Compare and contrast surface and subsurface mining in terms of environmental impact.
What will be an ideal response?
Surface mining removes large amounts of overburden in the form of soil and rock, along with any living organisms. This material, called tailings, is discarded and can cause significant damage. Depending on the type of resource being sought, a large amount of ore is removed and processed. The portion of the ore that does not contain the mineral, called gangue, is separated and discarded. Both tailings and gangue must be stored on the surface, and are susceptible to erosion and weathering. Smelting of ore is very environmentally damaging in terms of the materials used in the smelting, the pollution that is released, and the energy that is consumed in the process. Subsurface mining has a somewhat lessened footprint on the surface. This gain is offset by the danger to the miners and the potential for such problems as subsidence. The ore from subsurface mining is treated in the same basic fashion, with similar environmental problems.
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a. True b. False Indicate whether the statement is true or false