5. Atmospheric Environmental Planning

The problems of toxic, noxious, and explo¬sive atmospheres caused by gases and dusts are certain special environmental considerations in underground mining. Some other problems unique to underground mining are design of stable structures in the strata and their support, lighting the workings, and control of noise in confined spaces. These affect the health and safety of the workmen and deserve critical analyses. Some of the most important environmental parameters of underground mining are summarized in Table 1. The list is not exhaustive but illustrates the scope of environmental planning in underground mining. This chapter will discuss the use of computers and computer models in mine atmospheric environmental planning.