecting the effect of disturbance on habitat diversity and land cover change in a post-mining area using GIS. Landscape and Urban Planning. 87:22-32.
[18]. Mummey, D.L., Stahl, P.D. and Buyer, J.S. (2002). Microbial biomarkers as an indicator of ecosystem recovery following surface mine reclamation. Applied Soil Ecology 21: 251–259.
[19]. Anderson, J.D, Ingram, L.J. and Stahl, P.D. (2008). Influence of reclamation management practices on microbial biomass carbon and soil organic carbon accumulation in semiarid mined lands of Wyoming. Applied Soil Ecology. 40: 387–397.
[20]. Haney, R.L, Hossner, L.R. and Haney, E.B. (2007). Soil microbial respiration as a tool to assess post mine reclamation. Int. J. Mining, Reclamation and Environment. 22: 48-59.
[21]. Kalin, M., (2001). Biogeochemical and ecological considerations in designing wetland treatment systems in post-mining landscapes. Waste Management. 21 (2):191-196.
[22]. Cao, X. (2007). Regulating mine land reclamation in developing countries, the case of China. Land Use Policy. 24: 472–483.
[25]. AMEC Americas Limited. (2007). Sangan project. Tailings Dam Design. 148831 Report.
[26]. Ataei, M. (2010). Fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making. Shahrood University of Technology.
[27]. Incea, E., Mutmanskyb, M.J. and Albertc, K.E. (1991). Fuzzy multiple-criteria decision-making: Application to AML project selection. Int. J.  Surface Mining, Reclamation and Environment. 5: 167-176.
[28]. Guo, L., Zhou, L., Yang, C. and Fecko P. (2010). Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation of land reclamation suitability in mining subsidence based on GIS, Natural Computation (ICNC). International Conference IV: 8,3998 – 4002.
[29]. Rowe, G and Wright, G. (1999). The Delphi technique as a forecasting tool: issues and analysis. International Journal of Forecasting. 15: 353–375.
[30]. Linstone, A.H., Turoff, M. and Helmer, O. (2002). The Delphi method techniques and applications. On line at: is.njit.edu/pubs/delphibook/delphibook.pdf.
[31]. Okoi, C and Pawlowski, D.S. (2004). The Delphi method as a research tool: an example, design considerations and applications. Information & Management. 42: 15–29.
[32]. Huang, I.B, Keisler, J. Linkov, I. (2011). Multi-criteria decision analysis in environmental sciences: Ten years of applications and trends. Science of the Total Environment. 409: 3578-3594.
[33]. Norman, D.K., Wampler, P.J., Throop, A.H., Schnitzer, E.F. and Roloff, J.M. (1997). Best Management Practices for Reclamation Surface Mines in Washington & Oregon, Washington. Division of geology and earth resources. Open file report 96-2.
[34]. Asri, Y. (2005). Flora Ecology. Payam-e-Nour University. 
[35]. Toseh Nirou Co. (2007). Soil Investigation Report for Sangan Iron Mine Project, Technical archive.
[36]. Baker, P., Burton, P., Davidson, R., Falvey, S. and Gallegos, T, (2000). The Practical Guide to Reclamation in Utah, Department of Natural Resources; Utah, Division of Oil Gas and Mining. On line at: https://fs.ogm.utah.gov/pub/mines/coal/Reclamation_Manual.pdf.
[37]. Kani Kavan Shargh, (2011). Study of slope stability, instrumentation, monitoring and compiled present and future program for Chadormalu iron mine. Technical Archive.
[38]. CSMI, (2010). The Socio Economic Aspect of Mine Closure and Sustainable Development. Coaltec, Online at: www.csmi.co.za.
[39]. Shandro, A.J., Veiga, M., Shoveller, J., Scoble, M. and Koehoorn, M. (2011). Perspective on community health issues and the mining boom-bust cycle. Resource Policy. 36: 178-186.
[40]. North Dakota Public Service Commission, Reclamation Division. (2006). Reclamation cost estimating guidelines. On line at: www.psc.nd.gov/docs/guidelines.
[41]. World Bank Policies and Guidelines, (1995). Mining and Milling. Open-Pit.
[42]. Laurence, D. (2001). Classification of Risk Factors Associated with Mine Closure. School of Mining Engineering. UNSW, Sydney, Australia. On line at: web.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/11198973051laurence.pdf.