Strategic Environmental Assessment of Mining Activities: A Methodology for Quantification of Cumulative Impacts on the Air Quality

Figures & data

Figure 1. Mining activity areas and areas indicated for environmental conservation.16

Figure 2. Topography of the study area.

Table 1. Current and forecasted ore production in the Corumbá region

Mining Companies in Respective Areas	Scenario 1 Current Extraction (Mt/yr)	Scenario 2 Projected Extraction (Mt/yr) 2020
1	0.88	1.08
2	1.57	2.38
3	2.50	7.43
4	0.36	1.44
5	3.00	22.4
Total	8.31	34.73

Figure 3. Wind rose in rainy season.

Figure 4. Wind rose in dry season.

Table 2. Primary and special methods for analyzing cumulative effects.20

Primary Methods	Description
Questionaires, interviews, and panels	They are useful for gathering the wide range of information on multiple actions and resources needed to address cumulative effects.
Checklists	Checklists help identify potential cumulative effects by providing a list of common or likely effects and juxtaposing multiple actions and resources.
Matrices	Matrices use the familiar tabular format to organize and quantify the interactions between human activities and resources of concern.
Networks and system diagrams	It is an excellent method for delineating the cause-and-effect relationships resulting in cumulative effects.
Modeling	It is a powerful technique for quantifying the cause-and-effect relationships leading to cumulative effects.
Trends analysis	This method assesses the status of a resource, ecosystem, and human community over time and usually results in a graphical projection of past or future conditions.
Overlay mapping and geographical information systems	They incorporate locational information into cumulative effects analysis and help set the boundaries of the analysis, analyze landscape parameters, and identify areas where effects will be the greatest.
Carrying capacity analysis	It identifies thresholds (as constraints on development) and provides mechanisms to monitor the incremental use of unused capacity.
Ecosystem analysis	Ecosystem analysis explicitly addresses biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability. The ecosystem approach uses natural boundaries and applies new ecological indicators.
Economic impact analysis	It is an important component of analyzing cumulative effects because the economic well being of a local community depends on many different actions. The main steps in this analysis are (1) establishing the region of influence, (2) modeling the economic impacts, and (3) determining the significance of the impacts.
Social impact analysis	It addresses cumulative effects related to the sustainability of human communities.

Table 3. Ore extraction scenarios: Production and emission of PM

	Scenario C1		Scenario C2
Mining Companies/Areas	Extraction (Mt/year)	Particulate Emissions (thousand t/yr) ^a	Extraction (Mt/yr)	Particulate Emissions (thousand t/yr) ^a
1	1.08	1.098	1.08	1.098
2	2.38	3.618	2.38	3.618
3	4.10	3.854	7.43	7.059
4	0.36	0.472	1.44	1.889
5	4.48	5.402	22.39	22.054
Total	12.40	14.444	34.72	35.718
Notes:
^aCalculations based on EPA AP-42 emission factors.22

Table 4. Company 1 (area 1)—emission inventory.13

	Emission Factor ^a	Unit	Observation	Scenario C1	Scenario C2
Mining loading truck	0.0117 kg/t ^b	t/yr	PM	12.6	12.6
Raw material transfer	3.9 kg/vehicle km traveled	t/yr	1.5 km	166.3	166.3
			38 t/vehicle
Total mine beneficiation	—	t/yr	—	178.9	178.9
		kg/hr	6.240 hr/yr	28.7	28.7
Primary crushing	0.105 kg/t ^c	t/yr	100% ROM ^d	113.4	113.4
Secondary crushing	0.315 kg/t ^c	t/yr	50% ROM ^d	170.1	170.1
Material handling, transfer, and storage	0.0327 kg/t	t/yr	—	17.6	17.6
Material handling and transfer to storage piles for sinter feed	0.0337 kg/t	t/yr	30% granulated	5.5	5.5
Loading truck	0.0117 kg/t	t/yr	—	6.3	6.3
Total beneficiation	—	t/yr	—	312.9	312.9
		kg/hr	6.240 hr/yr	50.1	50.1
Waste barrage disposal expedition	—	—	—	539,687	539,687
Transfer and storage to railway	3.9 kg/vehicle km traveled	t/yr	8 km	490	490
		vehicles/yr	28 t/vehicle	15,714	15,714
Transfer to steel plant	3.9 kg/vehicle km traveled	t/yr	8 km	111	111
		vehicles/yr	28 t/vehicle	3,572	3,572
Loading train	0.0117 kg/t	t/yr	PM	5.2	5.2
Total expedition	—	t/yr	—	606.2	606.2
		kg/hr	20 min/travel	94 kg/travel	94 kg/travel
Notes: ^aEmission factors AP-42, Vol. I Cap. 11/1322. ^bNone, explosive operation with humidification. ^cIntermediate value ranging from low to high humidity, including transfer and screening. ^dRaw ore mining.

Table 5. Company 2 (area 2)—emission inventory.13

	Emission Factor ^a	Unit	Observation	Scenario C1	Scenario C2
Mining loading truck	0.0117 kg/t ^b	t/yr	PM	28	28
Raw material transfer	3.9 kg/vehicle/km	t/yr	3.0 km 38 t/vehicle	928	928
Total mine beneficiation	—	t/yr	—	956	631
		kg/hr	6.240 hr/yr	153	153
Primary crushing	0.105 kg/t ^c	t/yr	66% ROM ^e	165	165
Material handling, transfer, and storage	0.0327 kg/t	t/yr	—	49	49
Material handling and transfer to storage piles for sinter feed	0.0337 kg/t	t/yr	30% granulated	14	14
Loading truck	0.0117 kg/t	t/yr	—	14.9	14.9
Total beneficiation	—	t/yr	—	221.6	221.6
		kg/hr	6.240 hr/yr	35.5	35.5
Waste barrage disposal	—	—	—	461,460	461,460
Transfer to port ^d	3.90/0.22 kg/vehicle km traveled	t/yr	11/25 km	2.392 + 352	2.392 + 352
		vehicles/yr	28 t/vehicle	57,150	57,150
Discharge at the port	0.0117 kg/t	t/yr	PM	21	21
Total expedition	—	T/yr	—	2.765	2.765
		kg/vehicle	60 min/travel	315 kg/travel	315 kg/travel
Notes: ^aEmission factors AP-42, Vol. I, Cap. 11/1322. ^bNone, explosive operation with humidification. ^cIntermediate value ranging from low to high humidity, including transfer and screening. ^dEleven km unpaved road and 25 km paved road. ^eRaw ore mining.

Table 6. Company 3 (area 3)—emission inventory.13

	Emission Factor ^a	Unit	Observation	Scenario C1	Scenario C2
Mining loading truck	0.0117 kg/t ^b	t/yr	PM	48	39
Raw material transfer	3.9 kg/vehicle km traveled	t/yr	3.0 km 30 t/vehicle	1,600	1,300
Total mine beneficiation	—	t/yr	—	1,648	1,300
		kg/hr	6.240 hr/yr	264	215
Primary crushing	0.105 kg/t ^c	t/yr	100% ROM ^f	431	350
Secondary crushing	0.315	t/yr	—	1,150	1,050
Material handling, transfer, and storage	0.0327 kg/t	t/yr	—	74	60
Material handling and transfer to storage piles for sinter feed	0.0337 kg/t	t/yr	—	14	14
Loading truck	0.0117 kg/t	t/yr	—	31	26
Total beneficiation	—	t/yr	—	1,720	1,500
		kg/hr	6.240 hr/yr	276	240
Waste barrage disposal expedition	—	—	—	1,832,830	1,502,440
Transfer to port	0.22 kg/vehicle km traveled ^d	t/yr	25 km	471	340
		vehicles/yr	30 t/vehicle	69,000	73,300
Discharge at the port	0.0117 kg/t	t/yr	PM	14.9	26
Total expedition	—	t/yr	—	485.9	366
		kg/vehicle	90 min/travel	10 kg/travel	0
Transfer to steel plant	3.9 ^e	t/yr	6 km	468	780
	kg/vehicle km traveled	vehicles/yr	30 t/vehicle	20,000	20,000
	—	kg/vehicle	30 min/travel	46.8	70
Notes: ^aEmission factors AP-42, Vol. I, Cap. 1122. ^bNone, explosive operation with humidification. ^cIntermediate value ranging from low to high humidity, including transfer and screening. ^dPaved road. ^eUnpaved road. ^fRaw ore mining.

Table 7. Company 4 (area 4)—emission inventory.13

	Emission Factor ^a	Unit	Observation	Scenario C1	Scenario C2
Mining loading truck	0.0117 kg/t ^b	t/yr	PM	4	17
Raw material transfer	3.9 kg/vehicle km traveled	t/yr	3.0 km	75	300
			30 t/vehicle
Total mine beneficiation	—	t/yr		79	317
		kg/hr	6.240 hr/yr	13	52
Primary crushing	0.105 kg/t ^c	t/yr	100% ROM ^e	38	151
Material handling, transfer, and storage	0.0327 kg/t	t/yr	—	6	24
Loading truck	0.0117 kg/t	t/yr	—	7	26
Total beneficiation	—	t/yr	—	51	204
		kg/hr	6.240 hr/yr	8	32
Waste barrage disposal expedition	—	—	—	180,100	720,400
Transfer and storage to railway	3.9 kg/vehicle km traveled ^d	t/yr	12 km	300	1,200
		vehicles/yr	30 t/vehicle	6,000	24,000
Discharge	0.0117 kg/t	t/yr	PM	21	84
Loading train	0.0117 kg/t	t/yr	PM	21	84
Total expedition	—	t/yr	—	342	1,368
		kg/vehicle	60 min/travel	57 kg/travel	57 kg/travel
Notes: ^aEmission factors AP-42, Vol. I, Cap. 1122. ^bNone, explosive operation with humidification. ^cIntermediate value ranging from low to high humidity, including transfer and screening. ^dUnpaved road. ^eRaw ore mining.

Table 8. Company 5 (area 5)—emission inventory.13

	Emission Factor ^a	Unit	Observation	Scenario C1	Scenario C2
Mining loading truck	0.0117 kg/t ^b	t/yr	PM	52	262
Raw material transfer	3.9 kg/vehicle km traveled	t/yr	1.5 km 38 t/vehicle	935	4,678
Total mine beneficiation	—	t/yr	—	987	7,340
		kg/hr	6.240 hr/yr	159	1,183
Primary crushing	0.155 kg/t ^c	t/yr	100% ROM ^e	694	3,475
Secondary crushing	0.255	t/yr	—	335	1,673
Material handling, transfer, and low-humidity storage piles	0.06 kg/t	t/yr	2 transfers	537.3	2686.6
Material handling, transfer, and high-humidity storage piles	0.005 kg/t	t/yr	12 transfers	217.1	1085.4
Loading truck	0.0117 kg/t	t/yr	—	35.1	175.5
Total beneficiation waste	—	t/yr	—	1,821.4	9,105.3
		kg/hr	6.240 hr/yr	293	1,465
Slime	—	—	Basin	729,850.7	3,649,254
Washing fines	—	—	Hole	129,850.7	649,253.7
Expedition transfer and storage	0.22 ^d	t/yr	14 km	2,559	656 ^b
	kg/vehicle km traveled	vehicles/yr	64 t/vehicle	42,511	42,511
Loading train	0.0117 kg/t	t/yr	—	35	175
Transfer to steel plant	0.22 kg/vehicle km traveled ^d	—	—	—	4,777
Discharge in steel plant	0.0117 kg/t	t/yr	PM	—	14.9
Total expedition	—	t/yr	—	2,594	5,609
Notes: ^aEmission factors AP-42, Vol. I, Cap. 1122. ^bNone, explosive operation with humidification. ^cIntermediate value ranging from low to high humidity, including transfer and screening. ^dPaved road. ^eRaw ore mining.

Figure 5. Average concentration TSP in scenario 1 (μg/m³).

Figure 6. Average concentration of TSP in scenario 2 (μg/m³).

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