The contact of this waste material with air and water results in acid mine drainage (AMD), which can be detrimental to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Intense rains contribute to the seepage of waste deposits into the groundwater supply, generating and carrying the acid drainage from abandoned mines into the nearby rivers and streams.
Seriously polluted sites may be environmentally hazardous despite the natural capacity of soils to reduce the solubility and bioavailability of toxic metals.
Organisms that feed off of these elements as well as terrestrial animals that are higher up in the food chain may accumulate toxic levels in their tissues.
This, combined with improper waste disposal, increased erosion and instability of river and stream slopes, and the opening of caves, is responsible for soil degradation.
[9][10] Improper management of chemicals used in the mining process has led to incidents of spontaneous combustion leading to air pollution.
Coal fires emit toxic levels of arsenic, fluorine, mercury, and selenium, which enter the local food chain via contamination of the air and water supplies.
High concentrations of various trace elements like copper, uranium, nickel, and arsenic have been found in local water supplies, which could lead to serious health effects for people in the area.
The extraction of the coal through the pillar method often results in mine collapses, which are responsible for the deaths and injuries of hundreds of workers every year.
[2] The Brazilian government has historically implemented legislation to address the environmental concerns related to coal mining activities.
[14] Legal framework also exists to pressure companies to assume responsibility for the environmental impacts of coal industry activities.
The National Environmental Act of 1981 allowed for the creation of several government organizations in charge of evaluating the impact of practices potentially harmful to the environment and local communities.
As of 1988, the Brazilian Constitution has obliged mining companies “to reclaim the degraded environment, in accordance with the technical solution demanded by the competent public organization” by repairing environmental damages caused by their activity.
A technical advisory board was created in 2006 to assist the federal court in addressing reclamation actions based on environmental indicators.
[10][14] Coal mining's environmental and social impacts highlight the need for responsible practices and ongoing research into more sustainable alternatives.
Better working conditions, more proficient production, a healthier environment, an increased market value, a strong global reputation, and appreciation on behalf of the affected communities have all resulted from the company's actions.
[2] Reclamation projects on behalf of joint efforts between the government and mining companies have included surface and groundwater analyses and geological, hydrogeological, and structural mapping.
[10] The diversification of local economies to include non-coal related industries such as ceramics and agriculture has proven successful in regions like the Araranguá watershed.
Improved mitigation procedures like confinement, dry covers, and vegetation have been found to significantly reduce the amount of pollution released from these sites.
The improvement of drainage system quality through this procedure can also significantly reduce the cost of purification treatment prior to discharge into the receiving catchment zones.
Developing grassland areas and constructing ponds could help stimulate other forms of local economic ability like cattle raising and fishing.
Given the extreme degradation caused by mining activities and the tremendous costs of reclaiming affected land and water areas, these measures face challenges in their successful implementation.