Evaluación de impacto y pasivo ambiental relacionados con minería no metalífera y rocas de aplicación en el valle de la Buena Esperanza, Alta Gracia, Córdoba, Argentina

BREIER KAREN LORELEY; MUTTI DIANA I; DAPEÑA, CRISTINA

Asociación Argentina de Geólogos Economistas, Publicación especial

Asociación Argentina de Geólogos Economistas

Lugar: Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires; Año: 2008 vol. Espe p. 91 - 104

An evaluation of the impact and the environmental residue of the mining activity in Buena Esperanza Valley, Alta Gracia, Córdoba province, related with non-metaliferous minerals (calcite, dolomite y serpentine) and building stones (marbles, pegmatites y serpentinites) extracted by the enterprise IGGAM S.A. until the 90’s. Direct and indirect, temporal, reversible and non-recoverable impacts are identified in the geoforms, landscape, soil and surface water, as the main means susceptible to receive an anthropic transformation. In particular, chemical and isotopic analyses are presented for the superficial waters that support the movement of heavy metals in current sediments and meteoric-origin waters. From the information provided from the chemical composition of the water of the Buena Esperanza stream, it is proved that the water is strongly calcic and magnesium bicarbonate. The correlation with previous data allows us to approach the analysis of the water system during an 8-year period. Thus, it is interpreted that because of the natural dynamic and regulatory capacity of the water system, the alteration caused by the intense mining work tended to decrease gradually after the end of the extractive activity developed by the enterprise IGGAM S.A. in the calcic and dolomitic marbles. Nevertheless, the rise in Cr, Ni, Zn, Fe and Cu in current sediments presents a direct space correlation with areas linked to open walls of hancrafted mining in the Loma Negra serpentinic