8.1 Environmental Problems of the Extractive Areas. The economic and social importance of mining and quarrying has been recognized since ancient times (FAO and ITPS, 2015; Lottermoser, 2010; Neri and Sánchez, 2010; Tiwary, 2001). This activity can be related to the extraction of coal, ore, and several rocks (e.g., granite, limestone, dolomite ...