Acid Mine Drainage :: science

Acid Mine Drainage For hundreds, even thousands of years, human beings have mined for metals and stones, and with the advent of greater technology as well as greater needs, the demands for these resources continue to grow. While these resources benefit our lives in many ways, the effects of mining can be detrimental, and one such effect is the topic of this essay, acid mine drainage (A.M.D.). The causes of A.M.D. will be discussed, along with some of the physical and biological problems associated with it. Some prevention and remediation treatments will also be considered. Acid mine drainage refers to water (leachate, drainage or seepage) that has come into contact with oxidised rocks or overburden that contains sulphide material (coal, zinc, copper, lead). (Keller, 2000; U.S.G.S.; U.S.E.P.A., 2002). A common sulphide is pyrite, or iron disulfide (FeS2), and throughout this essay it will be pyrite that will be the primary sulphide considered. Acid mine drainage is not a new phenomenon, early mining techniques utilized gravity to avoid water pooling, resulting in the water becoming polluted by acid, iron, sulphur and aluminium (U.S.E.P.A., 2002). It is most commonly associated with coal mining, especially with soft coal, coal that has high sulphur content. The pyrite that is present in coal seams will be accessible after surface mining when the overlying surfaces are removed or in deep mines that allow oxygen access to the previously inaccessible pyrite-containing coal (D.E.P. 1, 1997). After pyrite is exposed to air and water, sulphuric acid and iron h ydroxide are formed, creating an acidic runoff (D.E.P. 1, 1997; 2 2002). When the water comes into contact with the pyrite, the chemical reactions that take place causes the water to increase in pH which will dissolve heavy metals which stay in solution. However, when the pH levels reach a certain stage, the iron can then precipitate out, coating sediments with the characteristic yellow, red or orange colourings (D.E.P. 2, 2002; U.S.G.S.; U.S.E.P.A., 2002). The rate that A.M.D. advances is also influenced by the presence of certain bacteria (Doyle; U.S.G.S). A.M.D that has dissolved heavy metals such as copper, lead and mercury can contaminate ground and surface water. Especially at risk are mines that are located above the water table (Keller, 2000; D.E.P. 2, 2002). The sources of water that get polluted can be surface water that permeates into the mine, shallow ground water flowing through the mine or any water that comes into contact with the waste tailings produced by mines.

Environmental Law in New Zealand

Environmental Law in New Zealand Introduction New Zealand is in an enviable position as it has been able to learn from the mistakes of other nations, however this does not mean disasterous environmental issues cannot arise here. Fortunately New Zealand has well established environmental laws with several legislative statutes and governmental authorities. Following international trends and heightened awareness of environmental issues throughout the years the legislation has become increasingly integrated.Arising from international research and public concern new statutes have also been created the most significant of which is the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). Contributing Factors and Benefits Before the RMA, New Zealand environmental law and its administration was similar to that of many other countries, consisting of an assortment of uncoordinated and overlapping statutes, regulations and practices. The Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act 1941 was the first of such legisla tive statutes centred on use of the land and resources.Social change in the 1960's spurred awareness of environmental issues in New Zealand with events such as the Save Manapouri Campaign (1959-1972) opposing the development of the hydro-electric scheme planned for Lake Manapouri. During this period several statutes were created, the Nature Conservation Council Act 1962 and the Environment Council in 1970 acknowledging that economic interests can often override environmental concerns.The Save Manapori Campaign culminated in 1972 with a change of government, the newly elected Labour Government set about fulfilling it's election promise of environmental reform creating the Commision for the Environment. The agency later became the Office of the Parliamentary Commisioner for the Environment after the creation of the Environment Act 1986 establishing the Ministry for the Environment. The Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Conservation and Fish and Game were formed shortly after with the implementation of the Conservation Act 1987.In January 1988, Deputy Prime Minister Geoffrey announced a comprehensive review of the many environment and resource acts in place, as well as the procedures for assessing environmental effects. This Resource Mangagement Law Review (RMLR) was established to address concerns by environmentalists and Maori who both believed the public lacked access to information and the government had too much power.Along with inadequate protection of resources and little attention to Maori and environmental values in economic decisions. The review was managed by the Ministry for the Environment encompassing Maori ideas of stewardship and sustainability it focused on existing New Zealand resource law and public reaction to deficiencies within those laws. The RMLR was drafted and the subsequent Resource Management Bill was put before parliament but not passed into law before the 1990 general election.The victorious National Party decided to contin ue the process of resource management reform. Minister for the Environment Simon Upton reviewed the bill and to the surprise of many made it greener, changing the bill from its original objective of balancing economics and environment to constraining economical objectives to suit the environment, embracing the approach of sustainable management.Upton addressed parliament on his re-written RMA stating that its purpose was not one of contolling and planning economic activity but one of sustaining, rectifying and mitigating the effects on the use of natural resources. The bill was passed in 1991 and has become the preeminant legislation concerning the management of the environment in New Zealand replacing 69 Acts and 19 regulations, it describes sustainable management as: (1) The purpose of this Act is to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources. 2) In this Act, sustainable management means managing the use, development, and protection of natural and physica l resources in a way, or at a rate, which enables people and communities to provide for their social, economic, and cultural well-being and for their health and safety while— (a) sustaining the potential of natural and physical resources (excluding minerals) to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of future generations; and (b) safeguarding the life-supporting capacity of air, water, soil, and ecosystems; and (c) avoiding, remedying, or mitigating any adverse effects of activities on the environment. Ministry for the Environment, 2011). 2011 has also seen a further addition to the RMA and environmental law in New Zealand with the implementation of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). The EPA will perform tasks once performed by the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Environmental Risk Management Authority. International Influences The 1970's was a time of increased international conce rn for the environment, this spawned the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972.Representatives from 113 countries met for the first time to discuss the state of the global environment. The conference culminated with the signing of a declaration containing 26 principles concerning the environment and development, an action plan with 109 recommendations, and a resolution (Baylis ; Smith, 2005). This action is widely seen as the beginning of modern political and public awareness of global environmental issues, paving the way for further international collaborations such as the Kyoto Protocol of which New Zealand is a signatory and the World Commission on Environment and Development .The Brundtland Commision previously known as the World Commission on Environment and Development is perhaps the biggest international influence on the creation of the RMA, convened by the United Nations in 1983 the commision focused on the degredation of the environment and natura l resources and the resulting consequences. In 1987 the commision released a report on the matter, titled Our Common Future the report centres on the concept of sustainable development and the political changes required to achieve it.New Zealand's response to the report was that of agreeance, a report consisting of a step-by-step response to 12 areas of concern highlighted by the Commission was submitted to the United Nations General Assembly (McChesney, 1991). The Newly formed Ministry for the Environment was tasked with following up the Brundtland Report which it did by means of RMLR resulting in the RMA in 1991. Role of the RMA in New Zealand The RMA is built on the idea of sustainable resource management, it encourages communities and individuals to become involved in planning for the future environment.The RMA provides the guidelines for how the environment should be managed especially how the environmental effects of our activities should be managed. In accordance with the RMA , regional and district councils are to monitor activities, and respond to complaints about those activities that the public believe are negatively affecting the environment. It is important to realise that the RMA is largely effects based, if the applicant can prove that the effects of the development on the environment are unproblematic, then they may be allowed to continue.The RMA however has not absolved the Conservation Act 1987 and the Environment Act 1986, the authorities created by these Acts such as Fish and Game and the Department of Conservation also play an active part in supporting or appealing resource consents. Any proposed plans to use or develop natural resources that are not permitted by the rules of the RMA require the authorisation of a resource consent from the local council.Five different consents types exist, defined by the RMA as: (a) a consent to do something that otherwise would contravene section 9 or section 13 (in this Act called a land use consent): (b) a consent to do something that otherwise would contravene section 11 (in this Act called a subdivision consent): (c) a consent to do something in a coastal marine area that otherwise would contravene any of sections 12, 14, 15, 15A, and 15B (in this Act called a coastal permit): (d) a consent to do something (other than in a coastal marine area) that otherwise would contravene section 14 (in this Act called a water permit): (e) a consent to do something (other than in a coastal marine area) that otherwise would contravene section 15 (in this Act called a discharge permit). (Ministry for the Environment, 2011). An application must be submitted to the local council containing a description of the planned activity along with an assessment of the effects on the environment. If the activity is not prohibited by the local and regional plan the resource consent will be processed and the application may be publicly notified (not all are publicly notified) whereby anyone can make a submissi on on the application.Organisations such as the Department of Conservation, Fish and Game and Forest and Bird have become key proponents of the submission process, opposing consents that harm flora and fauna. After receipt of all information required from the applicant and subsequent public submissions and public hearings the decision is made. Anyone who has made a submission and is dissatisfied with the outcome can appeal to the Environment Court. The resource consent process (Ministry for the Environment, 2009) The Environment Court previously know as the Planning Tribunal came to fruition in 1996 after ammendments to the RMA (Environment Court, 2007), among other things the court arbitrates RMA appeals.The court hears appeals on resource consent decisions, however it does not review the decision made by local authorities instead it hears any evidence it requires and makes its own decision overriding or upholding the original decision. The court does not belong to the regular New Zealand judicial hierarchy (District, Supreme, High Court) although it carries the powers of a District Court allowing it to enforce the RMA and conduct criminal or civil proceedings. Conclusion Environmental Law in New Zealand has been significantly overhauled throughout the years from barely existent to now having three key pieces of legislation enabling conservation and sustainable management.The RMA is a hugely important perhaps revolutionary piece of legislation, largely focused on the issue of sustainable management, a relatively new concept at the time. Unlike previous legislative statutes the RMA ambitiously incorporates management of the land, air, sea and fresh water into a single piece of legislation. It has effectively decentralised the governments power on the use of natural resources. Local and district authorities now make the decisions themselves following the principle that the decisions should be made closest to the resources affected.References Baylis, J. , & Smit h, S. (2005). The Globalization of World Politics (3rd ed). Oxford University Press, p. 454-455. Environment Court of New Zealand (2007). Environment Court. Retrieved from http://www. justice. govt. nz/courts/environment-court McChesney , I (1991). The Brundtland Report and sustainable development in New Zealand . Centre for Resource Management Lincoln University and University of Canterbury , p. 22. Ministry for the Environment (2009). An Everyday Guide to the Resource Management Act Series 2. 1: Applying for a Resource Consent. Retrieved from http://www. mfe. govt. nz/publications/rma/everyday/consent-apply/ Ministry for the Environment (2011). New Zealand Legislation: Acts. Retrieved from http://www. legislation. govt. nz/act/public/1991/0069/latest/DLM230265. html

Frederick Douglass A Very Inspirational Person - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 910 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/05/29 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Frederick Douglass Essay Did you like this example? Who was Frederick Douglass and why is he so important you may ask? Well, Frederick Douglass was a African American slave who escaped slavery using a sailorrs uniform and fake identification papers. He had made two previous failed attempts when he was in his teenage years. When he escaped, he wrote an autobiography called the Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass. Frederickrs early life, adulthood, and education, and literary impact helped to influence and change American literature forever. He was born February 14 of 1818. His mother had a hard time during her pregnancy with Frederick Douglass. When he was born his mother became a slave. It was hard to raise and take care of a child to make sure the child is healthy while being a slave. His mother died when he was only ten years old and growing up as a son of a mother who was a slave was difficult. He was sent later after his motherrs death to serve a family named The Auld Family that lived in Baltimore. The family that he was sent to had a wife who was willing to teach him the alphabet. He soon slowly started learning how to read and write. Mr. Auld was not very pleased when he found out that she was teaching Douglass. He forbid her from teaching him anymore. Although it wasnt a long time that Douglass was being taught to read and write, he was grateful for the time that she took out of her day to teach him the most that she could. Douglass was a smart kid, he slowly soon taught himself how to read and write li ke any other white kids who went to school to learn. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Frederick Douglass: A Very Inspirational Person" essay for you Create order During Fredericks adulthood he had met a wonderful woman named Anna Murray who soon changed his life. Anna had helped him escape slavery at the age of twenty. Frederick Douglass had a huge hatred for slavery, he had thought that slavery was not right. It was unfair the way colored woman, men and children were treated just because they were of color. He decided that he was not going to live in a world where people were owned and beaten daily. After his escape, he wrote a book that had talked about his life. He had written the book to notify everyone what he went through and for them to know that slavery is not right. Education and self-improvement were two things that became really important to him. He had said Slavery and Education are two completely different things. His education is what had given him his strength to write his autobiography. His autobiography, that he had written, had soon helped him become free. His book moved everyones hearts, he made it clear that slavery was not something to be proud of and that slavery is something to be ashamed of. There are people who are different from others, but, it does not mean people should be treated differently than others. He had fought and spoke up for people who could not speak up for themselves. Frederick was a kind hearted, courageous, strong and smart African American man. Who was the man that influenced Frederick Douglass you ask? Well, he met a man named William Lloyd Garrison. Garrison was a man who had influenced Douglass to become a speaker and a leader in the abolitionist movement. Although Garrison had impressed Douglass, Douglass himself had impressed Garrison. Garrison had mentioned Douglass in the Liberator. For days on after douglass had given speeches at the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Societyrs annual convention in Nantucket. Soon later on the arguments between Garrison and Douglassrs beliefs had set a big dispute between them. Frederick put aside all disputes and had decided to continue his active involvement to better the lives of African Americans. Despite all of the apprehensions that might put his freedom in jeopardy, he published his autobiography. His autobiography was called, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, written by Himself. Frederick always tried to help people who were enslaved. He gave speeches, and wrote a book so he could make a difference to change peoples minds on slavery. He had goals to abolish slavery in all its forms and aspects. He gave lectures on the subject of freedom. He had many thoughts and opinions on slavery. Being a slave did not stop Douglass from helping others, and he pushed himself to make the world a better place. Douglass was nervous and shy but he soon went on to become a great public speaker. Frederick grew up to become a leader in the abolitionist movement and had tried to remove slavery from the world. Over all, Douglass was a very inspirational person. He tried to help us understand about what he had gone through and how slavery impacted him. He made us notice that slavery was not right and that slavery should never be a thing. He made sure that everybody knew that everyone is equal even if someone is colored or not. Frederick Douglass wrote a quote and it speaks a lot. Once you learn how to read, you will forever be free. Douglass is saying that when you learn how to read, you can speak your opinions out loud. Inspire others to speak up and inspire others to help make the world better than it already is. Everyones opinions matter and everyone has a say in everything, even if there really is no conclusion to the situation.