What is it

Rocks and Minerals

Our Earth is made mostly of rocks The rocks are composed of mineral grains combined in different ways
and having various properties. Minerals are naturally occurring chemical compounds in which atoms are
arranged in three-dimensional patterns. The kind of elements and their arrangements lead to a
particular appearance and certain properties for each mineral. The same chemical elements when
arranged in different patterns show different characteristics. Classic examples are minerals made of the
element carbon.

Scientists can distinguish more than 4,000 different minerals but many are very rare. About 200 minerals
make up the bulk of most rocks. The feldspar mineral family is the most abundant. Quartz, calcite, and
clay minerals are also common. Some minerals are more common in igneous rock (formed under
extreme heat and pressure), such as olivine, feldspars, pyroxenes, and micas.

Minerals are natural substances usually comprising "inorganic element or compound, having an orderly
internal structure and characteristics, chemical composition, crystal form, and physical properties"
(NAMRIA-DENR, 1991).

Any concentration of these minerals, with a potential economic value that can be extracted at a profit, is
considered a mineral resource. Despite its small area, the Philippines is one of the world's richly
endowed countries in terms of mineral resources.

The mining industry plays a very important role in the country's economic development. For one, the
industry provides employment opportunities to a significant portion of the population, directly and
indirectly

The launching of a mining project spurs local and regional economic development as mining firms invest
in road infrastructure, utilities, and other facilities within the mine site. Mining, likewise, contributes to
the country's foreign-exchange earnings through exports. Furthermore, the industry provides additional
revenues for the

government through taxes and fees paid on mining and other related activities. The mining activities
involve operations that have signilleunt impact on the environment. In most facets of the mining
activities, there is always the potential for environmental and ecological problems-from the construction
of mining facilities, the extraction of ore, to the processing of minerals.

Mineral resources are non-renewable Once extracted, the are is gone and will take a very long time to
replenish Mining activity, therefore, is faced with the sustainability issue. Serious implications may arise
if this issue is not properly addressed. While the constructions of the asset account for the other natural
resources is undoubtedly important, it is more crucial for the minerals because of the exhaustibility of
these resources.

Mining

Mining operations are complex. They are not your run-of-the-mill type projects. These billion-dollar
complexes consist of various interconnected projects, operating simultaneously to deliver refined
commodities like gold, silver, coal, and iron ore. It is a five-stage process:

A. Exploration

The beginning of any mining project begins with the exploration stage. It is where the magic happens.
Companies enlist geologists and others to prospect remote areas in search of mineral deposits. Methods
such as geological surface mapping and sampling, geophysical measurements and geochemical analysis
is often applied at an early stage to pin out potential deposits.

B. Mine-site design and planning

Once mapping and mineral resource data is collected, and the results are strong, the project can move
forward to the design and planning stage. This typically consist of studies to help companies determine
if and how a project can be safe, environmentally sound, economically viable and socially responsible.

B. Construction

If you build it, they will come. The construction process occurs after research, permitting and approvals
are complete. Construction of mining sites involves building roads, processing facilities, environmental
management systems, employee housing and other facilities.

C. Production

The two most common methods of mining are surface and underground mining. The method is
determined mainly by the characteristics of the mineral deposit and the limits imposed by safety,
technology, environmental and economic concerns.
>>The first step in the production stage is recovering the minerals. This is the process of extracting the
ore from rock using a variety of tools and machinery.

>>The second step is processing. The recovered minerals are processed through huge crushers or mills
to separate commercially valuable minerals from their ores. Once processed, the ore is then transported
to smelting facilities.

>>The final step in production is smelting. This process involves melting the concentrate in a furnace to
extract the metal from its ore. The ore is then poured into moulds, producing bars of bullion, which are
then ready for sale.

D. Closure and reclamation

The fifth and final stage in mining operations is closure and reclamation. Once a mining site has been
exhausted of reserves, the process of closing the site occurs, dismantling all facilities on the property.
The reclamation stage is then implemented, returning the land to its original state.

A comprehensive rehabilitation program has many clearly stated objectives which may include:

 ensuring public health and safety

 minimizing environmental effects

 removing waste and hazardous material

 preserving water quality
 stabilizing land to protect against erosion
 establishing new landforms and vegetation

Effects of Mining Activities in the Environment

Minerals are the natural resources which play an important role in the economic development of
the country. But the extraction and mining of these natural resources leads to some adverse effect
on our environment as well

Some of them are listed below:

1. It leads to the emission of dust, suspended particle and gases which cause

air pollution.

2. Release of harmful trace element eg, Carbon Monoxide, Lead, Cadmium

etc. leads to the contamination of surface water.

3. Underground water is also contaminated due to seepage and infiltration of

leached drainage

4. Mining leads to the degradation of soil quality, fertility and makes it toxic

5. Natural vegetation get adversely effected due to leached trace element. 6. The major
consequences of mining is the deforestation which results in loss

of flora and fauna.

7. It directly affect the ecosystem and its stability as many species are killed due to toxicity of water
and soil and loss of habitat 8. Mining results in wastage of land as it neither remain suitable for
industrial

use nor for agricultural purposes.

9. Mining directly results in the loss of landscape and beauty of surrounding.