Student: Maddy Frawley
Graduation date: May 2018
Type: Concentration (single major)
Date approved: October 2017
Go to concentration landing page
Summary
Small Populations, Rich Resources: Hardrock Mining in Rural Areas of the World
At the beginning of my time as an Environmental Studies major, I was really interested in the relationship between food production and watersheds. I proposed my concentration in 2015 titled “Agricultural Runoff Along the Mississippi River,” with a desire to explore this relationship. I intended for this to be the focus of my concentration until I began my independent study. In this course, I wanted to choose a topic that I could research during my study abroad semester in Ecuador. I started to look into topics of water pollution, and found a lot of interesting information on mining in Ecuador. As I delved into the subject, I thought more and more about mining in the United States, and my experience becoming more aware of mining as an issue in Minnesota. My independent study lead me to research in Ecuador after my abroad program ended. With my independent study research in Ecuador already underway, I made the decision to change my concentration to one that reflects what I have been studying for the past year.
Throughout my concentration classes, I will be focused on learning about the role of mining as a provider for many areas of the world. I am interested in mining’s relationship to ecosystems, especially water, as well as its economic, social, and cultural place within rural areas. Mining is defined as a “process of extracting useful minerals from the earth, including the sea,” (Encyclopedia Britannica). Mining can take on many forms, which all have different levels of impact on different parts of the landscape. I plan to focus on hardrock mining, as it has a significant and visible impact on water. Hardrock mining is the extraction of ores from earth’s surface, often through the creation of shafts or rooms below the surface (Robbins). To demonstrate the complexities of mining throughout the world, I have briefly looked at mining in three different countries: Ghana, Ecuador, and the United States.
In Ghana, mining regulations and processes have been changing over the last quarter century. Ghana is a major gold producing country. In the early 2000’s, many large scale mines owned by foreign companies began to emerge. As mining laws evolved to start to favor the large scale mines, illegal mining activity grew. Illegal gold mining has grown so much in the last two decades that Ghana has suspended licenses for many small-scale gold mining companies throughout the country, who are known to violate regulations (Jamasmie 2017). Much of Ghana’s illegal mining has occurred along the Offin River. The violation of these regulations has put stress on the landscape, causing air and water degradation throughout the country, and even blockage on parts of the Offin River. This blockage causes flooding upstream, which has had significant impact the cacao plantations near the river and has caused significant tensions between farmers and miners (Adogla-Bessa 2017). Illegal mining also poses health threats to both the workers and those living near the mines. In July 2017, 17 miners became trapped underground when an illegal mine collapsed in rural Ghana. The Ghanaian government attempted a short search for the miners, where one body was discovered. The site is now being recovered and monitored by the government in attempt to prevent future issues with illegal mines in the area. Mining in Ghana, especially illegally, is extremely complex. Between foreign companies, local government, local miners, and local farmers, the industry is facing a constant struggle to benefit all parties in a safe manner.
Hardrock mining in Ecuador is mainly allocated in the Southern region, specifically near the town of Zaruma. Mining in Zaruma began in the 1500’s when spaniards began searching for gold. When Zaruma gained independence in 1820, mining remained a significant part of the economy and the culture. Zaruma is located along el Rio Amarillo in southern Ecuador. This river is key to the mining industry as the mineral processing plants require a lot of water for the production process. As a result, the mining industry has had a significant impact on the water over the past 500 years of operation (Rios 2015). Much like Ghana, illegal mining in Zaruma has become a major issue. In February 2017, two illegal mining shafts collapsed and formed a large sinkhole in the middle of the town. The Ecuadorian government has struggled to address this issue through policy, as it is difficult to catch illegal mines in the act. Overall, mining in Ecuador is complicated and continues to shift and change as the political climate of Ecuador changes.
Minnesota’s mining situation is a bit different from Ghana and Ecuador. While iron mining has been happening in parts of minnesota for decades, sulfide mining has never occurred. Recently, sulfide mining has been proposed in Northeast Minnesota, just outside of a large area of wilderness called the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The mines have been proposed by two major companies, Twin Metals and Polymet. These companies have made attempts at getting permits for these mines since 2008, and have had trouble getting their Environmental Assessments approved (“Polymet Mine Proposal”). Locals and tourists in this area are concerned about the impacts that copper-nickel mining could have on the BWCA, and many public forums and hearings have been held in the area (Marcotty 2017). There is a constant pull between locals searching for job growth outside the tourist industry, and other locals and tourists wanting to protect the BWCA. Many social and political divides have grown in the last decade, changing the small communities in the area greatly.
Throughout my concentration and the courses I take, I hope to explore the different systems and structures in these three areas, and discover how they compare and contrast. I believe the different political, social, economic, and physical climates in these three areas greatly affect how mining is handled. Resolutions for problems surrounding mining in rural areas could be found through careful examination of these places. I would like to focus on hard rock and sulfide mining, and specifically its relationship to water in rural areas. I hope to better understand the role of mining in the larger economy, as well as the role of rural areas as providers for the world.
Works Cited
Adogla-Bessa, Delali 2017. Dunkwa-On-Offin. “Anti-Galamsey Team Destroys Illegal Mining Equipment.” Ghana News.
Huang, Ganlin. “Mining and Tourism: Comparing Spatial Patterns, Socioeconomic Contributions, and Environmental Impacts in China.” Graduate College Dissertations and Theses, June 24, 2008.
Jamasmie, Cecilia. “Ghana Calls off Search for 17 Trapped Illegal Miners.” MINING.com, July 6, 2017.
Jamasmie, Cecilia. “Illegal Chinese Gold Miners Blamed for Pollution, Violence in Ghana.” MINING.com, May 2, 2017.
Leadbeater, David 2017. “Mining Towns And The New Hinterland Crisis” Canadian Dimension.
Marcotty, Josephine, 2017. “Passions Run High On Both Sides At Duluth Meeting About Mining.” Star Tribune.
“Polymet Mine Proposal” Mining Truth 2017. Mining Truth. Tourism Management 10, no. 4 (December 1, 1989): 315–21.
Rios, Tatiana. “Qué Pasa Con La Minería En Portovelo.” Visita El Oro, December 11, 2015.
Robbins, Paul. “Mining.” Encyclopedia of Environment and Society. Vol. 3. Thousand Oaks, CA:
SAGE Publications, 2007. 1147-1148. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
Slack, Keith. “The Growing Battle between Mining and Agriculture.” The Politics of Poverty, Oxfam. April 17, 2013.
Questions
- Descriptive: What patterns exist in regards to who owns mines in rural areas? How did gold become a symbol of value in the world? What kind of physical and cultural space do the mines take up in rural communities? What are the roles of the major actors involved in mining industries? What legislation exists surrounding water use and mining in each area? What metals are being extracted, and for what uses?
- Explanatory: How did mining become so prominent in rural areas specifically? Who is using these metals? What considerations must be made before mining can enter an area? What processes cause water pollution in these areas?
- Evaluative: What environmental impacts do the mines have on the local ecosystem? Is there an environmental health epidemic associated with mining in the area? What is the economic impact of these mines? Where else is this kind of mining occurring, and does it have a similar impact? When do locals have a platform to state their opinions on mining?
- Instrumental: What kind of technology or legislation exists to mitigate toxic leaching into water from mining systems? What are alternatives to mining systems? Are there areas where mining could be practiced in a safer manner?
Concentration courses
- ENVS 460 (Environmental Law & Policy, 4 credits), fall 2016. Discusses policy surrounding environmental issues to help answer questions about the influence of politics on industry management and water pollution.
- GEO 280 (Fundamentals of Hydrology, 4 credits), spring 2016. Explains the properties of the water cycle and the way things may be carried through a watershed. Helps contextualize the effects of mining runoff.
- SOAN 349 (Indigenous Peoples, 4 credits), fall 2017. Mining has historically displaced and exploited many indigenous communities. This course will help me understand this history.
- ENVS 499 (Independent Study, 4 credits), 2 credits before and after spring 2017. Independent concentration research on industrial mining runoff during my overseas program in Ecuador. Arts and humanities courses
Arts and humanities courses
- HIST 261 (Global Environmental History, 4 credits). Pre-approved A&H course; no justification required.
- PHIL 215 (Philosophy and the Environment, 4 credits). Pre-approved A&H course; no justification required.