The major waste stream near Battle Mountain is the landfill where the disposal of solid mine waste materials is deposited. The possibility of polluting underground water used for irrigation is a major concern. Near the Battle mountain district, there already exists a high sodium, chloride, and sulfate concentration in underground water (Biglin 2006). The high concentrations were caused by a solute that originated from gold tailings from 19966 to 1993. This means that the waste problem already existed, and more mining activities only expose the air and land to more hazardous materials. The reason for choosing the Waste issue near Battle Mountain is because the region is extensively used for mining gold and fossil fuels which increases the likelihood of pollution and thus makes a perfect spot for studying pollution and ways to deal with the problem. Despite the measures to protect water and air from pollution in the region, the measures laid are not enough as mining is still ongoing at a very high rate. The region of Battle Mountain is located in Lander County in the north-central of Nevada. The people who previously lived in the area were the Northern Paiute and Shoshone tribes. The river beneath Battle Mountain brought explorers and fishers. Following the coming of explorers, a war began between the settlers and Native Americans, which led to the place being named Battle Mountain. The explorers started mining activities which led to the Battle region's development into a rail stop service. The community embraced mining in the area, and lander county has developed due to the mining activities. The waste issue is prominent in the area since Battle Mountain is highly productive in extracting different minerals. The land is not suitable for agriculture. Although there are irrigation activities, the mining sector is the primary reason for the area's economic development. Therefore mining activity is the central issue that has resulted in the waste issue in battle mountain. Mining releases a lot of waste material that leads to air water and soil pollution. The waste is produced as a result of residue rocks that are extracted during the mining process. The rocks have chemicals that are hazardous to humans, animals, and plants. In case water is contaminated with the mineral particles on the waste rocks, the water can be dangerous to living beings. However, mining activity products are essential for the economic growth of the people within the battle mountain region. Employment opportunities from working in the mines provide a source of income for people who live near the Battle mountain region. The lander county landfill allows the disposal of up to five tons of waste. It is located in the south of battle mountain and occupies an area of around 260 acres. The area where disposal takes place is eighty-three acres. Besides the lander county waste, the area also receives waste from the Crescent Valley, located in Eureka County. The rate at which disposal is made ranges from sixteen tons of waste per day. This means that Battle Mountain receives a very large amount of solid waste that results from mining. Currently, there is a need for the replacement of the sewer system in Battle Mountain. This is because the existing system is aged and has deteriorated. This creates a risk of the infiltration of contaminated water into the environment. The maintenance of up to standard sewerage system is also vital in ensuring waste management is efficient. The Battle Mountain Sewage and water plan aim to unblock the already blocked pipes and eliminate the lift stations. The waste products are transported using trucks to be deposited in the segregated area at south of Battle Mountain. Over time, the waste put in the landfills degrades and leads to gas emissions and leachate, which are a potential threat to human health. The quality of the environment is also interfered with since the air is contaminated. The disposal method has substantial negative effects on the safety of people in that community. However, the use of the carbon dioxide emitted from the disposal areas to the irrigation of plants is the best way to ensure air pollution is minimized. The available alternative to the disposal method is the recycling of waste materials. Most mine waste materials can be used in the construction of haul roads and impoundments. For example, some trailing waste is useful in the formation of the granular base, engineered fill, flowable fill, or asphalt aggregate. However, the Nevada recycling program still faces a significant problem in ensuring that recycling is consistent. Recycling, reusing and reprocessing are also methods that could help reduce the amount of waste disposed of in The Battle Mountain. Residuals for coal, for example, can be used to create eco-friendly bricks for fire. An effective method of ensuring that the waste on landfills is not hazardous to the environment is desulphurization. This entails making the solid waste lose acidity to not generate harmful acid, which can be infiltrated in the soil and get to the underground water, thus causing contamination. However, through the proper design of waste rock piles, the effects resulting from mine waste can be reduced. This is by depositing waste rock minerals in a conformance style to minimize impacts and maximize performance. The design created is determined by the topography of the mine areas. The mining activities in the region are a significant cause of economic development in America's entire country. In the Battle region, the area relies heavily on mining activities, and it is challenging to source similar gold and copper products in another region. The mining activities that result in waste issues in the region and near the mountain can be stopped, but this would mean a loss of jobs and income sources for many individuals. Therefore, the best solution to deal with the waste problem is to ensure strategic methods that reduce the risk of the waste produced. This entails incorporating activities of recycling and reprocessing waste material. Moreover, the carbon dioxide produced in landfill is essential in the growth of plants in greenhouses. Ways to redirect carbon dioxide emissions to support plants' growth can be an excellent method to avoid pollution. Instead of causing air pollution, the waste air can be utilized by plants and thus regulate the negative impact generated. The disposal method best in this section is the landfills; however, measures to ensure its safety should be highly considered. The landfill should have been built so that it does not allow liquid or gas to escape into the environment. There should be a prior separation of reusable and none reusable waste material. The landfill should also undergo treatment processes to stop any emergence of harmful pathogens. A well-built landfill should have a well-protected bottom that prevents the infiltration of acids and liquids from the waste into the groundwater. Therefore an option to a good landfill should have a system to remove the leachate and a method to monitor the groundwater for any contamination. The Nevada governing system should ensure that there is an upgrade in the building of costly landfills that ensure human health safety by proper disposal of waste. The Nevada Bureau of Mining Regulation and reclamation work together with the federal, state, and local agencies to ensure mining activities are well regulated under the Regulation Code adopted in 1989. The Bureau deals with three branches that include: Regulation, Closure, and Reclamation. Its mission n is to ensure that Nevada's waters are not contaminated or degraded due to mining activities.The Bureaus’ has the purpose of overlooking mining activities so that the areas used can be reclaimed to be used for other purposes. Moreover, the land after mining should be stable and safe, so its reclamation can be efficiently done. The reclamation branch is also responsible for ensuring that mining operations are regulated on public and private lands (Turtle et al 2003). The regulation branch overlooks the disposal of waste to ensure that the procedures follow the mining permit requirements. The laws laid out for mining activities provide the opportunity to the various branches to handle the mining laws. The law addressing the solid waste issue gives options on how to dispose of hazardous solid waste material. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act established in 1976 addresses that the government should ensure the development of facilities and management plans essential for safe waste disposal (Kelson et al 2008). The law requires those involved in mining activities to protect human health at all costs. The law is effective as it states that the government can issue a trust fund pay if a wanted disposal method fails and the organization or people responsible are untraceable. However, I think the law should be modified and have a specific amount of mining activities that should take place in a year. There is plenty of waste material produced and brought into the earth's surface that should be avoided as it continues to endanger the environment from toxic chemicals. My practices include fishing and utilization of the water in the Nevada region. The water is safe, but the possibility of its contamination is very high due to the increase in mining activities around the Nevada region. I take part in irrigation, and the harvest is favorable since the carbon dioxide in the mines is greatly beneficial to the plants. I think the mining activities and the region's waste issues lead to Nevada being one of the areas with a high rate of deaths due to stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure. I contribute to the waste issue by advocating for better disposal measures of waste products in the mines. I have worked in the mines and developed chest pains in the past so decided to work in irrigation. I think that the mining regulation laws are inefficient since mining exposes poisonous chemicals to the environment. I can make a difference in the waste issue by building a team of people who advocate for less mining and fossil fuel extraction. Even though mining is essential in economic development, I think it has already led to many societal problems. Nevada is on the verge of having contaminated streams, and it already has poisonous gases emitted into the environment. The future of the waste issue in the Nevada region, especially near battle mountain, will soon result in massive pollution of the underground water and the air. The fact that the existing landfill in the mountain carries the waste disposal from other counties means that the water is at more capacity than it should hold. The infiltration of acid water into the underground water, which is the source of most rivers, will cause the death of living animals in the rivers and lakes. The situation will worsen, especially with the plans to continue mining in the region. Moreover, the government has the plan to expand the mining supply chain in the Nevada region. Already over three billion dollars have been set aside to expand the mining business in Nevada. Therefore, the government is considerate of increasing economic growth without critically considering the effects of mining activities on the Nevada environment (Roots 2009). The battle mountain is significant in the plan as it has the most massive barite operation that produces 320,000 tons for shipping. The expansion of coal and petroleum mining and manufacturing will expose the Nevada community to environmental pollution, resulting in tremendous adverse health effects on the people and animals. I would advocate for better mining methods that would result in less exposure to harmful; chemicals. Therefore, each county should have a well-developed landfill system built to hold all the waste materials. The landfill system should have all the requirements to ensure safety. However, I would also advocate for mining activities to be minimal to conserve the atmosphere from harmful gases and water contamination of chemicals that result from mining activities.
References
Biglin, K., & Resnikoff, M. (2006). Battle Mountain Impact Report
Kelson, C. R., Crowe, D. E., & Stein, H. J. (2008). Geochemical and geochronological constraints on mineralization within the Hilltop, Lewis, and Bullion mining districts, Battle Mountain-Eureka trend, Nevada. Economic Geology , 103 (7), 1483-1506.
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Tuttle, M. L., Wanty, R. B., Berger, B. R., & Stillings, L. L. (2003). Environmental control on water quality; cases studies from Battle Mountain mining district, north-central Nevada. Chapter A (No. 2210-A).
Rootes, C., & Leonard, L. (2009). Environmental movements and campaigns against waste infrastructure in the United States. Environmental politics , 18 (6), 835-850.
