Impacts of coal mining

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Impacts of coal mining
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• Easier to find than oil
• Coal is solid so it does not migrate like oil
• Easier to map
• A LOT of coal is still there to be mined

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Strip mining or open pit mining

• Most coal mining in US is done by STRIP MINING
  (Overlying layers of rock and soil is stripped
  off to reach the coal)
• Cheaper and easier than underground mining

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EFFECTS OF STRIP MINING

• Disturb the land, vegetation and ecosystems
• Cause erosion
• Acid mine drainage

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EFFECTS OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINING
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Effects on the miners

• Collapse, explosion and fire hazards
• Respiratory illnesses such as black lung disease
  from exposure to coal dust

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Impacts on land

• Land subsidence

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Impacts on water (rivers, streams, groundwater
etc.)

• Partial or complete loss of water (water gets
  diverted in tunnels and sinkholes created by the
  mining activities)
• Wells and springs can dry out because of
  groundwater loss
• Acid mine drainage

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• Coal mine fire