Essay Example on The mining industry in Canada has its effects on its Economy

There are many methods to extract metallic mining one being strip mining Strip mining is sometimes referred to as surface mining and is the cheapest method of mining This method is often used when the mineral ore is located close to the surface The process starts when layers of rock sand soil and vegetation are removed from the surface The materials that are being removed are referred to as overburden materials Holes are drilled into rocks that lay above the mineral deposit and are filled with a variety of explosives This process is called blasting In some cases blasting is not needed if the mineral deposit is easy to access The name of strip mining comes from how the process is done in strips Miners remove the top layer of waste and place it on the previous strip This is done continuously until every part of the mined land is reclaimed Valuable minerals such as gold and silver are not retrieved as a result of strip mining but rather oil sands gravel coal and in some cases iron and copper Although Strip mining may seem like a safe and harmless method of mining there are as a matter of fact many negative disadvantages that come with it Strip mining is the most destructive method of mining as it causes the destruction of earth as well causes pollution in water Strip mining removes trees plants vegetation and topsoil As a result soil erosion may occur and agricultural land may be lost The removal of the rich topsoil may make it difficult for any trees to grow 

These mines may not be safe as environmental hazards are not addressed Reclamation plans involve studying the area s geology wildlife and water Closure plans include 4 steps Shutting down and decommission this consists of the shutting down of equipment used during the process as well as removal of waste Reclamation and post closure this includes restoring and shaping the land as much as possible Long term maintenance may be given to ensure that nothing else needs to be done Stronger plans can ensure the land is restored as much as possible and leaves less of a negative impact behind Another way we could lessen the impact is to use less of it If we reuse recycled items more often we may be able to reduce the amount of strip mining that is done as well as the number of minerals used up There are many ways to reduce the waste left behind in strip mines that pollute the water We can use cleaner production techniques as well as use waste as raw materials Cleaner production techniques are essential processes in which are used to reduce environmental impacts that mining may cause Techniques include various changes to following factors technology operating methods and waste management