Not long ago there was an interesting the article in the NYT's about Mountain Top coal mining. The article explained how it might be done safely to mitigate environmental concerns. Why? Well, above ground mining is much safer, and obviously we have a lot of coal in the US, so clean coal technologies are the way to go.
Most of us, I guess I feel sorry for the Chinese coal workers, heck they seem to have a big accident every few weeks killing lots of workers, often 50 or more at a time. The safety issue alone is a huge concern, and yet, environmentalists are up in arms. And say it is impossible to shave off the top of a mountain without hurting the environment.
Still, proponents say, there are ways to do above ground coal mining of mountains without polluting the runoff water, which is a huge concern. Strip mining really was the main cause for the Federal Clean Water Act originally, not necessarily coal, they did it for nearly everything they needed that was buried, we don't do that anymore, but in the case of mountain top coal mining we may again in the future.
Of course, everyone raises holy hell when trapped miners in PA, WV, UT, KY get trapped too, and we've over regulated our mining companies into bankruptcy, which only increases the cost of raw materials for our manufacturing to the level (between that and labor) that we cannot compete in global markets. And with increased regulation on coal fired plants, we raise the costs of energy to the point we cannot compete either, down from 70-45-17-7% manufacturing sector now.
I've toured a number of mines in the nation and seen the ponds and the concerns about waste leaching into the ground water along with the byproducts used to separate out copper, zinc, nickel, etc flushing into the waterways. The over regulation is pretty severe, but if Mountain top coal mining could be done responsibly it should be done like that, it would save lives, although I do agree leveling a mountain into a major runoff creek or ravine, then damming it up irresponsibly, is a disaster waiting to happen. An eco-nightmare and the problem in Tennessee recently sure weren't funny when that all gave way.
Coal Mining Safety and Environment Considerations
There is a big debate about whether Mountain Top Coal Mining should be allowed or not. Advocates for this type of mining remind us we need the coal for our coal-fired electrical generation plants, and that WV, KY, PA, and WV need the jobs. They also tell us that they can do it without adversely impacting the environment. So, let's discuss this briefly.
Interestingly enough, I just got done reading "Divine Justice" by David Baldacci - very interesting read, and I've been having long conversations about all this with Think Tank members. Some of the conditions in some of the smaller below ground minds simply is not suitable for humans. It's dangerous and debilitating on the body.
And yes, with just a little bit of knowledge of coal, above ground mining and such one might come to the conclusion that we ought to mine all our coal from above ground and not below ground, if nothing more than for safety reasons. Our company has had contracts working with companies in Gillette, WY and cleaned Coal Cars for Florida Light and Power (that had not been cleaned in 15-years). Over the years you learn a lot about the coal industry.
One thing that has always fascinated me is that the older below ground coal mines could compete with the massive scale of an above ground coal mining effort like that which is running 24/7 in Wyoming. Maybe they can't and realize they have to do mountain top coal mining to compete or go out of business.
Tons of Polluted Water Flowing From Our Nation's Coal Mines
We all learned the heartbreaking side of coal mining earlier this year when 29 miners lost their lives in the Upper Big Branch coal mine in West Virginia. At best, coal mining is a dangerous job, and the mine wasn't kept up to federal safety guidelines. One might wonder why the mines owned by such companies were allowed to continue to operate when so many safety violations had been discovered in them repeatedly. Obviously this mining conglomerate is more worried about their bottom line than they were the safety of their workers. In addition, this same company is being taken to court for its many violations of the Clean Water Act as their mines continue to pump polluted water into the lakes and rivers surrounding the mines which water filtration companies are struggling to clean up to acceptable levels.
One of the metals that mines has been found to be pumping into the water resources is extremely high levels of aluminum. These high levels have been shown to cause bone and brain diseases, such as Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's, and are very dangerous to people who have kidney disease as well. The levels that have been found are also causing the death of many fish and other aquatic life. Other things that the water tests high for due to the practices of mining companies and their subsidiaries, are high concentrations of iron, suspended solids, and acidity.
Numerous environmental groups, such as West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, and the Sierra Club's West Virginia Chapter, are alleging that company mines accumulated about 3,300 days of clean water permit violations during a period from April, 2008 through December, 2009. If that isn't bad enough, the groups allege that the company has done little, if anything, to correct the problem since that time.
People all over the U.S. are beginning to become concerned about the water resources that we'll be leaving to our children and grandchildren. Is it fair for us to turn our heads and look the other way as pollution pours out of the mines and into our waterways? And is it fair to run up huge financial deficits each time a water filtration company has to be hired to clean up after these operations? After all, if this is how we handle the situation, it will only get worse, and all we'll be doing is leaving our problems on the shoulders of the next generation.