Introduction

A Closer Look: The Elk Valley

• Concerns Facing the Mining Industry

Taking Care of the Environment: Greenhills

Air Quality Control

Water Quality and Drainage Control

Testing Water Quality

Reclamation of Post-Mining Areas

Why Do Research?

Conclusion

Air Quality Control

Greenhills does many things to help control dust levels at the mine. The coal must travel in a closed conveyor when it is taken to the plant and the dryer. The mine also makes sure that when coal is loaded onto trains it is sprayed with a special coating. This coating makes a protective crust on top of the coal which stops coal dust from blowing into the air on the long trip to the port near Vancouver.³

"Applying protective layer of latex, or flocculent, to coal trains"

Imagine that Greenhills wants to mine a new section of land, or build a dump area for waste rock. First, they need to make sure that their construction does not create too much dust for nearby towns like Elkford which is only 6 km away. To do this they would monitor the wind speed and direction, as well as the amount of dustfall in the air. This helps them to know what they need to do to control the dust so that strong wind currents do not carry it off the mine site.

"Closed conveyor at Greenhills from plant to dryer"

It is up to the environmental technicians to make sure that all of the roads are sprayed with water to keep the dust down. To do this job they have giant watering trucks, the same size as the coal-haul trucks. Technicians also have to make sure that the main roads to the mine office, washplant and dryer are sprayed with an environmentally friendly dust suppressant/asphalt coating.

These jobs need to be done regularly so that the air stays clean for Greenhills employees, wildlife and nearby towns.

There are two types of dust:

Dustfall
Dustfall particles are bigger than 10 micrometers in diameter. Dustfall is made from dust that blows off the ground and roads and isn’t that much of a health concern. Because the particles are so big, it doesn't take them very long to fall out of the air.

Suspended particulate matter
Suspended particles may vary between 0 and 10 micrometers in diameter and may come from coal dust, pollen, slash burns or fine road dust. Because these particles are much smaller and lighter, they float in the air for a much longer time. These are the types of particles that can travel farther distances and and might trouble nearby towns. Suspended particulate matter less than 5 micrometers in size may present a health concern. These particles are small enough to breathe into your lungs and can be irritating, especially if you have breathing problems.

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