Mineral Resources and Society: A Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Mineral Resource Surveys Program Plan (1996)

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EVALUATION OF THE MRSP PLAN AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 34 SUBPROGRAMS including applications to agriculture, land-use planning, and human health. Studies in Support of Remediation Component The second component of the Mitigation Studies Subprogram, Studies in Support of Remediation, contains elements for which the MRSP role is not clearly defined. The USGS staff has little experience in designing or conducting remediation studies. One of the objectives of the Studies in Support of Remediation component is to “investigate the geologic and geochemical processes that affect mining and remediation plans and technologies so that they can be adapted and improved to minimize environmental changes” (MRSP Plan, p. 27). The adaptation and improvement of remedial technologies should be conducted by programs other than the MRSP. Entities such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, other federal and state agencies, universities, industry, and consultants could or can more appropriately develop and implement technology-oriented programs. Therefore, in the panel's view, the MRSP role for this component should be reduced to “investigate the geologic and geochemical processes that affect mining and remediation.” Further, this more limited activity properly belongs under the Resource Investigations Subprogram, not the Mitigation Studies Subprogram. Environmental Behavior of Mineral Deposits Component The panel finds that the third component of the Mitigation Studies Subprogram, Environmental Behavior of Minerals Deposits, should be placed under the Resource Investigations Subprogram (Figure 2-1). The panel suggests that the title of the Resource Investigation Subprogram then be expanded to “Resource and Environmental Investigations” to reflect the inclusion of this component, which addresses the environmental geochemistry of mineral deposits. The Geoenvironmental Models of Mineral Deposits element of the Environmental Behavior of Mineral Deposits component has the potential to contribute to the solution of important environmental