Groundwater Risk Assessment in the Context of an Underground Coal Mine Closure and an Economic Evaluation of Proposed Treatments: A Case Study

Mining companies are responsible for the impacts that result from their mining activities even after the mining period has ended. At the same time, at the European and international levels, there is a lack of a detailed operational methodology comprising environmental risks during and after closure of underground coal mines. The environmental risk aspects that need to be considered when planning the closure of an underground coal mine and post closure in the broader environmental context are the following: modification of water flow scheme, surface instability, mine gas emission on the surface, and water and soil pollution. In this study, we focus on assessing groundwater risk in the context of an underground coal mine closure and evaluating the selected risk mitigation strategies in terms of performance and cost. The results from this study could be used for developing a final closure groundwater assessment plan by selecting the most feasible treatment alternatives for different environmental impacts, together with the transitional monitoring that could guarantee a hazard level in compliance with land reuse and the use of natural resources. Finally, the cost-efficient monitoring and treatment programs are used to estimate the financial provisions needed to mitigate groundwater risks during underground coal mine closure contexts.

Automated summary

The study highlights the importance of considering environmental risks such as changes in water flow scheme, surface instability, mine gas emission, and water and soil pollution when planning for the closure of an underground coal mine. Assessing groundwater risk, evaluating risk mitigation strategies, and estimating financial provisions for groundwater risk mitigation during mine closure contexts are crucial for sustainable land reuse and natural resource preservation.