Final Project: Strategies and Solutions for Coal Mining
Even though renewable resources are becoming more readily available to the public, coal mining is still being used in this country. With coal mining there are two primary methods of mining, strip and pit mining. However, another process, called Mountaintop Removal, is becoming used more frequently. The process of Mountaintop Removal mining is not something that is widely known but it affects many people in the country and around the world.
Coal mining damages large ecosystems largely because the method used to collect the coal clears large areas of land. According to Mountain Justice, “Mountaintop removal / valley fill coal mining (MTR) has been called strip mining on steroids.” (Mountain Justice, n.d.) The process to collect coal by Mountaintop Removal occurs in stages. First, the mountain is cleared of forests and “debris.” Second, bulldozers and other machinery clear the remaining land. Once this land is cleared, a machine called a “dragline” digs into the rock so the coal can be mined. Once the rock and topsoil is moved out of the area that will be mined, it is generally moved into the nearby mountain valley. These deposits become what are known as valley fills. Once the rock is cleared, the coal is collected. The liquid waste from the mining area is stored in massive, dangerous coal slurry dumps, which are usually built near a watershed. The byproducts from the mining pollute water reserves, which affects the wildlife in the area. The slurry is a combination of water used to wash the coal, chemicals used, and small particles of coal including toxic metals such as arsenic and mercury. (Mountain Justice, n.d.)
Many factors contribute to the continued use of Mountaintop Removal Mining. One factor of this mining method is money. The mining company attracts some residents, because there will be more jobs available to them. Yet, this method of mining does not require as many human laborers as traditional... [continues]
Even though renewable resources are becoming more readily available to the public, coal mining is still being used in this country. With coal mining there are two primary methods of mining, strip and pit mining. However, another process, called Mountaintop Removal, is becoming used more frequently. The process of Mountaintop Removal mining is not something that is widely known but it affects many people in the country and around the world.
Coal mining damages large ecosystems largely because the method used to collect the coal clears large areas of land. According to Mountain Justice, “Mountaintop removal / valley fill coal mining (MTR) has been called strip mining on steroids.” (Mountain Justice, n.d.) The process to collect coal by Mountaintop Removal occurs in stages. First, the mountain is cleared of forests and “debris.” Second, bulldozers and other machinery clear the remaining land. Once this land is cleared, a machine called a “dragline” digs into the rock so the coal can be mined. Once the rock and topsoil is moved out of the area that will be mined, it is generally moved into the nearby mountain valley. These deposits become what are known as valley fills. Once the rock is cleared, the coal is collected. The liquid waste from the mining area is stored in massive, dangerous coal slurry dumps, which are usually built near a watershed. The byproducts from the mining pollute water reserves, which affects the wildlife in the area. The slurry is a combination of water used to wash the coal, chemicals used, and small particles of coal including toxic metals such as arsenic and mercury. (Mountain Justice, n.d.)
Many factors contribute to the continued use of Mountaintop Removal Mining. One factor of this mining method is money. The mining company attracts some residents, because there will be more jobs available to them. Yet, this method of mining does not require as many human laborers as traditional... [continues]
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