The Coal & Coal Mining–its environment, pollution, management and economics Engr. S.M.Nurul Aurangajeb, P Eng. Deputy General Manager( Surface Operation) Barapukuria Coal Mining Co.Ltd

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The Coal Coal Miningits environment,
pollution, management and economics
Engr.
S.M.Nurul Aurangajeb, P Eng. Deputy
General Manager( Surface Operation) Barapukuria
Coal Mining Co.Ltd
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Introduction

• It is impossible to make some one better off
  without making another one worse off-So, a
  mining activity may lead to harm to the
  surrounding environment as well as to the
  population, but a lot of benefits it renders.
• The Geological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB)
  discovered coal deposits in Northwest of
  Bangladesh, in a rural agricultural setting.
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) addresses
  in a comprehensive and open manner,
• An Environmental Management Plan is to be
  developed and maintain to address likely impacts,
  mitigation action plans, monitoring management of
  risks, and schedules.

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• If this natural resources are not used, they will
  lie underneath which will have no economical
  value at all.
• But the activities involved in a coalmine
  development require more precaution, abiding by
  the safety rules strictly and environmental
  regulations precisely.
• An eco-friendly environment as well as prosperous
  economy, which would eventually contribute to
  building macro economic stability and growth.
• A socio-economic appraisal of a coalmine requires
  vast investigation and study, applying
  management, economics and engineering theories.\
• To address certain issues applying international
  norms, practices and engineering, managerial and
  professional experiences.

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• Necessary to develop in parallel with technical
  issues, a comprehensive environmental and social
  impact assessments in a process of consultation
  with all stakeholders, demographic and
  socioeconomic, resettlement, town planning,
  operational information centre, government and
  community consultations etc.
• Design and operation plans of the mine, site
  rehabilitation, resettlement and mine closure
  shall be developed in consultation with the
  relevant stakeholders and driven by sustainable
  ecological and social principles. Using mining
  industry best practice procedures following
  environmental and social safeguard policies (on
  such issues as resettlement, ethnic minority
  people and cultural property) the mining method
  is deduced.

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Establishment of Safety? Shaft sinking?
Ventilation system in place ? Pit bottom
Development ? Substation Building? ? Main Road
Way Development? Coal road way Dev. ? ?
Equipment installation ? Trial running ? Coal
Production
Underground mine Development
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Establishment of Dewatering System ? Water
Recharging ? ? Removing Over Burden ? Making
access to coal ? ? Coal Extraction ?
Refilling etc.
Open Cut Mine Development
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Underground Coal Roadway and Support System
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Typical Coal Face Powered Roof Support
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• Underground Road way Development

• Drilling ?Blasting ?Rock bolting / Wire Meshing /
  I-steel support ? Drainage system ?Local
  Ventilation System ?

Some Typical Equipment and Coal Transport
Shearer ?AFC ?Crusher? Stage Loader? Belt
Conveyor? Coal Bunker ?Hoisting ?Surface Coal
Silo
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U/g Mining

• Long wall
• Board and Pillar
• Top Caving
• etc

Open Cut Mining

• Stratified
• Non Stratified
• Horizontal
• Inclined
• etc

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The Coal Mine Coal Reserve

• .
• After techno-economic feasibility study a Coal
  mine and mining technique are under taken.
• The Coal seam generally lies in between rock
  layers.
• Earlier adopting Underground mining technology.
• Open cut coal mining - overburden removal-
  yielding near about 95 percent or more-less
  hazards
• Roadways are developed through the bottom layer
  of rock
• Horses used for carriage, and shovels, spades for
  extraction
• Electric locos blasting fully automated
  machines used
• Huge production with less physical efforts.

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The Coal

• The Coal deposits formed during the geological
  age of Permian era.
• Decomposition of trees, shrubs, shale and other
  living matter.
• Lignite very raw and vegetable matters more
  distinct.
• Bituminous Coal better with less smoke, high
  calorific value.
• The final phase anthracite best in quality with
  high calorific value, high carbon content, low
  ash, low sulfur content and low in other
  impurities with high specific weight.
• Coal surfaces dull in nature some with presence
  of glazy vitreous substances.

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Mineral Resources in Bangladesh
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Typical Underground Long wall Mine Plan
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The uses of Coal

• Mainly for generating electricity. Also for steel
  mills, brickfields, loco engines, steamer i.e. to
  drive mechanical devices and other factories
  using heat for their production.

Specification of Coal

• Can be designated mainly as per carbon content
  and heating value. Carbon content main
  determinant of heating value less impurities
  moisture content.

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Coal reserve in Bangladesh

• To present about 5 deposits discovered

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Coal Reserve Equivalent to Gas
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The consequences of mining activities

• Subsidence
• Water table lowering.
• Water pollution.
• Roof fall.
• Toxic gases
• Underground fire-hazards.
• The fire originating from external heat sources
• The fire ignited by itself
• Dust pollution and explosion.
• The health hazard of dust.
• Combustion and explosion.
• Methane explosion.
• Land slide.
• Earth dust.

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Total World Electricity Generation in 2004 ( by
fuel)
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Environment Social Management

• Environmental management and rehabilitation
  -integral parts of the mining process
• Specific management plan is to be integrated into
  a comprehensive Environment Monitoring Plan (EMP)
  that identifies management resources and
  incorporates environmental commitments identified
  in the EIA.
• Environmental and social management plans for
  regular annual reporting to the GoB and other
  relevant stakeholders.
• The Mines EMP will ensure thatSufficient money
  and personnel resources allocation to manage mine
  operations and potential impacts on the
  surrounding environment and community
• The EMP updates -a fully integrated document,
  including-Biophysical monitoring and
  performance
• Social impact managementMining operations and
  rehabilitation and Mine closure

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Some Environmental Protection Regulations

• According to environmental quality standards of
  Bangladesh (1991) -smoke extraction standard SPM
  500mg/m3, S02 120 mg/m3, CO 5000 mg/m3, NO 100
  mg/m3, and noise standard is 75 dba. Sanitary
  sewage discharge standard is neutral PH value,
  SSlt100 mg/L, BOD5 lt 40 mg/l, temperature is below
  30ºC, colibacillus is no greater than 1000
  pcs/100ml.
• Air pollution discharged from underground roadway
  by main fan, which contains mainly dust and gas,
  smoke discharges from the boiler house.
• Environmental Management Resources.
• -Sufficient money and personnel resources to
  ensure that the EMP effectively implemented and
  managed.
• Under the Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE)
  Management, there shall be specific persons
  working on environmental management of the mine.

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• Major impacts on environment and population
  Since the mine operation as well as development
  emerge some sort of pollutant during blasting
  operation, advancing the roadway, roof fall for
  underground mine, water inrush for both
  underground and open cast mine, methane
  explosion, the gas content, surface subsidence
  level for underground mine, total water
  management should be carefully monitored and
  proper measures should be taken as and when
  required basis.
• Various data should have to be collected,
  analyzed classified. Ultimately a methodology
  could be derived, formulated implemented and a
  trade off been arrived, arisen from development
  operational work and the economic benefits
  result.
• Land acquisition and population
  displacement.-The minefield has to acquire a
  large area of land for mining activities.
• This will require displacement of the
  population . Nevertheless, measures will be
  implemented during all phases to minimize
  population displacement as much as
  possible.Leaving coal pillars.

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• Land acquisition will occur in accordance with
  the regulations of the Acquisition and
  Requisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Act
  1994 or by special legislation.
• Households and businesses from this area
  according to a phased resettlement program that
  will run for over a considerable time.
• Resettlement Planning. - Mine Entitlement
  Matrix that details resettlement and compensation
  entitlements -Development plan for ethnic
  minority groups-Township and surrounding
  villages and

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Key features of the social environment

• The estimated main social impact from activities
  will be in the 5 kilometer Zone.
• - a homestead is often occupied by an extended
  family (father and married sons) and typically
  consists of a few houses and outbuildings
  surrounded by fruit trees-Males head most
  households.
• -Ethnic minority groups.
• Agriculture (mainly rice production) underpins
  the local economy and is an important source of
  livelihood and income for farm, non-farm and
  landless households.
• Trade, transport and manufacturing are important
  non-farm sources of employment and income.
• Business and trading activities of a
  non-agricultural nature include furniture
  builders, jewellery, factories, bakeries, oil
  mills, brickfields, rice mills and smaller
  cottage industries such as blacksmiths, potters
  and jute work
• There are archaeological sites, NGOs and
  community based organizations (CBOs) that
  participate in a wide range of activities.

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Mine rehabilitation

• -Money is available for rehabilitation works.
• Resettlement optionsA basic principle in the
  planning of the resettlement program is to be
  given affected persons a choice of resettlement
  options, so as to minimize the risks associated
  with involuntary displacement. These options are
  outlined below
• -Resettlement to the new extended Township or
  to designated upazila village relocation sites.
  Residential and business plots will be provided,
  as will infrastructure, services and utilities.
  Resettled households would be able to choose
  between the provision of replacement housing by
  the Project, or
• -Cash compensation for constructing their own
  houses.
• -Establishment of new villages to which
  ethnic minority households from the various
  villages in the mine displacement area can
  relocate.
• Township and village relocation sites.
• The development of the new town and villages will
  be constructed in stages in response to the
  development of the mine and the progressive
  relocation of the villages.

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• Livelihoods, employment and income.-The
  acquisition of land will have substantial impacts
  on the livelihoods and income-generating
  potential of all households and businesses within
  the mine displacement area, both agricultural and
  non-agricultural. Livelihood related impacts that
  may occur include
• i) Fair compensation for the loss of land,
  buildings and other assetsii) An annual
  dividend for certain years to landowners with
  legal title, calculated on the basis of the size
  of their acquired landholdingiii) A one time
  grant for lost incomeiv) Additional assistance
  to re-establish livelihoods (e.g. training).v)
  Enactment of a local recruitment policy to enable
  direct employment for project-affected people
  and v) Establishment of a trust fund for
  community development projects.

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Benefits of a Mine project

• The Mine is required for the following reasons
  -Supports GoB Objectives.-New Local Energy
  Alternative.-New Source of Electricity.-Domestic
  Markets.-Economic Considerations

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The issues to be addressed
1)Technological consideration 2)Safety aspect 3)
Managerial consideration. 4)Social economic
consideration 5) Environmental consideration. 1)Te
chnological consideration The mining method
1.1) Under ground mining 1.2) Open cut
mining 2) Safety aspect 2.1). Safety and
Mitigation measures from the hazards resulting in
development and production activities In
underground Coal mine the trapped methane in the
Coal seam may become explosive if the percentage
explosives are blasting and is diverted to return
roadway. becomes more than 5-16 in presence
of any fire source it explodes. So, methane
concentration is kept below the explosive
mixture.
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• 2.2)Total safety system
• -Self Rescuer
• -Safety boots, Helmets, Mine Lamp etc
• -Safety Training
• 3) Managerial consideration
• 3.1) Efficient Mine operation.
• 3.2 Institute and resettlement management
  resources.
• 3.3) Waste pollution and its utilization
• 3.4) Disposal of solid garbage
• 4) Social economic consideration
• 4.1) Organization Establishment.
• -Social/cultural practices.
• 4.2) Cultural, religion, historical and
  archaeological sites.
• 4.3) Vulnerable groups.
• -Establishment of a Community
  Development Trust Fund
• 5) Environmental consideration.
• 5.1) Treatment of surface subsidence
• 5.2) Ground Greening

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Conclusion

• The open cut mining method a new concept in
  Bangladesh but is a proven technology .The
  underground mining method used extensively having
  rich aquifer with aquiclude.
• The region generally flood free comparative low
  population density underlain by low salinity,
  arsenic free groundwater.
• A large amount of baseline data to be monitored
  through preparation of detailed mine design and
  during the mining operation.The concern
  technically, environmentally, economically and
  socially manageable.
• Establish Worlds best practice management
  systems for reporting to mine management and the
  GoB.

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Recommendations

• We must explore the earth to search for an
  alternative one. For this a coal mine is
  inevitable. If the coal mines are not developed,
  they will remain unutilized, thereby inefficient
  utilization of mineral resources, depriving
  people of a huge employment opportunities,
  pushing the country economically backward.
• However, some remedies against environment
  pollution may be recommended based on study,
  general ideas, norms and practices.
• It may be executed through extensive training,
  comprehensive research as well as educating the
  people up to the level best.
• 1.ESP or other dust collecting equipment
• 2.Some neutralizing gaseous substance to lessen
  the harmful effect of the exploded gas.
• 3.To recharge underground water from the
  surface.

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• 4.Dampers or other acoustic materials may be
  provided
• 5.Tectonic movement and other features should be
  monitored
• 6.Help re-establish some wetland and native
  forests for a biodiversity corridor
• 7. Develop a strategy for improved rural
  livelihood and biodiversity
• 8. Promote womens entrepreneurship
• 9.Provide necessary training for development of
  skills.
• 10.NGOs may be employed for Resettlement.

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Thank You