Environmental impact of industrial and mining activities

Duration

25h Th, 1d FW, 25h Labo., 5h Proj.

Number of credits

Lecturer

Stoyan Gaydardzhiev

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The activities related to sustainable exploitation of primary and secondary resources word wide are associated with strong environmental pressure. Therefore it is imperative for an engineer to be aware about the administrative and legislative procedures linked to environmental impact studies during industrial and mining activities. The legal requirements and the procedures differ from country to country. During this course the following aspects will be covered: EMP (environmental management plan and auditing, waste management and environmental control, effluents treatment and tailing ponds management, sites rehabilitation). The principle geochemical risks linked to management of mining and industrial tailings will be presented, together with those related to the long-term fate of tailings from mineral concentration plants. The environmental issues linked to small scale mining and artisanal operations are covered as well.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

Get aware the students with the main effects which the industrial and mining activities bear on environment
After attending the cours the students will be able to
- understand the management aspects of mining and industrial activities and their implication to the local legislation and the conservation of natural resources.
- get acquainted and being able to analyse the pros and the cons of the different methods for rehabilitation of industrial and mining sites

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

A basic knowldge in chemistry (general reactions) is compulsory. A knowledge about the mineral processing techniques is desirable.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course includes lectures (25 h) covering the theoretical aspects, practical lab works and site visits (if possible)
The lab works (including calculations) will cover the following aspects:
Acid generation capacities of mine/industrial wastes; Acid neutralising features of mine wastes; Estimation of potential mobilities for certain heavy metal elements. Testing three different minerals using two different protocols for AMD estiamtion. A case-study illustrating the importance to predict the AMD generation capacity and involving mineralogical observation of a real sample.
The results from the lab tests (in groups) should be presented in a form of report.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)

Face-to-face
First quadrimester - Wednesdays - from 14 to 18 h, room -1/426, B52
Lectures, lab works, site visits, seminars. The lectures are delivered in English. Lab work instructions will be available to students before each practical.

Recommended or required readings

Lecture material as pdf files will be available at the Ecampus platform.
Literature:
Bernd G. Lottermoser, Mine Wastes -Characterization, Treatment, Environmental Impacts, Springer, Second Edition (2007) - available in pdf form at e-campus
Sustainable development and the future of mineral investment (2000) in Otto J. & Cordes J (eds), UN Publications ; Christopher Wood. (1997)
Mining and Environment:From Ore to Metal, Karl-Heinz Spitz, CRC Press, 2008
Environmental impact assessment - a comparative review, Longman; Larry Canter. Environmental impact assessment, (1997) McGraw Hill Int.; Environmental Management in the Australian Minerals and Energy Industries - principles and practices, (1999) D. Mulligan (ed.) UNSW press book.

Assessment methods and criteria

Written exam. The students could be questionned either in Eglish or in French during the exam.

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

The cours is delivered during the first quadrimester

Contacts

Stoyan GAYDARDZHIEV - Prof. B 52/3, office -1/412, 04 3669120 S.Gaydardzhiev@ulg.ac.be


Mohamed AATACH , Assistant B 52/3, -1/512
Mohamed.Aatach@ulg.ac.be

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