Technological innovation and engineering practice of damage reduction mining and ecosystem restoration in open-pit coal mine

Abstract Non-technical summary To address the issues of declining groundwater levels and the degradation of soil ecological functions caused by open-pit coal mining in China. Based on theoretical analysis, laboratory experiments, on-site monitoring, mathematical modeling, and other means, the concep...

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Main Authors: Quansheng Li, Xiaobin Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2024-01-01
Series:Global Sustainability
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059479824000462/type/journal_article
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author Quansheng Li
Xiaobin Li
author_facet Quansheng Li
Xiaobin Li
author_sort Quansheng Li
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Non-technical summary To address the issues of declining groundwater levels and the degradation of soil ecological functions caused by open-pit coal mining in China. Based on theoretical analysis, laboratory experiments, on-site monitoring, mathematical modeling, and other means, the concept of coal ecological protection mining of ‘damage reduction mining, three-dimensional protection, systematic restoration’ is proposed. The mining concept has achieved remarkable ecological restoration effects, leading the scientific and technological progress of safe, efficient and green mining in open-pit coal mines. Technical summary The mechanism of damage propagation among ‘rock-soil-water’ ecological elements in open-pit coal mining was revealed. Adopting comprehensive damage-reducing mining technology throughout the entire stripping process, mining and drainage, shengli open-pit coal mine has doubled its production capacity, and reduced the land excavation and damage by 60 mu/year, reduced the mining area by 1,128 mu, and raised the groundwater level by 2.6–6 m, and the ecological restoration of the drainage field was advanced by more than 1 year. Adopting the three-dimensional water storage technology involves underground reservoirs, aquifer reconstruction, and near-surface distributed water storage units, baorixile open-pit mine has built the world's first open-pit underground water reservoir, with a water storage capacity of 1.22 million m3, and the speed of groundwater level restoration has been increased by more than 70%. By adopting the systematic restoration technology of geomorphology-soil-vegetation in the discharge site, the soil water content in the demonstration area has been increased by 52%, the survival rate of plants has been increased by 34%, and the vegetation coverage has been increased by more than 40%. Social media summary Damage-reducing mining and systematic ecological restoration in open-pit coal mining are essential for the safe, efficient and green development of coal.
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spelling doaj-art-b10edb20cb3d4fe79d45f2856c87a5f72025-08-20T02:51:28ZengCambridge University PressGlobal Sustainability2059-47982024-01-01710.1017/sus.2024.46Technological innovation and engineering practice of damage reduction mining and ecosystem restoration in open-pit coal mineQuansheng Li0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8178-2491Xiaobin Li1State Key Laboratory of Water Resource Protection and Utilization in Coal Mining, Beijing, China National Institute of Low Carbon and Clean Energy, Beijing, China National Energy Investment Group Co., Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Water Resource Protection and Utilization in Coal Mining, Beijing, China National Institute of Low Carbon and Clean Energy, Beijing, ChinaAbstract Non-technical summary To address the issues of declining groundwater levels and the degradation of soil ecological functions caused by open-pit coal mining in China. Based on theoretical analysis, laboratory experiments, on-site monitoring, mathematical modeling, and other means, the concept of coal ecological protection mining of ‘damage reduction mining, three-dimensional protection, systematic restoration’ is proposed. The mining concept has achieved remarkable ecological restoration effects, leading the scientific and technological progress of safe, efficient and green mining in open-pit coal mines. Technical summary The mechanism of damage propagation among ‘rock-soil-water’ ecological elements in open-pit coal mining was revealed. Adopting comprehensive damage-reducing mining technology throughout the entire stripping process, mining and drainage, shengli open-pit coal mine has doubled its production capacity, and reduced the land excavation and damage by 60 mu/year, reduced the mining area by 1,128 mu, and raised the groundwater level by 2.6–6 m, and the ecological restoration of the drainage field was advanced by more than 1 year. Adopting the three-dimensional water storage technology involves underground reservoirs, aquifer reconstruction, and near-surface distributed water storage units, baorixile open-pit mine has built the world's first open-pit underground water reservoir, with a water storage capacity of 1.22 million m3, and the speed of groundwater level restoration has been increased by more than 70%. By adopting the systematic restoration technology of geomorphology-soil-vegetation in the discharge site, the soil water content in the demonstration area has been increased by 52%, the survival rate of plants has been increased by 34%, and the vegetation coverage has been increased by more than 40%. Social media summary Damage-reducing mining and systematic ecological restoration in open-pit coal mining are essential for the safe, efficient and green development of coal. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059479824000462/type/journal_articleopen-pit coal minedamage reduction miningwater resource protectionsystematic rehabilitationengineering practice
spellingShingle Quansheng Li
Xiaobin Li
Technological innovation and engineering practice of damage reduction mining and ecosystem restoration in open-pit coal mine
Global Sustainability
open-pit coal mine
damage reduction mining
water resource protection
systematic rehabilitation
engineering practice
title Technological innovation and engineering practice of damage reduction mining and ecosystem restoration in open-pit coal mine
title_full Technological innovation and engineering practice of damage reduction mining and ecosystem restoration in open-pit coal mine
title_fullStr Technological innovation and engineering practice of damage reduction mining and ecosystem restoration in open-pit coal mine
title_full_unstemmed Technological innovation and engineering practice of damage reduction mining and ecosystem restoration in open-pit coal mine
title_short Technological innovation and engineering practice of damage reduction mining and ecosystem restoration in open-pit coal mine
title_sort technological innovation and engineering practice of damage reduction mining and ecosystem restoration in open pit coal mine
topic open-pit coal mine
damage reduction mining
water resource protection
systematic rehabilitation
engineering practice
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059479824000462/type/journal_article
work_keys_str_mv AT quanshengli technologicalinnovationandengineeringpracticeofdamagereductionminingandecosystemrestorationinopenpitcoalmine
AT xiaobinli technologicalinnovationandengineeringpracticeofdamagereductionminingandecosystemrestorationinopenpitcoalmine