A Conceptual Framework to Evaluate the Environmental Sustainability Performance of Mining Industrial Facilities

Abstract

The aim of this study is to strengthen the capacity of mining industries to assess and improve their environmental sustainability performance through the introduction of a relevant framework. Specific assessment categories and respective indicators were selected according to predefined steps. Sustainability threshold values were identified for each indicator to enable the comparison of the facility’s performance with a sustainability reference value. The application of the framework results in the extraction of an Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Mining Industries Index (IESAMI). The framework was applied to evaluate a mining facility in Greece, with a view to improve its applicability in parallel. The final score of environmental sustainability for the examined facility was 3.0 points (IESAMI = 3.0 points), indicating significant room for improvement where the company should aim to further enhance its sustainability performance.

Assessment of Characteristics of Acid Mine Drainage Treated with Fly Ash

“…Mining activities exert an inherently high impact on the environment, and as such a common framework for responsible mining is urgently needed [1]. Among the various pollution sources related to mining activities, acid mine drainage (AMD) is created in areas that have previously been mined and that contain pyritic materials in spoil piles or mine shafts; iron pyrite in the tailings chemically reacts with oxygen and water, facilitated by the Thiobacillus sp.…”

An Approach to Sustainability Risk Assessment in Industrial Assets

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