• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2001

With reducing coal mining industry the number of coal mine sites between 1988 and 1998 was dropped from 347 to 12. Since the abandoned coal mine sites have been kept without any cares, they have raised various environmental and safety problems. Then, Korean government initiated a special law in 1995 for enhancing economic conditions and solving environmental problems with promoting developmental projects in the abandoned mining sites. As a result, casino business in Chungsun area has been opened to publics, and other large-scale developments such as ski slopes and resorts are planned. In addition, Boryung area in Chungchung province also will launch a large-scale project building golf courses. Based on this developmental trend, it is expected that lots of large-scale developments in other places will be taken place. In general, the large-scale developments have caused various environmental problems, and, thus, environmental aspects should be considered in a decision-making process. This paper examine the status of the abandoned mine sites in Korea and U.S. and suggests the alternatives of its utilization.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.71-85
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• 1997

There are approximately 500 abandoned mining sites in Korea. Abandoned mines cause various environmental and safety problems such as landscape damage, soil, groundwater and stream pollution by heavy metal, acid mine drainage and soil erosion. According to the survey, there are significant numbers of mines causing environmental problems in Korea. For a environmentally sound management of abandoned mines, the Soil Pollution Control Act should include the regulation concerning soil pollution and recovery standards of the abandoned mines. Also, comprehensive survey about abandoned mines, setting-up of tile recovery priority, finance for clean-up are necessary.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.271-281
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: Application of the transfer functions derived from local soil data is necessary in order to develop proper management protocols for agricultural soils contaminated with heavy metals through phytoavailability control of the heavy metals. The aim of this study was to derive the transfer functions of Korean agricultural soils affected by the abandoned mining sites and evaluate suitability of the derived transfer functions. METHODS AND RESULTS: 142 agricultural soils affected by the abandoned mining sites were collected and analyzed. Two extraction methods, including 1 M $NH_4NO_3$ extraction and 0.01 M $Ca(NO_3)_2$ extraction were applied to determine phytoavailable metal pools in soils. Multiple stepwise regression of phytoavailable metal pools against the corresponding total metal concentration and soil properties was conducted to derive suitable transfer functions for estimating phytoavailable heavy metal pools. Applicability of the derived transfer functions was examined by calculating NME and NRMSE. CONCLUSION: Soil pH and organic matter were valid variables for derivation of the transfer functions which were applicable for estimating phytoavailable metal concentrations in the soils being contaminated by heavy metals. In addition, it was confirmed that transfer functions need to be developed based on local soil conditions to accurately estimate heavy metal-phytoavailability.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2014

Absorption and accumulation of heavy metals in plants were determined by phytoavailable contents rather than total contents of heavy metals. Therefore, phytoavailability-based management protocol should be prepared for safe food crop production in contaminated agricultural lands. This study was conducted to understand the distribution and phytoavailability of heavy metal in the Korean agricultural soils affected by abandoned mining sites along with investigation of soil properties (soil pH, OM, DOC, clay content, Al/Fe/Mn content) influencing on the metal phytoavailability. For this, 142 agricultural soils located nearby 39 abandoned mining sites distributed in five province in Korea, were analyzed. Among the four different heavy metals, cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) appeared to exist in more phytoavailable form than cupper (Cu) and lead (Pb). Soil pH was the main factor governing phytoavailable Cd, Pb, and Zn showing positive relationship with partitioning coefficients of the corresponding metals; Cd (r = 0.66, P < 0.001), Pb (r = 0.70, P < 0.001), and Zn (r = 0.62, P < 0.001). This implied higher phytoavailability of the corresponding metals with higher soil pH. In contrast, phytoavailability of Cu (r = 0.41, p < 0.01) was only negatively related with soil DOC (dissolved organic carbon).

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.674-683
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• 2010

The current study was performed to examine the agricultural suitability of the cultivated upland nearby abandoned mining areas in Korea using three different scientific risk assessment models of Korea, USA and UK. For this, three mining sites DM, MG and KS were selected among 687 abandoned mines through preliminary risk assessment. A wide range of parameters were obtained through analysis of both soil and crop samples from the selected areas for heavy metal concentration and questionnaires to the communities along with the selected mining sites. Heavy metal concentration in soil samples was lower than the values previously reported by the Ministry of Environment (ME, 2002). However, both As and Cd concentration in the soil samples exceeded the concern level for agricultural area of the Soil Environment Conservation Act. Judging from the contaminant criteria for the crops, only Zn level in pepper, soybean and corn from the mining area DM exceeded the criteria whereas As, Cd, $Cr^{6+}$, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb did not exceed the criteria. It was demonstrated that there would be human health risk by Pb accumulated in crops from both mining areas MG and KS when estimated by the risk assessment models of Korea and USA. Against it, results of the risk assessment model of UK showed human health risk by Pb in the crops from all study areas.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.33-46
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• 2023

In this study, carbon storage in the aboveground biomass, litter layer, and soil layer was calculated for abandoned mining restoration areas to determine the level of carbon storage after the restoration project through comparison with the ecological reference. Five survey sites were selected for each abandoned mining restoration area in Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do, and the ecological reference that can be a goal and model for the restoration project. The carbon storage in the restoration area was 0~21.3Mg C ha^-1, the deciduous layer 3.3~6.0Mg C ha^-1, and the soil layer(0-30cm) 8.3~35.1Mg C ha^-1, showing a significant difference in carbon storage by target site. The total carbon storage was between 6.1 and 35.3% of the ecological reference, with restoration area ranging from 14.0 to 62.4 Mg C ha^-1. The total carbon storage in the restoration area and the ecological reference differed the most in the aboveground biomass and was less than 12%. Based on these results, forest restoration area need to improve the carbon storage of forests through continuous management and monitoring so trees can grow and restore productivity in the early stages of the restoration project. The results of this study can be used as primary data for preparing future forest restoration indicators by identifying the storage of abandoned mining restoration areas.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 2006

This study was conducted to identify native ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi colonizing Pinus densiflora for revegetation of abandoned coal mines in Korea. Seedlings of P. densiflora growing on coal mining spoils of a study site in Samcheok were collected. ECM roots were observed under stereomicroscope and their DNA were extracted from each root tip for a seedling for molecular identification. A PCR primer pair specific to fungi, ITS1F and ITS4, was used to amplify fungal DNA. Restriction enzymes, Alul and Hinfl were used for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Combined with RFLP profiles and sequence analysis, total twenty one taxa were identified from the ECM root tips. Basidiomycetous fungi including Thelephoraceae, Pezizales, Laccaria, Pisolithus and Ascomycetous fungi including ericoid mycorrhizal fungi were identified from this study. Results showed that the most frequently found in the study sites was a species in Thelephoraceae. A possible use of ECM fungi identified in this study for the revegetation of abandoned coal mines with P. densiflora was discussed.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.197-204
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• 1999

The extent of heavy metal pollution in agricultural in soils near the abandoned mine land site was investigated using their concentrations from the 47 sampling sites in B mine. Samples were prepared using 0.1N HCI - Korean Standard Methods - and then analysed for Cd, Cu, Pb, As and Cr by Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometer. In addition, soil and mine tailing samples were sequentially extracted to investigate the chemical speciation of heavy metals in them. The soils in the vicinity of mining area are highly contaminated by heavy metals ranging up to 5.96mg Cd/kg, 253.3mg Cu/kg, 76.7mg Pb/kg, and 15.45 mg As/kg, according to the analysis of Korean Standard Methods. The heavy metal levels by the sequential extraction are much higher than its level by Korean Standard Methods, and little correlated with each other. Based on the results, it is suggested that the As pollution in agricultural soils near the AMLS should be dealt as of prior significance in establishing reclamation strategies for the area.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.1-11
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• 2006

Attempts were made to analyze the national policy of soil contamination prevention and management of inactive or abandoned metal (IAM) mines in Korea. This approach focused on legal systems and legislation, remediation technology development, and the arrangement or distribution of budgets pertaining to national policy since the mid 1990's. Prevention of Mining Damage and Recovery Act enacted. Defines the roles, responsibility and budget of the government when recovering mine damages. However, in 2005 there still remains to improve the national policy of soil contamination prevention and management of IAM mines. Analysis of national and industrialized foreign countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands suggest the following improvements: i) arranging distinct regulations between strict and non-strict liability criteria for potentially responsible parties; limiting innocent and non-strict liability depending on the period of incurred mining activity, ii) enhancing participation of local communities by enforcing law and legislation, iii) establishing a national database system of (potentially) IAM contaminated sites based on the Website-Geographic Information System, iv) carrying out site-specific risk assessments and remediation of IAM contaminated sites, v) preparation and distribution of clean-up fund at mine sites adequately, and vi) technology development for the cleaning of IAM contaminated sites; awarding positive incentives of a legal nature for participants applying newly developed technology in IAM mines.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.40-49
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• 2013

In the beginning of $20^{th}$ century, the coal mining industry had an important role in Japan at which two-thirds of the coal product came from the Kitakyushu-Chikuho District (KCD). As a consequence of mining activities, land-use condition in this district showed notable changes. This paper presented a study of land-use changes in coal mining area by characterizing land-use pattern transition over the last 100 years. In order to carry out the rigorous analysis of land-use, a series of land-use maps over the last 100 years was developed using geographic information systems (GIS). The historic topographic map and another available old data were used to investigate the long-term changes of land-use associated with past mining within the GIS platform. The results showed that the utilization of a series of developed land-use maps successfully indicated the difference of land-use pattern in the KCD before and after the peak of mining activities. The general findings from land-use analysis described that forest and farm lands were lost and turned into abandoned sites in the last 100 years.