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Impacts of coal mining. 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. Strip mining or open pit 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
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
EFFECTS OF STRIP MINING • Disturb the land, vegetation and ecosystems • Cause erosion • Acid mine drainage
Effects on the miners • Collapse, explosion and fire hazards • Respiratory illnesses such as black lung disease from exposure to coal dust
Impacts on land Land subsidence
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