Title: Evaluating the level and nature of sustainable development of a mining operation: a new approach using the ideas of coupled environment–human systems

Authors: Jason Phillips

Addresses: Department of Geography (Streatham Campus) and Camborne School of Mines (Cornwall Campus), University of Exeter, c/o Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK

Abstract: Sustainable mining is a key goal of the mining industry in order to address the associated impacts of mining. However, there have been challenges in implementing often confused and conflicting anthropocentric definitions of sustainable development. Consequently, this paper presents the application of a mathematical model of sustainable development to a quantitatively-based Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a mining operation in India. The results indicated the proposed project with an Environmental Management Plan achieved a SEc-value of 0.423, compared to the baseline SEc-value of 0.425. These scores indicated weak ecological sustainable development.

Keywords: sustainable development; sustainability science; EIA; environmental impact assessment; BEES; Battelle environmental evaluation system; sustainable mining; India; mining impacts; mathematical modelling; environmental management; environmental planning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMME.2010.037625

International Journal of Mining and Mineral Engineering, 2010 Vol.2 No.3, pp.215 - 238

Published online: 20 Dec 2010 *

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