Activities of mining and processing industries as well as construction
works can drastically transform water resources.
There are over 4000 deposits of mineral resources in Belarus, among
which more than 600 are explored and about 300 are in work. In general
the open mining is prevalent and that changes the regime and chemical
composition of surface and underground waters to a considerable extent.
Some 100 mln. m3 of minerals and accompanying («waste») rocks
are extracted and moved annually. Oil production has a dramatic impact on
nature and eventually on the underground water resources. Issues to be tackled
are also the ones relating to the use of explored lignite and shale oil
reserves and their direct and indirect effects on further development of
the fuel industry.
The country ranks second in the CIS by stocks of industrial potassium
compounds. The negative aftereffects of potassium mining at the Starobinsk
are the loss of croplands to disposal areas for saline solid waste, salinization
of soil, surface and underground waters; surface subsidence, craters,
hollows and swamping. 
Ground leaching is applied at the Mozyr mine to reduce industrial waste
and prevent environmental pollution.
In Belarus there are more than 300 deposits of soft clays, clay loams,
resources of which are used by 200 local plants for producing brick, drainage
pipes, front brick, claydite and other products; about 150 deposits of
sand-gravel material, over 100 deposits of mortar sand, deposits of marl,
cement clay and chalk.
Quarry-based works result in extensive loss of lands, waste dumping,
which requires landscape and land rehabilitation. Cement production involves
extensive emissions that require the application of more effective dust-capturing
installations.
In Belarus there are more than 60 peat plants developing about 200 peat
deposits. Peat extraction is declining, but integrated utilization of
peat deposits is being developed (peat is used as a raw material in peat-chemistry,
medicine and production of fertilizes, insulating plates, peat wax , etc).
