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In response to negative land effects of coal mining and the abundance of abandoned mines in the US the federal government enacted the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, which requires reclamation plans for future coal mining sites. These plans must be approved by federal or state authorities before mining begins.
Although the effects of coal mining take a long time to impact the environment the burning of coals and fires which can burn up to decades can release flying ash and increase the greenhouse gasses. Specifically strip mining that can destroy landscapes, forests, and wildlife habitats that are near the sites. [85]
Mountaintop removal coal mining in Martin County, Kentucky Strip mining in Barnesville, Ohio. Environmental justice and coal mining in Appalachia is the study of environmental justice – the interdisciplinary body of social science literature studying theories of the environment and justice; environmental laws, policies, and their implementations and enforcement; development and ...
Environmental issues in Appalachia, a cultural region in the Eastern United States, include long term and ongoing environmental impact from human activity, and specific incidents of environmental harm such as environmental disasters related to mining. A mountainous area with significant coal deposits, many environmental issues in the region are ...
Download as PDF; Printable version; In other projects ... Pages in category "Environmental impact of the coal industry" The following 18 pages are in this category ...
The coal mining industry has a long history of significant negative environmental impacts on local ecosystems, health impacts on local communities and workers, and contributes heavily to the global environmental crises, such as poor air quality and climate change.
A coal surface mining site in Bihar, India A mountaintop removal mining operation in the United States. The health and environmental impact of the coal industry includes issues such as land use, waste management, water and air pollution, caused by the coal mining, processing and the use of its products.
Yellow boy in a stream receiving acid drainage from surface coal mining. Water temperatures as high as 47 °C (117 °F) [9] have been measured underground at the Iron Mountain Mine, and the pH can be as low as −3.6. [10] Organisms which cause acid mine drainage can thrive in waters with pH very close to zero.