CONFLICT: Potash Extraction and Historical PLACE SOLUTION

Environmental Conflict in the Bages Region (Spain)

Center for Social Studies. (Gorostiza, S. 2014)
The article refers to: The conflict Desalination has become an
takes place option, and until 1956, there was
Extraction of potassium, It is extracted through in the no reservoir to regulate the flow
underground mining, (Use of the surface of the land) Use of Bages, is a of the river during the year.
mining by footprint (in situ leaching) or by means of natural region Therefore, the salinization of the
brines. For this type of mining, tunnels, wells, chimneys located in main source of water for the
and galleries are built, as well as chambers and pillars. The the center Barcelona area necessarily
most used methods go through the construction of tunnels of Catalonia affected the configuration of the
and pillars, cutting and filling (cutting and filling of mining), (Spain), is entire water supply system.
enhancement by sub-levels (Sublevel Stoping) and part of the The reverse osmosis filters that
warehouse-chambers (Shrinkage). Due to the type of province of play this role, more visible than
deposit and the technological advances of the moment, for Barcelona.. the collector due to its novelty.
the Geoalcali projects, underground mining is the only However, both efforts are
viable option. examples of "technological
solutions" to the degrading
Mining by dissolution or leaching in situ: It consists of conditions of rivers and their
pumping or injecting a solution (water and salt) towards potentially harmful effects on
the level of the mineral, where the potassium chloride and human health. The historical
the salt mixtures that form the layers dissolve. The evolution of the conflict not only
minerals are extracted by vertical wells, pumping the reveals changes in the financing
solution to the surface where the potassium chloride characteristics of environmental
crystallizes and is purified in a finished product, ready for remediation projects
commercialization.

Reference:
Gorostiza, S. 2014. Potash Extraction and Historical Environmental Conflict in the Bages Region (Spain)
Center for Social Studies. University of Coimbra ES: Recovered from:
https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/4739250.pdf