Effects of Strip Mining on the Appalachian Environment Essay

I would have to say that from the reading that it can be very harmful for the coal mining chemicals to seep into the ground into our drinking water.

Government scientist are under fire after the EPA, who was ordered by Congress to study the impacts of fracking on drinking water, discovered that there was an effect on drinking water sources due to fracking. This method of fracking, which involves the breaking of rocks with pressurized water and chemicals into the ground, has been cost effective as far as dropping gas prices, but has instead compromised drinking water. The EPA reported, “We found specific instances where one or more mechanisms led to impacts on drinking water resources, including contamination of drinking water wells…Approximately 6,800 sources of drinking water for public water systems were located within one mile of at least one hydraulically fractured well … These drinking

On reviewing the state, federal documents and federal database for the Ely Copper mines representing 87% of currently operating copper Ely mines, and responsible for 89% of U.S. copper production in 2010. The Ely Copper mines were chosen based on an operating record of more than five years. These mines provide a representative view of the types of environmental impacts resulting from the development of copper porphyry deposits, focusing on pipeline spills, tailings failures and water collection and treatment failures. It was found that all of the mines (100%) experienced pipeline spills or other accidental releases. The most frequent spills were reported at the Ray Mine in Arizona, where over fifty pipelines Spills occurred from 1988 to 2012. Data shows that among 13 of the 14 mines (92%), water collection and treatment systems have failed to control contaminated mine seepage, resulting in significant water quality impacts. The development of acid mine drainage was associated with the most severe and lasting impacts.

In Jan. 2011, the EPA decided to veto the dumping of waste from the Spruce No. 1 Mine. But the agency’s efforts have so far been rebuffed by the courts as an overreach: Under the weird legal regime that governs mining, it’s the Army Corps of Engineers, not the EPA, which has the ultimate say-so over those permits. In 2012, the D.C. district court ruled that EPA lacked authority to veto the permit after the Corps had issued it. However, in fact EPA's decision is based on evidence from scientific research on serious environmental harm from mining. In May 2013, a coalition of Appalachian and environmental groups petitioned the EPA to set a numeric water quality standard under the Clean Water Act to protect streams from pollution caused by mountaintop removal mining . They claimed that “State politics and industry pressure have so far failed to end this pollution without such a standard and more and more streams and communities who rely on those waters are left vulnerable. We need EPA to act now.” The EPA’s authority over the Clean Water Act in respect to Spruce Mine No. 1 was finally affirmed by the Supreme Court in March 2014.

Recently, a contractor working for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unintentionally released 3 million gallons of toxic mine waste into the Animas River in the Mountain West state of Colorado. Right now, people in the US are debating the efficacy of the EPA (the right-wing is using the spill as anti-government propaganda) and the noxious aftermath the spill will undoubtedly have on local economies, communities and ecosystems.

The Appalachians span over a distance of 1,600 miles, ranging across 14 states, from Newfoundland in the North, to Alabama in the South. The Appalachians are the oldest chain of mountains on the North American continent. With forest, comes forest fires, some natural and some prescribed by humans. In order to reduce the calamitous damage caused by natural wildfires, the technique of prescribed fires is used. This is done by diminishing the amounts of trees, shrubs, and brush in the intended area. By doing this, new native plant growth is encouraged and it helps maintain some plant and animal species that depend on the periodic fires. With this man made force comes numerous effects on vegetation, wildlife, and the human impact.

Recently, a contractor working for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unintentionally released 3 million gallons of toxic mine waste into the Animas River in the Mountain West state of Colorado. Today, people in the US are debating the efficacy of the EPA (the right-wing is using the spill as anti-government propaganda) and the toxic aftermath the spill will undoubtedly have on local economies, communities and ecosystems. So far, the spill has "contaminated the Animas River, San Juan River, and the Colorado River in Utah."

Mining; the life blood of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which became renowned for its massive supplies of iron, nickel, and copper ores. The sanctity of the residents living in Northern Michigan were dependent on the flow of natural resources coming from the mines, where many flocked to the growing cities to find work. Despite the wealth the region found in mining, it vanished once the prices of these metals dropped, where most mines were abandoned. Mining has once again taken root in the Upper Peninsula, with promises of jobs and greater economic and environmental security. The impacts of such promises once caused the region to flourish, yet left a scar the people and environment

Surface mining began to replace traditional underground mining around WWII (Bozzi 116). Rather than digging into the mountain to extract the coal, strip mining involves removing the overlying soil and rock that covers the coal deposits (Lutz 1). It seemed appealing at first because the previous known dangers of black-lung disease and cave-ins were now limited with the surface mining method (Bozzi 116). However, surface mining came with it’s own problems, a lot of them being more serious and irreversible than underground mining (Allen 182). This method of surface mining was the spark that created the trend of mountaintop removal (Bozzi 117). Mountaintop removal is the complete destruction of the mountain peak in order to reach coal

Many companies have made money from the coal industry; however, the money has not stayed within the state. Big businesses have exploited the resources creating rich executives and leaving the Appalachian area stripped of its bounty. Currently, big businesses are involved in mountain-top removal to remove resources from our mountains. This leaves many of the beautiful mountains destroyed, pollutes the water systems and kills the wildlife and vegetation. The coal industry which once supported many families in the Appalachian area is now becoming the downfall of our tourist

With its rolling hills and breathtaking foliage, Central Appalachia is home to some of America 's most beautiful views, attracting thousands of tourists to the region each year. However, Central Appalachia is also home to vast deposits of energy resources, mainly coal. In order to extract this supply of cheap energy, mining companies have turned to a practice called mountaintop removal mining, or simply mountaintop mining. Mountaintop mining is a form of surface mining that involves removing the tops and sides of a summit in order to more quickly and efficiently remove underlying coal deposits. Although this kind of mining is cheaper than traditional subsurface methods, its social and environmental costs are steep, making it a major source of contention in both the Central Appalachian region and America as a whole. Elements of mountaintop removal mining that have contributed to its controversial nature are how it affects the economies of surrounding communities, leads to poor bodily health, and warps the natural beauty and biodiversity of the Appalachian environment.

natural water sources, and or other water supplies are “contaminated due to fracking” EPA states

Did you know what strip mining does to forests. Instead of having nice landscapes we have flat landes. It could be for artists or it can be for mountain climbing. We are also cutting down our fresh air suppliers. Later in the future we will have less fresh air so we will have to make

Coal is a hard, black colored rock-like substance. It is made up of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and varying amount of sulphur. Coal was form as decomposition took place in the absence of oxygen and much of the hydrogen content of the matter was eroded away, leaving a material rich in carbon. The material was compressed over the years by sand and dirt, leaving the form of a carbon known as coal. The different types of coals are Anthracite, bituminous, lignite, peat, coke, and charcoal. Coal is mined out of the ground and used to produce energy. However, they are many deaths, injuries, and sickness involved in mining coal.

In our days, mining for resources is inevitable. The resources we need are valuable in everyday life. Such resources mined up are coal, copper, gold, silver, and sand. However, mining poses environmental risks that can degrade the quality of soil and water, which can end up effecting us humans if not taken care of and many of the damages are irreversible once they have occurred.