Evaluation Principles of the Dust Influence of Mining Enterprises on the Environment

Abstract

Abstract It has been noted that the areas disturbed by open-pit mining together with the production processes in the extraction of mineral resources (drilling, blasting, transportation, etc.) have a negative influence on the environment in general and the atmosphere in particular. It has been indicated that, in percentage terms, dusting of refuse dumps and tailing dumps plays a prevailing role in the total amount of dust generated. It has been stated that the processes of formation and subsequent transfer of dust in the atmosphere depend on the combination of meteorological and mining factors that have a probabilistic nature in time and space. It has been shown that the maximum value of environmental risk characterises the level of dust influence, at which reduction environmental protection measures should be directed. The present paper proposes a procedure for evaluation of the dusty influence of mining enterprises on the environment. Under the conditions of Olenegorsk GOK, a GIS has been compiled – a project of the study area and, based on geo-information modelling, the results of calculating dust concentrations in the air have been imposed on a digital map of the area.