Chapter 2 - 4

04 Environmental Scier

Mountaintop Removal Mining

From below, everything appears as it should.

A mountain thick with trees, wildlife foraging for food, and the undisturbed natural beauty of the rocky landscape.

However, looking down on that same mountain from the air, viewers observe quite a difference.

instead of seeing a majestic peak, there is a flat plateau sitting hundreds of meters below the hills surrounding it.

in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States, a new form of coal mining is taking place.

Called mountaintop removal mining, it is a form of surface mining that is stirring up a large amount of controversy.

The process of mountaintop removal mining begins with clearing the land of all trees and removing the topsoil.

The trees are usually sold to lumber companies and the topsoil is put aside for reclamation once the mining is completed.

Miners then use explosives to expose the coal.

The resulting debris is then pushed into nearby valleys to create what is called a valley fill.

An excavator uses a bucket to scoop up-the coal on the surface.

Then the coal is taken to a processing facility where it is washed, resulting in millions of gallons of wastewater called “slurry”.

The pools of slurry are usually contained by earthen dams near the coal plant.

After all the coal has been mined from the mountain, the topsoil that was removed at the beginning is replaced and seeded to grow vegetation.

However, it is not required that the land be returned to its original state.

There are some advantages to mountaintop removal mining.

It is the most cost-effective method of coal mining, cheaper than underground mining per ton of coal.

Using this process, coal production increased from ninety-five million tons in 1977 to 181 million tons in 1998.

Mountaintop removal mining uses explosives and heavy machinery to extract the coal.

This makes it a much faster method than underground mining.

Another benefit to coal companies is that the machinery allows the work to be done with fewer employees.

Also, it is safer for miners in comparison to underground mining since coal seams are accessed from aboveground instead of underground, removing the risk of cave-ins.

In some areas of Central Appalachia, mountaintop removal mining sites allow for development of land where stores, hospitals, schools, and industrial parks can be built.

Despite the benefits of mountaintop removal mining, it takes a heavy toll on the environment and the people who live in areas near mining sites.

Residents of mining communities have to deal with the noise and resulting flying rock from the destruction of the mountaintop.

There are also damages to house foundations as a result of the ground-shaking explosions.

The dust from these explosions contains sulfur compounds that can cause corrosion and pose health risks.

It settles into air vents and on anything outside, such as lawn furniture and playground equipment.

The advantage the coal company receives from employing fewer workers means residents of Appalachia are at a loss for jobs in an area where most live below the national poverty level.

Due to the environmental pollution of the mining communities, it is unlikely other industries will move in and supply new jobs.

Valley fills have buried an estimated 1,931,212 meters of streams that are now contaminated.

A by-product of valley fills is acid mine drainage, which accumulates in groundwater systems.

This results in acidic water high in magnesium, aluminum, and iron that contaminates drinking water, streams, rivers, and lakes.

Some coal companies have bottled water delivered to whole communities because the pollution from their mining operations causes groundwater systems to become undrinkable.

Another concern is the breaking of slurry dams, which can release a flood of wastewater containing chemical and metal toxins such as mercury and arsenic into homes, schools, and water supplies.

There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to mountaintop removal mining.

Since ninety percent of mined coal is used in the production of electricity, it is it valuable resource with a high consumption rate.

The debate is whether or not the benefit of mining coal in a cost-productive, efficient manner is worth the impact it has on the environment and residents of mining communities.

Much of the evidence indicates that more coal is not worth the destruction of the Appalachian Mountains or its residents, especially when considering the potential damage that can be caused if mountaintop removal mining continues.