18319163

Kidman class
Question 4c
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Mining is considered an activity that generates great economic profits by exploring

valuable minerals from the Earth, usually in an unsustainable way. In the 1960s,
Western Australia experienced a mining boom which has been a great contributor to the
Australian economy. Nevertheless, these economic benefits do not reach all the
population and can cause serious socio-environmental problems in WA. This essay will
consider social and environmental impacts in Pilbara region in Western Australia with a
focus on water shortage, acid mine drainage damage and Aboriginal exclusion.
Furthermore, this essay will argue that environmental risk management can be
implemented through recycling measures and geochemical soil conditions control, but
social community engagement seems unlikely to happen due to the current disregard of
Aboriginals conditions in Western Australia.

Intense mining in Western Australia has contributed to the water shortage environmental
problem. Since the most of the processes of mine`s life require a large quantity of water
this has been a major problem. On average the amount of water used by a mining
industry is 7-9 billion m3 per year (Jain, 2015). According to Brueckner, Durey, Mayes
and Pforr (2013), the mining sector in Western Australia consumed 620 Gigalitres of
water in 2009/2010 and this amount can double by 2030. Consequently, the high
consumption of water can decrease the water table which highly affects the wildlife
habitat and local ecology (Jain, 2015). Furthermore, the groundwater reservoirs tend to
the depletion in arid and semiarid areas, such as the Pilbara region in WA (Brueckner et
al., 2013). Another relevant point is the number of water licenses granted to the mining
sector. The mining industry in WA receives 30% of all water licences and 43% of

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Kidman class
Question 4c
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groundwater licence (Brueckner et al., 2013). These are considerable percentages
because groundwater is one of the most important sources of drinking water (Jain,
2015). In short, there is a great concern that mining activities are consuming water in an
unsustainable way and harming human water drinking. In brief, the mining industry is
responsible for water shortage and the large portion of water licences in WA mining
sector is a great concern due to elevated consumption of groundwater.

Management measures should be taken to prevent water shortage. This environmental

problem can be mitigated through the adopting of the idea of reducing, reusing,
recycling (Jain, 2015). Since evaporation is considered one of the main ways of loss of
water during mining activity, covers in tanks can be used to avoid the evaporation and
consequently decrease the waste of water. Another important measure is to collect and
reuse rainwater and surface runoff water (Jain, 2015). An example of an effective way
to reuse water is the implementation of Vacuum Membrane Distillation (VMD). This
method generates fresh water from contaminated water and works through a
hydrophobic membrane which has a barrier for liquid and only allows the vapour
passage. This vapour is water that due to distillation does not contain contaminants,
such as TDS (Total dissolved solids) and can be reused in other activity of the mine
(Jarvie-Eggart, 2015). Vacuum Membrane Distillation process was used in two mines
sites (BHP Billiton Westcliff and NRE No.1 Colliery) in New South Wales, Australia.
The results show that this process is extremely efficient since 99, 9 % of overall TDS
was removed allowing the reuse of water with an acceptable standard (Jarvie-Eggart,
2015). Therefore, the water shortage problem can be mitigated by adopting ways to

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Kidman class
Question 4c
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reuse and reduce water consumption, specifically through the VMD process which is
extremely efficient.

Another environmental impact is acid mine drainage, a natural chemical reaction that
happens when sulphides minerals are in contact with water or air and produce acid
(Zobrist, Sima, Dogaru, Senila, Yangand, Popescu et al., 2009). This production of acid
damages the soil and pollutes water. Mines generate a large amount of waste since ore is
only a small portion of the mined material. For example, in surface mining, the quantity
of waste varies from 2 to 10 times the overall amount of crude ore (Dudka & Adriano,
1997). According to Brueckner et al. (2013), silver and gold mining produce 99% waste
and consequently result in waste rock dumps. This contact between metal and water or
air can produce acid mine drainage (AMD) in the soil. The extraction and metal
processing leave metal traces in the soil and a sequence of chemical reaction produces
acid. Dudka and Adriano (2007), claim that high levels of acid can turn the soil infertile
and affect fauna and flora, reducing biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore,
acid conditions pollute groundwater and surface water. An example of a damage caused
by AMD is the King River in western Tasmania which was affected for decades because
of the waste from Mount Lyell mining. As a consequence, fishes in King River were
extinct due to the low pH and high metal concentration (Jarvie-Eggart, 2015). Thus,
acid mine drainage is a serious environmental impact caused by mining waste which
can affect soil, fauna, flora and water quality.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) can be prevented through the adoption of management
measures and can be treated with chemicals agents. Since AMD develops due to contact

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Kidman class
Question 4c
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between water and air with ore, preventive measures occur by removing the water and
air in the areas which contain exposed mining waste (Jain, 2015). Therefore,
groundwater flow paths must be redirected to avoid mined areas (Jain, 2015). In
addition, management of waste rock and soil geochemical conditions should be done in
order to control mining pollution (Zobrist et al., 2009). When prevention is not
implemented, neutralizing chemicals are utilized to treat AMD. A common treatment for
acid mine drainage mainly in coal mines is the use of Anoxic limestone drains (ALD).
This treatment consists of a trench containing a high percentage of calcite encapsulated
in an impermeable material (Genty, Bussire, Potvin, Benzaazoua & Zagury, 2012) and
the limestone (basic component which has a high pH) is responsible to decrease the
acidity. This method was studied by the University of Quebec in Canada, 2011. The
results of this study show that when the metal concentration is high and AMD contains a
low pH, ALD treatment does not solve the problem because the increased of pH is not
sufficient to neutralize the system (Genty et al., 2012). In brief, is necessary to combine
others methods to treat AMD problem by using ALD. Thus, AMD is a difficult
environmental problem to treat since neutralizing chemicals have low efficiency to
decrease soil acidity. For this reason, management measures to redirection groundwater
flow paths and control soil geochemical conditions should be planned to avoid AMD.

Intense mining in WA also causes social impacts which negatively affected Aboriginal
Australians and exclude them from mining activities. First of all, the Aboriginals had
their land invaded by mining stakeholders. According to Brueckner et al. (2013), only in
1993 Aboriginals were recognised as a group which have the right to protect their
customs and negotiate the mining interests. Nevertheless, in 1998, this policy was

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Kidman class
Question 4c
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weakened excluding Aboriginals opinion and engagement owing to economic goals of
the government (Brueckner et al., 2013). Another social impact is Aboriginal workforce
exclusion. Although the mining boom in WA provided new jobs in rural areas, the
numbers of non-residents working in mining activities have been higher than residents.
The total employment in the Pilbara region (north of Western Australia) for Aboriginal
people increased from only 38% to 42 % during the period between 1971 and 2001
(Armstrong et al., 2014). According to Carrington and Pereira (2011), the number of
non-residents workers in Pilbara in 2011 was 38,340 and only 15,930 workers were
residents. Carrington and Pereira (2011) claims that non-resident employers do not
contribute to the community because the majority of them are FIFO workers (Fly-in flyout) that generally works for 2 straight weeks in the mine and then flown back to their
hometown for another two weeks. Thus, these workers are in the community only for
work and do not associate with volunteer organisations which consequently contribute
to loss of community sense. Furthermore, non-residents contribute to the reduction of
support by mining companies for public facilities, such as schools and hospitals in rural
areas because many of the workers do not use the facilities (Carrington & Pereira,
2011). Hence, the mining boom in WA has affected indigenous community culture and
customs and excluded Aboriginals from mining activities.

Social impacts previously shown can be reduced through community engagement in

mining activities in WA. Firstly, Aboriginals must have the rights to negotiate mining
exploration in their lands. Brueckner et al. (2013) claim that many Indigenous groups do
not just see the commercial aspect in their land, but also consider that is essential to
preserve the environment and their cultural integrity. Thus, it is necessary an agreement

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Kidman class
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between Aboriginals ideas and external stakeholders for a sustainable development in
the rural community. According to Brueckner et al. (2013), Aboriginals groups have
started to increase their control in decisions related to resource development and defend
their cultural and environmental interests. However, the government has the power to
override Indigenous decisions and permit mining activities without any Aboriginal
accord (Brueckner et al., 2013). Secondly, the percentage of Aboriginal employee in the
mining sector must increase. The Rio Tinto mine in the Pilbara region has started to
engage Aboriginals and accept them as stakeholders (Armstrong et al., 2014). As a
result, Aboriginal workforce increased 8 % since 2000 in this mine. Armstrong et al.
(2014), argue that Aboriginal employment is a great obstacle because the majority of
them had low educational experiences, so they have low literacy and numeracy which
difficult the participation of Aboriginals in mining activities. Brueckner et al. (2013)
also explain that programs that prepare Aboriginals to work in the mining industry have
high chances of being unsuccessful due to this complexity of Indigenous problems.
Finally, companies should invest in public facilities and Aboriginal welfare. According
to Armstrong et al. (2014) the Rio Tinto mine did a commitment in the 1990s to engage
Aboriginal group and invest in rural communities. Nevertheless, a study in 2010 in
Pilbara region indicates that only infrastructure improvement has occurred in the
community, such as constructions of shopping centres, tree-lined streets and restaurants,
while Aboriginals people continue to suffer due to the permanence of poverty, lack of
job training and lack of opportunity to have an influence in mining activity decisions
(Armstrong et al., 2014). Indeed, aboriginal Australians have started to engage in
community decisions, but to solve problems related to Indigenous exclusion, major
challenges need to be overcome.

18319163
Kidman class
Question 4c
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Evaluating the evidence previously shown, it seems that a real social community
engagement is unlikely to happen. First of all, Aboriginal people started to have the
right to negotiate mining future operation in their land, but the government can override
any Aboriginal decision. Another relevant point is that company investments in the
community are relatively ineffective because these contributions do not solve
educational and poverty problem. In addition, Indigenous engagement as mining
workforce requires an enormous challenge because the majority of them do not have a
basic education in maths and literacy. Brueckner et al. (2013) affirmed that historic
exclusion and structural inequities are the largest obstacles to increasing the Aboriginal
participation rate in the mining industry. Therefore, considerable community
engagement will only happen through the adoption of measures to improve Aboriginal
education and supplying them the necessary basic knowledge to work and have an
influence on mining activities.

To conclude, environmental risk management measures should be taken to prevent

water shortage and acid mine drainage, while improvement in basic public facilities is
needed for real social community engagement in Western Australia. As previously
demonstrated, there are a variety of ways to save water through the adoption of the idea
of reducing, reusing, and recycling. Related to these ways, can be highlighted the use of
vacuum membrane distillation to generates freshwater from contaminated source which
is extremely efficient. On the other hand, the mitigation of acid mine drainage is more
complicated because requires a great planning to redirection groundwater flow paths
and a study of geochemical soil and water conditions. In addition, anoxic limestone

18319163
Kidman class
Question 4c
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drains (ALD) treatment showed low efficiency because depending on the level of
acidity and metal concentration, ALD is not able to reduce water acidity. Analysing
social impacts may be concluded that Aboriginals have a limited influence to decide and
negotiate mining activities in their lands which have threatened Aboriginals cultures and
customs. Furthermore, social community engagement seems improbable because the
government and companies have neglected Aboriginal conditions and Indigenous
problems have perpetuated in WA. To summarize, environmental impacts can be
managed through the reduction of water in mining activities and geochemical soil
conditions control, but real community engagement will only happen through the
implementation of measures to improve Aboriginals education and providing them a
sufficient knowledge and training to participate effectively in mining activities.