5.5 Energy Production and Mining
5.5.5 Mining and Quarries—Anticipated Impacts North Carolina has mines and quarries throughout most of the state that supply sand, gravel, granite, minerals, and other materials used for various development projects. Sand and gravel can be mined from open pits or sometimes directly from rivers. Recently, some exhausted granite quarries have been considered as water supply sources to augment exist- ing water supplies. Existing mines and quarries are expected to expand and new mines and quarries created to continue to supply demand into the future. North Carolina allows mines to operate in streams to dredge out sand and gold. Dredging in-stream incises the channel, which increases fow velocity and causes sedimentation downstream. In-stream mining also increases turbidity and stream temperatures through the loss of riparian vegetation that provides shade. Tese changes negatively impact aquatic species, often resulting in reduced reproductive success and survival. Tey can severely impact habitat and sedentary taxa like mussels at the mine site itself. Near-stream mining is also allowed in North Carolina and has similar (although often less severe) impacts. Both types of mining operations can also degrade the surrounding riparian habitat and down- stream wetland habitats. Fracking activities in other parts of the state will increase the demand for sand and water (NCAFS 2002) . Te primary direct impacts to wildlife resources from mining and quarries (not instream mining) relate to land conversion. Additional impacts can result if stormwater runof is discharged ofsite to surface waters. New and expanded mines and quarries may impact high-quality terrestrial uplands, wetlands, or streams. Water quality can be impacted if water from a mining site is discharged before it is appropriately treated to remove pollutants. Instream mining removes sand and gravel directly from a stream bed, resulting in chan- nel instability, altered habitat, increased sedimentation, and increased turbidity (Brown et al. 1998; Meador and Layher 1998) . Instream mining can create pools where rifes once occurred and create headcuts that can continue upstream. Tese impacts to aquatic habitat can cause changes to aquatic community composition, including local extirpation of species such as freshwater mussels and other rare aquatic species (Hartfeld 1993; Watters 2000) . 5.5.6 Nuclear Energy—Anticipated Impacts Nuclear power plants in North Carolina provide electricity for utility customers within our state. Tey require large volumes of water to ensure that nuclear reactors remain cool; therefore, they are sited near large water bodies or impoundments are created to supply cooling water. Most impacts associated with nuclear power plants revolve around the fact that they require large amounts of water to cool the nuclear reactors and the water is con- siderably warmer than ambient temperature after it has been used for cooling. In North
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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