Unbridled coal extraction and concerns for livelihood: evidences from Odisha, India

Assessing environmental health impacts of coal mining exploitation in Iran: A Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) approach for environmental protection

Environmental Impact Assessment is the process of evaluating the effects caused by a project on the environment. The outcomes generated by this assessment can lead to a reduction of the negative effects and an increase in the positive effects caused by mine projects. The present study was conducted to evaluate the environmental impact assessment of the Goliran Coal Mine in northern Iran. In the descriptive-analytical study, to achieve the objectives, observatory surveys were conducted around the coal mine using a checklist, which was about the positive and negative effects of a coal mine. Then the data were entered into the RIAM and the positive and negative effects were ranked and the most important effects were determined. In RIAM, one point is assigned to each component. 17 important activities for environmental impacts were identified using a checklist. Among the activities carried out at the coal mine site, the major ones included tunnel excavation, construction of the rail line collection and disposal of coal mine effluent, coal transportation, collection and disposal of mine tailings, and technical defects and leakage. The scores of each environmental factor were based on the four environmental components: physical/chemical, biological/ecological, social/cultural, and economic/operational. The results of the present study showed that the most negatively affected environmental components are the physical/chemical components derived from three activities; the construction of the underground tunnel; the construction of a coal transport rail line; and the actual transportation of coal extracts. The scores of each environmental factor based on the four components at the Goliran coal mine in northern Iran indicate that the highest negative score was -64, corresponding to the physical/chemical component, and was assigned to air pollution. On the other hand, the highest positive score corresponds to the economic/operational component with +54, assigned to the income that employees earn from the mine. Overall results showed that the coal mine in northern Iran had negative effects on the environment but the effects were not severe. It is suggested that for future research, corrective measures should be taken in the form of an environmental management plan to reduce the negative effects caused by coal mining, and then prospective research should be done to check the extent of reducing the negative effects.

Coal Mines in Vietnam: Geological Conditions and Their Influence on Production Sustainability Indicators

The high growth rate that the Vietnamese economy has been demonstrating in recent years largely depends on the use of the country’s fossil fuel reserves, which form the foundation of its fuel and energy sector. The country will have to rely on coal as one of the key energy sources for a long time in order to meet its energy needs. Since coal has been mined in Vietnam for a long time, the country is now facing such challenges as the depletion of readily available reserves and an increase in the share of coal mined underground in difficult geological conditions. These circumstances may affect the sustainability of the coal industry as a whole. The purpose of the study is to develop a method for analyzing the influence of geological conditions on production sustainability indicators at coal mines operated by Vinacomin, a state-owned corporation. Research methods include substantiating and choosing objects and indicators reflecting production sustainability at coal mines, formalizing the qualitative characteristics of geological conditions, and revealing the relationship between the complexity of geological conditions and production sustainability indicators. As a result of the analysis, the most problematic mines and their operations were identified. They should be given priority attention when developing measures and corporate programs aimed at fostering the sustainability of coal mines. The results of the study provide new knowledge on the coal industry in Vietnam and help to develop methods for assessing corporate sustainability.