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NSWEarth and Environmental ScienceQuick questions
Module 8: Resource Management
Quick questions on Mining impacts and rehabilitation: HSC Earth and Environmental Science Module 8
4short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is acid mine drainage?Show answer
When sulfide minerals such as pyrite are exposed to air and water during mining, they oxidise to form sulfuric acid. This acid runs off, dissolving heavy metals from the rock and lowering the pH of nearby streams and groundwater, killing aquatic life and contaminating water supplies. Acid mine drainage can continue for decades after a mine closes, making it one of the most persistent mining impacts. It is managed by sealing sulfide waste away from air and water, neutralising acid with lime, and treating discharge.
What is rehabilitation?Show answer
Rehabilitation aims to return mined land to a safe, stable and productive state. Typical steps are reshaping the landform to blend with surroundings and control erosion, replacing stored topsoil (which is stripped and stockpiled before mining), revegetating with native species, and managing water quality until acid drainage and contamination subside. In Australia, mining companies are generally required to lodge rehabilitation bonds and meet legal completion criteria before a site is signed off. Some former mines become farmland, wetlands or conservation areas; not all damage, particularly to deep aquifers and to Aboriginal heritage, can be reversed.
What is q1?Show answer
Explain how acid mine drainage forms and why it can persist long after a mine closes. [3 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Analyse why successful rehabilitation depends on actions taken before and during mining, not only after closure. [4 marks]
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