Academic literature on the topic 'Industries des Mines'

On 3 May 1954, Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company announced that it would close its anthracite mining operations in Pennsylvania's Panther Valley. Company officials had hoped to keep some mines open but net losses in 1953 amounted to $1.4 million and the trend continued into early 1954. The company stated they would reopen the mines only if miners would work harder and produce more. All area locals of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) voted to accept the program except one, Tamaqua Local 1571. Arguing that the new rules violated existing wage agreements, workers from this Local picketed the mines and called on miners across the anthracite region to join them. Tamaqua miners offered an alternative plan that called for workers to share control over management and production decisions. Lehigh managers refused and closed the mines, effective from 30 June. As other mining companies began to collapse in the 1950s and 1960s, local workers, business owners, union leaders, and politicians made efforts to either open mines or attract new industries. However, unemployment remained a difficult problem for the Panther Valley and for the entire anthracite region and the area still exhibits higher than average unemployment.

India is in the list of fastest growing countries of the world. India's energy needs are also increasing due to population and industrial growth for improving quality of living style. In India, coal is major input infrastructure industries for example Power plants, Steel plants and Cement industries. India’s 52% of primary energy is coal dependent1. 66% of India's power generation depends upon coal production1. Jharia Coalfield (JCF) is falling in the Lower Gondwana Coalfields of India. The area of the JCF is about 450 km2. It is important for the major supply of precious coking coal required for steel plants in India. It is located in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand state of India, The latitude is 23° 39' to 23° 48' N and longitude is 86° 11' to 86° 27' E for the Jharia coalfield. Based on environmental parameters, all the 103 mines of BCCL have been grouped under 17 Clusters. A cluster consists of a group of mines with mine lease boundary lying in close vicinity and includes-Operating mines, Abandoned/ closed mines and proposed projects.The focused study area is in the western part of the Jharia coalfield is named as Cluster XV group of mines of BCCL consists of four mines, Kharkharee Colliery (UG), Dharmaband Colliery (UG), Madhuband Colliery (UG) and Phularitand Colliery (UG) .The present study was carried out with the objective to measure the ambient air quality of the study area with reference to particulate matter (SPM, PM10 & PM2.5). Ambient air monitoring results have shown that the observe air quality were found within the limit prescribed by MoEF / CPCB. It may due to Underground mines as there are pollution causing lesser activities involved in the UG mining process compared to opencast mining. Implementation of Master plan for Jharia coalfields for environmental management has also improve the air quality in the area10,11.

Miners’ unsafe behavior is the main cause of roof accidents in coal mines, and behavior intervention plays a significant role in reducing the occurrence of miners’ unsafe behavior. However, traditional behavior intervention methods lack pertinence. In order to improve the intervention effect and reduce the occurrence of coal mine roof accidents more effectively, this study proposed a targeted intervention method for unsafe behavior. The process of targeted intervention node locating was constructed, and based on the analysis of 331 coal mine roof accidents in China, three kinds of targeted intervention nodes were located. The effectiveness of targeted intervention nodes was evaluated by using structural equation model (SEM) through randomly distributing questionnaires to miners of Pingdingshan coal. The results show that, in preventing roof accidents of coal mines, the targeted intervention nodes have a significant positive impact on the intervention effect. The method can also be applied to the safety management of other industries by adjusting the node location and evaluation process.

With continuous advancements in sensor technology, wireless communications, modern network architectures and electronics; it is now feasible to fulfill the requirements of underground mines using wireless sensor network (WSN). At present, coal mining industries have the option of choosing a communication and tracking systems based on their requirement and budget. WSN has the advantage of support for wireless architecture which may fit for mining industries. There is limited literature available, which discuss the different features and associated challenges to WSNs in underground mines. However, in this paper, WSN has been targeted as a feasible solution for the underground mining industries, and emphasis has been given on integration of comprehensive concepts. The objective of this survey paper is to present a platform such that it is not only beneficial for beginners who want to pursue research in this area, but also target current researchers developing solutions for such confined and hostile environments. Furthermore, the application of WSN for underground mines has been categorized followed by real, and simulation-based studies and the significant implications for wireless communications and monitoring systems in the underground mines have been discussed in details.

From the days of primitive society, human and animals have used the resource of the earth to support life and to dispose waste. Rapid population growth and uncontrolled industrial development are seriously degrading the urban and semi-urban environment in many of the developing countries placing enormous strain on natural resources and undermining efficient and sustainable development. Industrial operations lead to considerable generation of hazardous waste and in rapidly industrializing countries such as India the contribution to hazardous waste from industries are largest. Hazardous waste genarations from industries is also critical due to their large geophysical spread in the country, leading to regionwide impacts. Due to liberalization policy the pace of industrialization has been accelerated, which has resulted in increasing amount of hazardous waste every year. This long with a growing amount of municipal solid waste due to rapid urbanization and inadequate policy and technological measures continues to remain a daunting issue of environmental concern to India. In this scenario the present paper discusses various aspects of hazardous industrial waste like its origin, distribution and environmental and health hazards. Hazardous waste from industrial sectors contains heavy metals, pesticides, radioactive materials and other chemicals, which are toxic, flammable, reactive, corrosive, or have explosive properties. Normally Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Boron etc are found in pulverized fly ash. Cement industries emit huge quality of fluoride into the environment. Large quantity of mercury emitted from caustic soda industries using mercury electrodes, from chemical industries, paper and pulp industries etc. Tin mines emit tin in the vicinity of the mines. The metals such as Cadmium, Lead, Chromium, Arsenic etc, if present in the body, are hazardous to the health. Presence of fluoride within the range of 0.5 to 1.5 ppm is very essential in water for health, if present in excess leads to Florosis. Fouride may cause harm not only through water but also through air by way of respiration and soil. In river estuaries, the concentration of metal traces will reach to a high degrees of contamination because of stagnant water, when industrial effluents are fed into rivers and streams. This paper throws light upon many more such factors and also suggest measures to control and manage hazardous waste.

The article is devoted to the development of conceptual issues of the methodology for forming the readiness of miners for effective and safe activities in extreme situations in mines. The improvement of the efficiency of miners’ training is based on using the capabilities of digital educational technologies and the developed training complex. The article defines the competency structure of workers in hazardous industries, ensuring that they perform working functions in extreme situations and reduce the risk of their life and health in case of accidents. The problem factors in the system of professional retraining are researched. The psychological and pedagogical conditions for the success of the use of the training complex are determined. The main approaches to the formation of the content of theoretical and practical training are formulated. The structure of the training complex for the training of miners is described; the process of its adjustment and functioning is considered. The key stages of the developed methodology for the formation of readiness of miners for activities in emergency situations in mines are considered. Training, using the proposed methodology and training complex, has significantly improved the application of self-rescuers, which is confirmed by an increase in the time indicator of the protective effect of the breathing apparatus used by students after training on simulators.

JoAnn put down the inventory reports of four Mosaic mines that she had been contemplating. Much of the raw material for the company’s phosphate fertilizer production was mined and processed at these Florida facilities. Keeping track of the vast array of equipment, parts, and supplies required to operate the mines had become an issue. JoAnn Speaks, Purchasing Manager at Mosaic Company, was tasked in 2015 to implement a comprehensive system to identify, control and track the company’s inventories. A recent Sarbanes–Oxley (SOX) audit had found weaknesses in Mosaic’s inventory practices leaving it unable to adequately account for the disposition of millions of dollars of assets annually. Working closely with technology companies Motion Industries and CribMaster®, JoAnn had successfully implemented a radio-frequency identification (RFID) system at five Mosaic chemical facilities. The implementation experienced hiccups, but problems had been resolved and the benefits had quickly become apparent. Within two months of going live, losses were down 35% and time spent locating items was reduced by 160 man-hours per month at the pilot chemical facility. Once the chemical facility implementation process approached completion, JoAnn turned her attention to the mines. RFID was great for the static and centralized chemical facility operating structure, but would it be successful in the mines? Although each mine had a central warehouse facility, equipment and numerous inventoried, critical-to-operations components were also spread across many square miles to minimize downtime in the event of a failure. This created environmental and connectivity issues that would have to be overcome to use RFID. With all the additional options available outside of RFID including vending, inventory centralization and even manpower additions, what was going to be the right single or combination of solutions? Or, was there something she hadn’t yet considered? The only sure thing was the SOX audit meant the status quo was not an option. JoAnn picked up the reports and leaned back in her chair as she considered the strengths and weaknesses of the possible solutions and decided what to do next.

In mine safety and health research, psychological issues have always been neglected. This paper aims to identify the psychological perceptions of workers with respect to the mine environment and interpersonal environment across the whole production system. A survey was designed that measured the miners’ demographic details and perceptions of two affect-based interactions; three resource-based interactions for the manager, supervisor, co-worker; and three actual environment interactions. A total of 642 frontline coal miners from six mines located in six provinces in China completed the survey. The main results indicated that that miners reported low psychology status, especially those over 51 years old, with a monthly income of 2000–4000 and junior school education. Second, there was a high proportion of inferior value in environmental interactions. Meanwhile, the miners’ interactions with their co-workers were perceived as the most positive and those with their managers as the least in interpersonal interactions. Third, there were significant differences in sub-dimension interactions (actual environment, resource-based, affect-based interactions) that certainly existed in these interactive roles. Additionally, the dissociated type of miners with manager and supervisor (low resource and affect-based interaction) reached 23.99~24.45%. This study revealed the inner psychological risk factors for safety and health work in coal mines and provides an essential guideline for mining industries.

Operations of mining are large industrial scale in nature, with significant environmental impacts. The mining industry generates and produces wastes containing high concentrations of metals and metalloids which are highly toxic and destructive to the immediate landscape and environment. In addition, the continued use of the traditional methods of mining intensifies the emission of toxic and products that are not friendly to the ecosystem.. Even regulated and controlled mining sites release toxins into the surrounding environment. While mining has prospects and benefits to the economy, both in terms of its own economic impact and the value to other industries of its product, it almost always has adverse environmental impacts and eventually health impacts. There are numerous ways in which mines impact the health of nearby environments and local communities. Mining involves some generally standard processes and practices. This paper considers the effects and harm done to living things around the mine location. By understanding mining’s threats to health and long-term well-being and by taking precautions to reduce harm in all mines, miners and other people in mining communities can better protect their health and improve their lives. This research will address questions like: which are the toxic substances causing health problems in Maiganga Coal Mine? What is the challenging impact of toxic substances in Maiganga coal Mine?

Chronology models based on radiotracers are useful for dating aquatic sediments influenced by industrialization. Among the many natural (e.g. 7Be, 234Th,210Pb) and artificial (e.g. 137Cs,238,239,240Pu) radiotracers, the proper ones to study the industrial impact and reconstruct past events during the last 100 years, are 210Pb and 137Cs. Mining belongs to the industries with great ecological impact in the aquatic environment, as mines are situated near environmental sensitive areas such as coasts, rivers and lakes. Additionally, the accurate historical reconstruction may provide information regarding the mine footprint in the aquatic environment so as to assess the previous or the remaining contamination, in case of on-going or abandoned mines. In the present study, the retrospective investigation in a coastal area of Lavrio, near an abandoned metallic mine is attempted, using the 210Pb and 137Cs methodologies and the emerged difficulties are discussed.

In 1945, the Ruhr pits faced enormous gaps in the workforce as a result of wartime losses and pre-war difficulties in recruiting young labour. Regenerating the workforce was the key to reviving Ruhr coal production and thus to German and Western European economic recovery. Between 1945 and the onset of the coal crisis in 1958, the Ruhr mines were to hire over a million men. Using archival materials, private papers, contemporary printed sources and interviews, the thesis analyses the measures undertaken to win new labour for the Ruhr and the attempts to turn the newcomers into productive and settled miners. After an introductory section, the study looks at the degree to which workforce regeneration was achieved in the pre-currency reform era. The underlying theme is that the pre-1948 economy proved in many ways to be an uncontrolled economy. Despite the enormous priority given to the task, the British initially failed to rebuild the workforce. With US help, they achieved a breakthrough in 1946-47, but the enterprise remained extremely costly and inefficient. These problems resulted from weaknesses inherent in any controlled economy but also from tensions and contradictions in British and later Bipartite rule. The second half of the thesis considers the policies of the 1948-58 period and argues that they were just as unsuccessful in regenerating the mining workforce. Neither a stable nor a compliant workforce was created and in desperation the industry began to turn to foreign labour. One reason for failure was the Federal Government's slowness in responding to the mines' need for housing investment. Another reason was that the established management style in the Ruhr mines alienated many newcomers. The employers' attitudes to management, integration and the labour market were stuck in a pre-war mould. This study contributes to our understanding of a number of different features of the reconstruction, notably the origins and limitations of the 'economic miracle', the impact of and response to the enormous population mobility after the war and the hopes and fears with which Germany's bourgeoisie entered the post-war era. Ultimately, however, the theme running through the study is the enormous and unique challenge that faced any organisation trying to create a stable and productive workforce in the mines.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a country possessing abundant resources of gold, oil, copper, timber, and fish stocks. It is hampered in its development and management of these resources, however, by serious problems of governance and corruption. These problems are evident throughout the economy and also in the management of the environment. The level of environmental damage caused by the mining industry in PNG is now such that it will require extensive rehabilitation, if the areas affected can, indeed, ever be fully rehabilitated. The mining companies which precipitated this damage were licensed and encouraged by the PNG Government in the initiation and exercise of the mining operations. The resulting environmental impact has affected the lives of thousands of New Guineans to their detriment. The degradation caused remains unredressed. Compounding the problem, there is a growing reliance by Papua New Guinea on mineral exploitation for foreign direct investment, government revenues, and foreign exchange. Gold exports accounted for the biggest share of export revenues in 2002 representing 37.5% of the total. In light of this growing dependency on mining activities, there is a correspondingly urgent requirement to address the deficiencies in the administrative, monitoring, and policing aspects of the protection of its environment. Despite the public evidence of the damage to the environment and the ensuing affect on the people of Papua New Guinea by mining activities; and despite universal condemnation of these activities and the companies responsible; the companies continue to conduct these activities without official hindrance and with little apparent concern for the long-term ramifications of their actions. This thesis will examine the degradation resulting from the mining activities of companies in Papua New Guinea over the last three decades - particularly those of Placer Dome's Porgera gold mine, BHP's Ok Tedi gold and copper mine (the waste from both of which is dumped into the Ok Tedi and Strickland rivers which are tributaries of the Fly River and form part of the Fly River system) and Lihir Gold Limited's gold mine on Lihir Island. It will examine the extent to which the Government of Papua New Guinea may have wittingly (in the sense of a prescience as to the possible or probable likelihood of deleterious impact) or unwittingly contributed to that degradation as a result of its actions or omissions. Studies of available literature suggest that there has been little attention paid to the subject of culpability on the part of successive PNG governments in matters of environmental damage. This research will contribute to reducing this gap in the literature by focusing on possible motives of the PNG government and its actors which precipitated those decisions and which resulted in environmental degradation. The discussion will examine the likely motivation of the PNG government in its deliberations and decisions and the extent to which corruption and incompetence may have played a role.

This thesis draws on over eighteen months of multi-sited fieldwork carried out in London and Dhaka, among geologists, lawyers, fund managers, engineers, and private sector development consultants intent on securing profitable extractive opportunities in new ‘frontier' markets, and among public intellectuals and politicians in Dhaka who oppose the development of Bangladesh's energy resources by foreign corporations. The thesis contributes to a recently revitalized anthropological political economy and engages critically with the actor–network theory-inspired ‘social studies of finance'. By tracing ethnographically the production of extractive industry capitalism, I show that capital is not merely free–flowing or reproduced by its own inevitable logic. Rather, the movement and accumulation of capital is facilitated by distinct forms of knowledge production, such as political risk analysis and the emergent field of Corporate Diplomacy, and by historically constituted legal norms, most notably those of investor–state arbitration. Equally, I show that the calculative capacities exercised by financial analysts and fund managers have material consequences far beyond those normally considered by scholars in the social studies of finance, who tend to confine their analyses to the ‘bounded fieldsites' provided by bank dealing rooms or stock exchange trading floors. Methodologically, this thesis defends the notion that ethnographically tracing the generation of extractive industry capitalism demands a rejection of the recent ‘post–critical' turn in the ethnography of experts and elite groups. Ultimately, I argue that what allows extractive industry capitalism to be generated is the subordination of the sovereignty of ‘frontier' states to the sovereignty of transnational extractive corporations. This subordination is supported by the norms of international arbitration, and is the source of the perceived ‘investment climate' stability that ultimately allows extractive industry capitalists to attract speculative investment for resource exploration in new ‘frontiers'.

Les travaux presentes dans ce manuscrit portent sur l'utilisation de la vision par ordinateur pour l'automatisation de l'abattage selectif par machines a attaque ponctuelle. Un etat de l'art en robotique miniere est presente. Le contexte de l'etude ainsi que le materiel et la mine servant de site pilote a l'experimentation sont decrits. La vision est utilisee dans l'etude comme un moyen de perception de l'environnement, afin de produire une carte 3d de la paroi destinee a guider le module charge de generer la trajectoire de l'outil d'abattage. La constitution de cette carte passe par deux etapes: (i) il faut identifier les minerais presents sur une image pour constituer une carte geologique du front de taille, (ii) il faut traduire cette carte en termes de coordonnees 3d exprimees dans un repere lie a la machine d'abattage. Le premier point est resolu en utilisant conjointement les informations de couleur et de texture dans un processus de classification par apprentissage utilisant les caracteristiques statistiques des differents minerais. Le deuxieme point est resolu par: (i) la definition d'un modele de camera (du deuxieme ordre pour prendre en compte le phenomene de distorsion geometrique induit par l'utilisation d'objectifs de faible longueur focale), (ii) le calibrage des parametres de la camera destine a relier l'information 2d contenue dans une image a l'information 3d correspondante. La construction de la carte 3d est obtenue naturellement a partir des resultats du calibrage et des connaissances a priori sur la forme de la paroi. Enfin, une methode est proposee pour concatener plusieurs images de maniere a reconstruire une vue unique du front de taille complet a partir de plusieurs vues partielles de celui-ci, et ce afin de pallier l'impossibilite d'embrasser un champ de vue trop vaste avec une unique camera

En esta tesis se buscó desarrollar una metodología para la remediación a escala real de los suelos afectados históricamente por las emisiones de la Fundición de cobre CODELCO Ventanas (ubicada entre las comunas de Puchuncaví y Quintero, región de Valparaíso). Las emisiones históricas generaron altas concentraciones de Cu y en menor medida de otros metales, en los suelos de la zona aledaña a la Fundición, así como un pH ácido. Estas condiciones han deteriorado los ecosistemas y representan actualmente un riesgo a la salud de la población y a la biota. Para lograr el objetivo de remediar los suelos, se seleccionó la técnica de fitoextracción, por ser ambientalmente amigable y ser una técnica de bajo costo. La técnica se basa en la extracción de metales por parte de plantas acumuladoras y su posterior cosecha, lo que, después de una cantidad variable de ciclos de cultivo, permite disminuir las concentraciones de metal a un nivel target (usualmente un valor que no cause riesgo a la salud o biota o un valor cercano al background). Se estableció que un período de una década es aceptable para un proceso de remediación a gran escala. Como base para desarrollar la metodología de fitoextracción se seleccionaron tres especies nativas identificadas anteriormente en el área: Baccharis linearis, Argemone subfusiformis y Oenothera picensis. Las altas concentraciones de Cu halladas en la biomasa aérea de estas especies en un muestreo exploratorio (promedio 391 y 314 y 600 mg/kg, respectivamente), su adaptación a la zona, y su alta producción de biomasa las definieron como especies con potencial para la fitoextracción. Sin embargo, ensayos iniciales determinaron que se requieren estrategias que mejoren su potencial extractor pues, en condiciones naturales, la proyección del número de ciclos de cultivo que se requeriría para remediar un suelo contaminado por Cu es muy elevado (cientos a miles de años), lo que lo hace inviable en condiciones reales. Para mejorar la capacidad extractora de cobre de las especies seleccionadas se probaron 4 estrategias: la aplicación de enmiendas agrícolas; la definición del momento ideal de cosecha; el mejoramiento genético mediante selección fenotípica y la aplicación de un quelante biodegradable. Las estrategias se probaron en forma separada y luego se seleccionaron, para cada especie, aquellas estrategias que arrojaban resultados positivos sobre la extracción, probándose luego en conjunto en un ensayo final. En el ensayo final se seleccionaron la o las estrategias combinadas más eficientes para cada especie. En base a la mejora de la extracción se calculó nuevamente, para cada especie el número de ciclos de cultivo necesarios para remediar una superficie de suelo contaminado una vez aplicadas las estrategias de mejoramiento. Si el número de ciclos necesarios para remediar un suelo hubiese sido menor a 10 años en duración en alguna de las especies, se consideraría a la técnica como apta para ser aplicable a escala real y se desarrollaría una metodología de fitoextracción, considerando las implicancias técnicas y económicas. Los ensayos se realizaron entre el año 2008 y 2011. Los resultados obtenidos descartaron en un inicio a la especie Argemone subfusiformis, debido a su dificultad de propagación y a una baja tasa de supervivencia en los primeros. En cuanto a cada estrategia de mejoramiento: • El mejoramiento genético (probado en O. picensis ya que A. subfusiformis se descartó y B. linearis es una especie dioica) no fue exitoso ya que luego de la autopolinización, las semillas obtenidas sufrieron de decaimiento endogámico muriendo los individuos al poco tiempo de crecimiento. • En cuanto a la determinación del momento ideal de cosecha, para O. picensis se determinó que el estado fenológico ideal de cosecha era el período reproductivo (floración) ya que en este momento se concentra la mayor cantidad de Cu en la biomasa aérea. Para B. linearis no se detectó un estado fenológico en que la extracción de Cu fuese significativamente mayor a otro. • En cuanto a la adición de un quelante biodegradable, probada en condiciones controladas para O. Picensis, la adición de MGDA (Ácido Metil Glicin Diacético) tuvo un efecto positivo significativo en la extracción. Una dosis de 6-10 mmol/planta aumento en 5 veces la extracción, comprobándose además que no causaba lixiviación de metales o nutrientes a capas más profundas de suelo. Si bien en B. linearis no se probó la adición de quelantes en condiciones controladas debido a restricciones operativas, se decidió probar para esta especie esta estrategia de mejoramiento en el ensayo final. • En cuanto a las enmiendas agrícolas, se determinó que la aplicación de materia orgánica (7%) podría aumentar significativamente la extracción en O. Picensis. Si bien en B. linearis no se obtuvieron resultados claros debido a pérdida de individuos (ramoneo), se decidió probar esta estrategia en el ensayo final. En el ensayo final, se probó la adición de 6 mmol/planta de MGDA en conjunto con la adición de compost hasta llegar a un 7% de materia orgánica. Los resultados y su análisis posterior arrojaron que la aplicación de quelante aumentó significativamente el Cu intercambiable en el suelo y por lo tanto generó una extracción 6,6 veces la del control. Por otro lado la aplicación de materia orgánica sola y en conjunto con quelante disminuyó significativamente la disponibilidad de Cu en relación al control, y por lo tanto disminuyó la extracción. Esto se atribuye a que el compost adquirido tenía un pH levemente alcalino (circunstancia no prevista ya que la muestra inicial testeada tenía pH neutro). Para B. linearis los tratamientos no tuvieron efectos, dependiendo la extracción solo de la concentración de Cu total entre 15-30 cm de profundidad (profundidad donde se concentran las raíces de la planta). Considerando al tratamiento de quelantes como el más exitoso, se calculó nuevamente el número de ciclos necesarios para remediar un suelo contaminado por Cu, utilizando los valores máximos, mínimos y promedio obtenidos en este tratamiento. Si bien los resultados arrojaron una disminución de un 15% del número de ciclos necesarios en relación a la condición sin mejoras; aún el número de ciclos ascendía al orden de siglos, lo que la hace inviable en condiciones reales. Para B. linearis, dado que los mejoramientos no tuvieron efecto, no se calculó nuevamente el número de ciclos. Se concluyó entonces que la hipótesis de investigación fue rechazada ya que no se logró disminuir el número de ciclos necesarios para remediar un suelo contaminado por Cu, a un valor menor a 10 ciclos, para ninguna de las especies, utilizando los mejoramientos evaluados. El análisis en profundidad de los resultados permitió proyectar que las dificultades metodológicas probablemente afectaron significativamente los resultados. El aseguramiento del uso de un compost neutro habría evitado la baja del Cu intercambiable, mejorando con ello los resultados del ensayo final. Por otro lado, los ensayos controlados con quelantes evidenciaron que la planta no se veía afectada por la toxicidad del quelante ni por la toxicidad metálica, y que la lixiviación hacia capas profundas era muy reducida. Por ende es probable que se pudiesen aplicar mayores dosis de quelante, mejorando con ellos los resultados de la extracción. El análisis también sugirió que factores externos como la escasez de precipitaciones influyeron significativamente sobre los resultados. El año 2008, en que se realizaron los primeros ensayos (cultivo en condiciones naturales y ensayo de aplicación de enmiendas) las precipitaciones fueron aproximadamente el doble que en los siguientes años de experimentación, afectando la sobrevivencia y desarrollo, principalmente de O. affinis por se especie herbácea. Se presume que ante un escenario de lluvias normales los resultados de esta tesis podrían haber mejorado significativamente al menos para esta especie. La escasez hídrica aumentó también el ataque de especies roedoras, que consumieron los individuos de B. linearis en el primer ensayo, aunque luego de esto se tomaron precauciones para evitar este problema. Si bien no se logró el objetivo, el desarrollo de la tesis permitió conocer las limitantes que presentaría un proceso de fitoextracción a escala real en el ecosistema propio del área de estudio, más allá de las limitantes propias de la técnica. La aplicación de riego y la protección contra el ataque de roedores deben ser consideradas al momento de aplicar la técnica a gran escala en esta área si se desean obtener resultados eficientes. Asimismo lo es el uso de materiales (enmiendas o incluso el agua de riego) que no neutralicen la acidez. Como proyecciones para nuevas investigaciones, se sugiere prospectar nuevas especies acumuladoras, pero esta vez en vetas de mineral, ya que en estos sitios las especies han estado expuestas a la presión de selección por miles de años en comparación a las décadas a las que han estado expuestas en sitios contaminados antrópicamente. También se sugiere el probar cultivos energéticos en reemplazo de especies acumuladoras (por ejemplo, la tuna, Opuntia ficus-indica Mill., que es una especie que aún crece en el área de estudio). Además existen otras estrategias de mejoramientos que es posible probar como la adición de micorrizas, que ha tenido efectos positivos según otros autores nacionales. Considerando lo anterior, y el hecho de que la fitoextracción, hasta la fecha de realización de esta tesis, no había sido investigada en condiciones reales, esta tesis se considera un aporte inicial relevante en la búsqueda de estrategias eficientes para la descontaminación de sitos contaminados por metales en Chile y más aún para el área de estudio de Puchuncaví y Quintero.
The aim of this thesis is to develop a methodology for full-scale remediation of soils that are historically affected by emissions from CODELCO's Ventanas copper smelter. The plant is located between the communities of Puchuncaví and Quintero, Valparaíso Region. Historical emissions inserted high concentrations of Cu, and to lesser extent other metals, into the soils around the smelter. Consequently, the surrounding population and biota are exposed to high health risks. To achieve the objective of remedying soil, the phytoextraction technique was selected for its environmental friendliness and cost efficiency. Roughly, the technique extracts metals using accumulating plants and their subsequent harvest. This way, after a variable number of growing cycles, concentrations of metal could fall below a specific threshold that does not involve risks to health or biota, or that is close to a background value. It was established that a period of a decade is acceptable for such a large-scale remediation process. Three species, native to the study area, were deemed fit to serve in the endeavor: Baccharis linearis, Argemone subfusiformis and Oenothera picensis. High concentrations of Cu (average 391, 314 and 600 mg/kg, respectively) discovered in the aerial biomass of these species in an exploratory sampling, their adaptation to the area and high biomass production, strengthen these species’ high potential for phytoextraction. However, initial tests determined the need to follow certain strategies to improve their extracting potential, because under natural conditions the projected number of growing cycles required to remedy soil contaminated by Cu stretches into hundreds of years, rendering the process unviable under real-world conditions. The four strategies to improve the copper extracting capacity of the selected species are: i) application of agricultural amendments; ii) definition of ideal harvest time; iii) genetic improvement by phenotypic selection; and iv) application of a biodegradable chelator. The strategies were tested separately and then selected according to species. Strategies that yielded positive results regarding extraction were tested together in a final test, which produced the most efficient or combined strategies for each species. Based on extraction improvement, for each species the number of growing cycles necessary to remedy a contaminated surface culture was calculated again after soil improvement strategies were implemented. If the number of required cycles turned out less than 10 years for any of the species, the technique was considered suitable to be applied at real-world scale, and a phytoextraction methodology would be developed, considering technical and economic implications. The trials were carried out between 2008 and 2011. The results obtained initially discarded the species Argemone subfusiformis, due to its difficulty of propagation and low survival rate in the firsts years of experimentation of this thesis. Regarding each improvement strategy: • Genetic improvement (tested on O. picensis since A. subfusiformis was discarded and B. linearis is a dioecious species) was not successful, because after self-pollination, the seeds obtained suffered endogamic decay and the individuals were dying after a brief period of growth. • Regarding the determination of harvest time, it emerged that the ideal phenological state of harvest for O. picensis is the reproductive period (bloom), since this moment concentrates the greatest amount of Cu in the aerial biomass. For B. linearis, no phenological state in which the removal of Cu significantly increased compared to other states arose. • Concerning the adding of biodegradable chelating, tested in controlled conditions for O. Picensis, the addition of MGDA (Methyl Glycine Diacetic Acid) had a significant positive effect on extraction. A dose of 6-10 mmol / plant increased extraction five-fold, after assurance that no leaching of metals or nutrients into deeper soil layers occurred. Even though in B. linearis the addition of chelating agents under controlled conditions could not obtain due to operational constraints, it was decided to try this improvement strategy in the final trial nonetheless. • Regarding agricultural amendments, it was determined that the application of organic matter (7%) could significantly increase extraction in O. Picensis. Although in B. linearis clear results did not emerge due to loss of individuals, it was decided to test this strategy nonetheless in the final trial. In that trial, the addition of 6 mmol/plant of MGDA was tested in conjunction with adding compost until 7% of organic matter was reached. Results and their further analysis revealed that the application of chelator significantly increased the exchangeable Cu in the soil, and therefore generated an extraction 6.6 times higher than that in the controlled conditions. On the other hand, the application of organic matter alone, and in conjunction with chelating, significantly decreased Cu availability in relation to the controlled conditions, and therefore decreased the extraction. This may derive from the compost´s slightly alkaline pH-value, which was not envisaged since the initial sample tested had neutral pH. For B. linearis treatments had no effect. Extraction depended solely on the total Cu concentration at depths of 15-30 cm, where the roots of the plant concentrate. Considering the treatment of chelating as more successful, the number of cycles needed to remedy Cu-contaminated soil was calculated again, using the maximum, minimum and average values obtained in the treatment. Even though the results showed a decrease of 15% in the number of necessary cycles in relation to the condition without improvements, it still reached the order of centuries, making it unfeasible under real-world conditions. For B. linearis, given the improvements had no effect, the number of cycles had not been calculated again. Consequently, the research hypothesis was rejected in conclusion, since decreasing the number of cycles necessary to remedy a soil contaminated by Cu to a value lower than 10 cycles was not achieved for any of the species, using the improvements evaluated. The in-depth analysis of the results allowed projecting that the methodological difficulties probably significantly affected the results. Ensuring the use of neutral compost could have prevented lowering interchangeable Cu, thus also improving the final test results. On the other hand, controlled chelating trials demonstrated that neither the toxicity of the chelation nor the metal affected the plant, and that leaching into deep layers was very low. Thus, it is likely that higher doses of chelation could improve extraction results. Analysis also suggested that external factors such as precipitation scarcity significantly influenced the results. When in 2008 the first trials (in natural conditions and testing the application of amendments) were conducted, precipitation reached approximately double that of subsequent years of experimentation, affecting the survival and development mainly of O. affines for it being an herbaceous species. It is presumed that in a scenario of normal rainfall the results of this thesis could have significantly improved, at least for the aforementioned species. Water scarcity also increased attacks of rodent species that consumed the B. linearis individuals in the first trial, although precautions taken after the first cycle solved this problem for later trials. While the objective was not achieved, the development of the thesis allowed determining the technical constraints that a process of phytoextraction would present at real scale in the ecosystem of the study area. To obtain efficient results, the application of irrigation and protection against rodent attacks must take precedence when applying the technique on a large scale in this area, as should the use of materials (amendments or even irrigation water) that do not neutralize acidity. As projections for new research, it is suggested to prospect new accumulating species, but in veins of ore. In such areas, species have been exposed to the pressure of selection during thousands of years in comparison to only decades at anthropically contaminated sites. It is also suggested to test energy crops instead of accumulating species (for example, prickly pear, Opuntia ficus-indica Mill., which still grows in the study area). Additionally, more potential improvement strategies exist; for example the addition of mycorrhiza that has had positive effects according to other Chilean researchers. Considering the above, and the fact that phytoextraction -as of thesis completion - had not been investigated in real-world conditions, this thesis makes an important initial contribution in the pursuit of efficient decontamination strategies of sites in Chile, and specifically for the area of Puchuncaví and Quintero.

Thesis (MAud)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In developing countries, like Namibia, there is limited data pertaining to the number of individuals with hearing loss and its associated factors. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of potential hearing loss in Namibian Class A mines and to describe the extrinsic and intrinsic factors associated with hearing loss. A cross-sectional design was utilised and data were collected from 132 respondents (mining employees) from five different Class A mines throughout the country. A questionnaire and a retrospective review of respondents’ medical records were utilised to determine the risk factors. The most recent audiogram found in the respondents’ records was used to determine the presence of potential hearing loss. Three definitions of potential hearing loss were used in this study and included all major frequency hearing loss (AFHL), high frequency hearing loss (HFHL) and low frequency hearing loss (LFHL). Potential hearing loss was identified when the pure tone average (PTA) of 0.5, 1, 2, & 4kHz, 0.5, 1 & 2kHz and 4 & 8kHz respectively was greater than 25dBHL in either one or both ears. Chi-square measurements or, where necessary, Fisher’s exact tests, as well as Odds Ratios were used for the analysis of data. In general a significance level of 5% was applied for all analyses. Results indicated the prevalence of potential hearing loss in Namibian mining employees to be 27% and that both extrinsic and intrinsic factors were associated with hearing loss. The extrinsic factors significantly associated with potential hearing loss were both occupational and medical. The occupational factors found to be significant were the number of years employed in whole life >10 years (p=0.012; OR=3.1, 95% CI=1.3-7.9), the number of years employed in current job > 10 years (p=0.01; OR=3.9, 95% CI1.7-8.8) and the non-availability of formal training in prevention of hearing loss (p=0.022; OR=0.3, 95% CI (0.1-0.9). Diabetes was the sole significant extrinsic medical factor (p=0.035, OR=5, 95% CI 1.1-22.1). The only intrinsic factor which was found to be significantly associated with hearing loss was Age, specifically being older than 40 years (p=0.002; OR=3.5, 95% CI 1.6-7.8) and 50 years (p=0.001, OR=5.5, 95% CI1.9-15.8). A multiple logistic regression model of all significant factors found that only no formal training of prevention of hearing loss was found to be significant in the presence of all other factors (p=0.036, OR=0.036, 95% 0.1-0.92). Findings from this study suggest that multiple factors may be associated with potential hearing loss and not just the exposure to hazardous occupational conditions. Recommendations for future research and clinical practice should, therefore, include thorough investigations into the aetiology of hearing loss. As this study focused on Class A mines, it is recommended that future research be conducted in other mines that are not categorised as Class A mines. Keywords: prevalence, extrinsic factors, intrinsic factors, extrinsic occupational factors, extrinsic social factors, extrinsic medical factors, potential hearing loss, mining industry, Class A mine, Namibia.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In ontwikkelende lande, soos Namibië, is daar beperkte data met betrekking tot die aantal individue met gehoorverlies en sy verwante faktore. Hierdie studie het gepoog om die voorkoms van gehoorverlies in Namibiese Klas A myne te bepaal en die ekstrinsieke en intrinsieke faktore wat verband hou met potensiale gehoorverlies te beskryf. 'n Deursnee-ontwerp is gebruik en data is ingesamel uit 132 respondente (mynbou werknemers), uit vyf verskillende Klas A myne regdeur die land. 'n Vraelys en 'n retrospektiewe oorsig van die respondente se mediese rekords is gebruik om die risiko faktore te bepaal. Die mees onlangse oudiogram wat in die respondente se rekords gevind is, is gebruik om die teenwoordigheid van potensiale gehoorverlies te bepaal. Drie definisies van potensiale gehoorverlies is gebruik in hierdie studie, ingesluit al die groot frekwensie gehoorverliese (AFHL), hoë frekwensie gehoorverlies (HFHL) en 'n lae frekwensie gehoorverlies (LFHL). ‘n Gehoorverlies was teenwoordig wanneer die suiwer toon gemiddelde (PTA van 0.5 , 1 , 2, & 4kHz , 0.5, 1 & 2kHz en 4 & 8kHz onderskeidelik , groter was as 25dBHL in een of albei ore. Chi -square metings of, waar nodig, Fisher se presiese toetse, asook kans verhoudings is gebruik vir die ontleding van data. In die algemeen is 'n beduidendeidsvlak van 5% gebruik en toegepas vir al die ontledings. Resultate het aangedui die voorkoms van gehoorverlies in Namibiese mynbouwerknemers tot 27 % was en dat beide ekstrinsieke en intrinsieke faktore ‘n verband toon met potensiaal gehoorverlies. Die ekstrinsieke faktore wat ‘n beduidende verband getoon het met gehoorverlies was albei beroeps- en mediese faktore. Die beroepsfaktore wat betekenisvol was, was die aantal jare diens in hele lewe > 10 jaar ( p = 0,012 ; OR = 3.1 , 95 % CI = 1.3-7.9) , die aantal jare in huidige pos> 10 jaar diens (p = 0,01 ; OF = 3.9 , 95 % CI1.7-8.8 ) en die onbeskikbaarheid van formele opleiding in die voorkoming van potensiaal gehoorverlies (p = 0,022 ; OF = 0,3 , 95 % CI ( 0,1-0,9 ). Diabetes was die enigste beduidende ekstrinsieke mediese faktor (p = 0,035 , OR = 5 , 95 % CI 1,1-22,1 ). Die enigste intrinsieke faktor watbeduidend was en verband hou met gehoorverlies was ouderdom, spesifiek om ouer as 40 jaar ( p = 0,002 ; OF = 3.5 , 95 % CI 1,6-7,8 ) en 50 jaar ( p = 0.001 , OR = 5.5 , 95 % CI1.9-15.8 ) te wees. 'n Veelvuldige regressie model van alle beduidende faktore het bevind dat slegs geen formele opleiding in die voorkoming van gerhoor verlies beduidende was in die teenwoordigheid van al die ander faktore ( p = 0,036 , OR = 0,036 , 95 % 0,1-0,92 ) . Bevindinge van hierdie studie dui daarop dat verskeie faktore geassosieer kan word met gehoorverlies en nie net die blootstelling aan gevaarlike beroepstoestande nie. Aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing en kliniese praktyk moet dus 'n grondige ondersoek na die etiologie van gehoorverlies uitvoer. Aangesien hierdie studie gefokus het op die Klas A- myne , word dit aanbeveel dat toekomstige navorsing gedoen word in ander myne wat nie gekategoriseer is as Klas A myne nie. Sleutelwoorde: Voorkoms, ekstrinsieke faktore, instrinsieke faktore, ekstrinsieke beroepsfaktore, ekstrinsieke sosiale faktore, ekstrinsieke mediese faktore, potensiale gehoorverlies, Klas A myn, Namibië.

Thesis (MTech (Human Resource Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016.
The mining sector has been the backbone of the Namibian economy since Namibia attained its independence. However, the disruptive nature of the numerous strikes that are experienced in the mining sector has prompted this study that explores the perceptions held by different stakeholders on the impact of strikes on the productivity of three selected mines in Namibia. The selected mines are Langer Heinrich mine, Navachab Gold mine and Skorpion Zinc mine. Labour disputes in Namibia’s mining sector have a long history dating back to the colonial era. A myriad of factors that include, amongst others, poor remuneration, unfair labour practices, poor social and housing amenities, perceived discrimination and harsh working conditions are major triggers for mining sector strikes. Strikes are mostly conducted by employees when they fail to amicably resolve a labour dispute with their employers. Employees are normally perceived as the backbone of any organisation. Conflicts, however, are part of human nature and can only be avoided, in most cases, if people are conscious of the consequences of their actions and reactions, hence, the need to explore the perceptions of stakeholders on the impact of strikes on the productivity of the selected mines. Human perceptions are dynamic in nature. Irrespective of this fact, in this research questionnaires were administered to obtain the perceptions of mine management, miners and trade union members on the effects of strikes on the productivity of the three selected mines. A different questionnaire was designed to gather the views of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW) officials since in most cases they are involved in conciliating the disputing parties. Generally, strikes have negative impacts not only on the organisation concerned, but also on the Namibian economy at large. The mines selected for this research are situated in the Khomas, Erongo and Karas regions of Namibia. Most mining companies in Namibia are located in Erongo and Karas, whereas Windhoek, which is in the Khomas region, mainly houses some of these mines headquarters. A five-point Likert scale was used to gather data in the survey. Specialised software called Statistical Program for Social Scientists (SPSS) was then used to analyse the data. Although the results indicate that in most cases the striking parties are aware of the adverse effects of strikes on productivity of the mines, they still opt to use strikes as a bargaining weapon. Since conflicts are always bound to arise where two or more parties interact, this study recommends that there should always be a conciliator who tries to amicably resolve disputes by sensitising each party on the consequences of strikes. The study also recommends a model which emphasises the need to thoroughly inform the mineworkers and the mine management on the ripple effects of strikes and on the need to achieve a win-win situation for all the parties that are involved in a conflict. The model emphasises that although the employees and the employers can individually and separately approach the official, which is the MLSW, such official should always provide open feedback to the feuding parties through a tripartite negotiation forum, otherwise any other type of covert feedback may be misinterpreted as bias by one of the feuding parties. The model further explains that at all times direct negotiations between employees and their employers must be kept open, as it is possible that agreements that can reduce strike action may be reached without necessarily engaging a third party.

AbstractThe future sustainable built environment focuses mainly on environmental conservation and technological innovation and development. However, with infrastructure development, the consumption of raw materials such as cement, gypsum, sand, and stones increases. Therefore, use of industrial waste as raw material in construction shall be proposed as a sustainable and environment friendly alternative. Also, the higher demand for mineral commodities have led to increased mining and hence increased mining waste. The mine tailings being the wastes from rocks and minerals processing, are generally rich in Si, Ca, Al, Mg, and Fe, and also have considerable amounts of heavy metals and metalloids such as Pb, As, Co, Cu, Zn, V, and Cr. When tailings contain sulphide minerals, it may also lead to acid mine drainage. This makes the effective and efficient recycling and reuse of mine waste a major environmental concern. However, the physical, mineralogical and chemical composition of the mine tailings renders it a suitable material for use in civil engineering applications. This paper discusses the use of mine tailings of different origins for different civil engineering applications such as bricks, ceramics, fine aggregates, coarse aggregate and cementitious binders. This approach has a potential to reduce the demand on existing natural resources to face the demands of the exponentially developing infrastructure.

Abstract Federal regulations require refuge alternatives (RAs) to be installed in underground coal mines. RAs provide miners safe shelter from life-threatening environments during a mine emergency when escape is not possible. Built-in-place (BIP) RAs require ventilation systems that supply breathable air to occupants. Relief valves provide critical functions to the ventilation system by limiting pressure within the RA, allowing ventilation air to exit while preventing contamination ingress, and protecting occupants from external pressure due to mine explosions. As such, relief valves for BIP RAs must be developed and tested to ensure pressure relief, adequate airflow, and the ability to withstand a 103-kPa (15-psi) blast overpressure with a duration of 0.2 seconds. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has published research on relief valve opening pressures and airflow rates. However, the ability of RA relief valves to withstand a survivable mine explosion must be demonstrated. As such, NIOSH researchers tested the ability of RA relief valves to withstand overpressure representative of a survivable mine explosion. For this, seven relief valves were subjected to 103-kPa (15-psi) target overpressure waveforms, produced using methane-air explosions within a fixed-volume enclosure. All seven relief valves survived the overpressure testing, maintained normal performance, and did not incur any critical component deformation. One instance of valve leakage was observed during the tests. This paper presents the methodology and results of testing the ability of RA relief valves to withstand a survivable mine explosion. Information in this publication can be used for evaluating relief valve design and determining parameters critical to their ability to reliably withstand a survivable mine explosion and protect RA occupants. Research presented in this paper is applicable to testing and improving RA designs for underground coal mines, and could also be extended to similar applications and industries involving explosion testing.

Extensive copper and cobalt ore deposits can be found in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo near the city of Kolwezi. These deposits have been mined via open pit and underground mines since the 19th century with many changes in control of the mines including colonial industrial control and Congolese government control. With the recent re-establishment of a relatively stable democratic government in the DRC, foreign investors returned to the area to restart mining activities that were abruptly terminated in the 1990’s due to political turmoil. Some of these new projects are being performed in accordance with World Bank and International Finance Corporation Social & Environmental Sustainability standards. As part of these standards, radiological characterization of the mines, processing facilities, and surrounding environment was conducted to establish current conditions, evaluate human health and ecological risks, and provide a basis for establishment of radiation safety and environmental remediation programs. In addition to naturally occurring radioactive materials associated with the copper/cobalt ore, the site was reputedly historically used to store ore from the Shinkolobwe uranium mine, the source of the uranium ore for the World War II Manhattan project. The radiological characterization was conducted via extensive gamma radiation surveys using vehicle-mounted sodium-iodide detectors, random grid composite soil sampling, biased soil sampling of areas with elevated gamma radiation levels, and sampling of surface water features. The characterization revealed broad areas of elevated gamma radiation levels of up to 160 μGy/hr in two distinct areas believed to be the Shinkolobwe uranium mine ore storage locations. Other areas, with gamma radiation levels of up to 80 μGy/hr, were detected associated with copper/cobalt ore refinery tailings and waste rock (overburden) sediments. The gamma radiation surveys revealed that elevated radiation levels were largely confined to areas previously disturbed by mechanized mining activities. Radiological contaminants in local surface water sources were within drinking water standards with the exception of one river heavily polluted with both uranium and other metals by waste streams from an ore processing and refining facility. Surrounding areas that appeared to be undisturbed by mining, including agricultural areas, native villages, and urban colonial-architecture cities, exhibited soil concentration and gamma radiation levels consistent with expected background levels.

Abstract Research has shown that particle size has a significant impact on the explosibility of coal dust/rock dust mixtures. Previous explosion studies conducted using the U.S. Bureau of Mines’ (BOM) 20-L explosion chamber tend to show a difference in the amount of inerting material needed to prevent an explosion when compared to the 20-L Siwek chamber. To reconcile these differences, samples were comparatively tested in the historic BOM 20-L chamber and the new NIOSH 20-L Siwek chamber with an emphasis on particle breakage. Rock dust and coal dust samples were dispersed in the chambers without ignitors and their specific surface areas were compared to the undispersed specific surface areas in order to quantify the breakage. Then, rock dust and coal dust mixtures were prepared, dispersed using the Siwek chamber, collected and tested for explosibility in the BOM 20-L chamber to see if the severe particle breakage in the Siwek chamber would influence the inerting limits of the BOM chamber. Results indicate that the particle breakage of friable brittle materials during explosion testing should be considered when evaluating the explosion risks in the process industries.

Reconociendo la incertidumbre sobre el futuro, evaluamos miles de futuros plausibles diferentes para comprender el rango de posibles vías de descarbonización y beneficios netos para la economía costarricense. En todos menos 22 de los más de 3.000 futuros posibles considerados, la implementación del plan de descarbonización conduciría a beneficios económicos que superarían los costos. Nuestros resultados destacan la importancia del cambio modal y las tecnologías de cero carbono en el sector del transporte, aumentando el secuestro de carbono en el sector forestal y la reducción de emisiones en los procesos industriales y ganaderos, para lograr emisiones netas cero. Este trabajo ha ayudado a construir herramientas y capacidad para evaluar las estrategias de descarbonización, que se utilizarán para apoyar la actualización de las Contribuciones Determinadas a Nivel Nacional de Costa Rica, su compromiso con la comunidad internacional en virtud del Acuerdo de París. Nuestro enfoque se puede reproducir en otros países interesados en analizar las implicaciones económicas de los caminos hacia la prosperidad libre de carbono.

Trucks serve significant amount of freight tonnage and are more susceptible to complex interactions with other vehicles in a traffic stream. While traffic congestion continues to be a significant ‘highway’ problem, delays in truck travel result in loss of revenue to the trucking companies. There is a significant research on the traffic congestion mitigation, but a very few studies focused on data exclusive to trucks. This research is aimed at a regional-level analysis of truck travel time data to identify roads for improving mobility and reducing congestion for truck traffic. The objectives of the research are to compute and evaluate the truck travel time performance measures (by time of the day and day of the week) and use selected truck travel time performance measures to examine their correlation with on-network and off-network characteristics. Truck travel time data for the year 2019 were obtained and processed at the link level for Mecklenburg County, Wake County, and Buncombe County, NC. Various truck travel time performance measures were computed by time of the day and day of the week. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis was performed to select the average travel time (ATT), planning time index (PTI), travel time index (TTI), and buffer time index (BTI) for further analysis. On-network characteristics such as the speed limit, reference speed, annual average daily traffic (AADT), and the number of through lanes were extracted for each link. Similarly, off-network characteristics such as land use and demographic data in the near vicinity of each selected link were captured using 0.25 miles and 0.50 miles as buffer widths. The relationships between the selected truck travel time performance measures and on-network and off-network characteristics were then analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient analysis. The results indicate that urban areas, high-volume roads, and principal arterial roads are positively correlated with the truck travel time performance measures. Further, the presence of agricultural, light commercial, heavy commercial, light industrial, single-family residential, multi-family residential, office, transportation, and medical land uses increase the truck travel time performance measures (decrease the operational performance). The methodological approach and findings can be used in identifying potential areas to serve as truck priority zones and for planning decentralized delivery locations.