ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses environmental justice (EJ) in the context of large-scale metal mining activities, an increasingly relevant activity in EJ debates and one of the most polluting activities in the world. It outlines some of the key biophysical features of large-scale mining activities (e.g. environmental intensity, temporal length of the activity, territorial impacts) and some of the implications for EJ. The chapter examines a central debate: the (spatial and non-spatial) dynamics shaping the distribution of mining burdens and benefits. It addresses mining struggles, movements and discourses and examines the transnational diffusion of the EJ framework among anti-mining movements. The chapter also reviews some of the central grievances in mining conflicts and EJ discourses. It addresses debates revolving around the current relevance of environmental awareness, resource control, recognition and participation in mining protests, as well as the implication of scaling processes.
