Sustainable Development of Resources and the Environment: Mining-Induced Eco-Geological Environmental Damage and Mitigation Measures—A Case Study in the Henan Coal Mining Area, China

• Published in: Sustainability 2019-08, Vol.11 (16), p.4366
• Main Authors: Guo, Wenbing, Guo, Mingjie, Tan, Yi, Bai, Erhu, Zhao, Gaobo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coal; Coal industry; Coal mines; Coal mining; Damage prevention; Disasters; Ecology; Economic development; Emergency preparedness; Environmental degradation; Environmental protection; Geology; Investigations; Ladders; Land resources; Mines; Mining; Mining industry; Mitigation; Spatial variations; Surface water; Sustainable development; Tectonics; Water resources
• ISSN: 2071-1050; 2071-1050
• DOI: 10.3390/su11164366

Coal is an important resource that has supported China’s economic development. This situation is expected to continue in the immediate future. However, coal mining has also led to serious environmental disasters in some mining areas. Henan Province is one of the 14 large-scale coal bases that are planned by the Chinese state. It is located in the transitional zone between the second and third terrain ladders of China and spans two tectonic units. The geological features and ecological environmental characteristics display wide spatial variations throughout this district, which is an ecologically fragile region of stepped transition type. However, large-scale, extremely intense coal mining activities will inevitably lead to further deterioration of the already fragile ecological and geological (eco-geological) environment, which makes recovery increasingly difficult. Based on the condition of the eco-geological environment and the coal mining industry in the Henan mining area, the mechanisms by which mining-induced damage can occur were analyzed. The characteristics and status of the destruction of ground structures, land resources, water resources, the atmospheric environment, and natural ecology are discussed in this paper. Appropriate mitigation measures are proposed based on the findings. This mainly includes: management practices to prevent and mitigate damage throughout all stages of mining; adoption of mining techniques that will control damage at the source; and, the adoption of appropriate post-mining recovery technologies. The analysis of mining-induced eco-geological environmental damage and mitigation measures is of importance for the prevention of eco-geological disasters, and the promotion of efficient and environmentally sustainable exploitation of coal resources.