Christina Buckless CPSP218L Section 0201 March 23, 2010
Mountaintop Removal
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What is Mountaintop Removal? Mountaintop Mining/Coal-extraction
process Tops of mountains are removed, exposing the seams of coal
Earth from the mountaintop is dumped in the adjacent valleys
(valley fill)
http://www.mountainroadshow.com/gallery/ky_mtr/031.jpg
Clearing Layers of rock and dirt (overburden) above coal
removed
http://www.griffincoal.com.au/getfile.aspx?Type=image&ID=1795&ObjectType=3&ObjectID=746
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Blasting
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45273000/jpg/_45273075_coalblast512.jpg
Reaching coal can require removal of up to 800 ft of rock
Explosives are used to blow off the top of the mountain
http://www.coalcountrythemovie.com/about_page.html
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Digging Lower levels of coal and debris removed by dragline
Draglines: 8 million pounds, 20 stories tall
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Coal_mine_Wyoming.jpg
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Dumping Waste Overburden (former mountaintops) placed into
valleys, creating valley fills 6,700 in 16 years Waste from mining
operations dumped into nearby streams 1200 miles of steams buried
724 completely filled
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/MountaintopRemoval/images/valley_fill.jpg
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Processing.. Coal is washed; excess water or coal slurry is the
result Stored in impoundments Slurry contains toxic chemicals
http://www.coal-is-dirty.com/files/images/blogentry/pondposter2_t300.jpg
http://www.africanwater.org/images/compost2.jpg
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Revegetation Revegetation and reclamation required 1977 Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act- restore land to approximate
original contour
http://files.posterous.com/forestpolicy/oeMl36XZgv9H40U12hhiN9ONaNWMvJmyPyFAxyKqUlcqR1kQogRgBfHZUfK1/mountaintop
_removal3.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=1C9REJR1EMRZ83Q7QRG2&Expires=1269213832&Signature=gQgp48rXeC2%2BI%2FGwX9f%2B
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Effects of Mountaintop Removal- Communities Human health
impacts from the blasting Increased mortality and diseases Blue
baby syndrome Loss of jobs/poverty Sludge Dams Drop in Property
Value Old Mining Towns disappear
http://english.obusiness.cn/yhhnj/en/images/DrinkingPollutedWater.jpg
http://www.appalachianlawcenter.org/
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Effects of Mountaintop Removal- Environment Deforestation Loss
of streams Contamination of streams Loss of mountains Loss of
biodiversity Flooding Mudslides
http://images.townnews.com/news-expressky.com/content/articles/2007/04/19/top_story/01mudslide.jpg
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In a pickle Central Appalachia provides much of the countrys
coal, second to Wyoming Mining the backbone of West Virginias
economy One hundred tons of coal are extracted every two seconds
Kentucky- 80 % of harvested coal is sold and shipped to twenty-two
other states Why should these residents have to deal with the
effects of coal mining? Jobs and money over health? Are the social
and environmental costs worth it?
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What can WE do?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2123/2516336530_5df49a1b22.jpg TAKE
ACTION! Clean Water Protection Act- H.R. 1310, H.R 2169 Appalachia
Restoration Act- S 696
http://www.ilovemountains.org/clean-water-protection-act/
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What can WE do? Support clean energy alternatives End coal
dependence Education Campus resources; Margaret Palmer SPREAD THE
WORD! Stand up and fight! Participate in 5 th Annual End
Mountaintop Removal Week in Washington Join organizations, such as
the Student Sustainability Committee & UMD for Clean Energy
http://www.coalcountrythemovie.com/about_page.html
Slide 16
Summary Turns ecosystems to rubble Contaminates freshwater
sources Causes health hazards and death Ruins communities due to
its flooding, blasting and sludge dams Taking steps backwards in
helping America become more efficient Using coal not alternative
energy sources
Slide 17
Work Cited "The Appalachian Region - Appalachian Regional
Commission." Home - Appalachian Regional Commission. Web. 23 Mar.
2010.. Biello, David. "Mountaintop Removal Mining: EPA Says Yes,
Scientists Say No." Scientific America 08 Jan. 2010. Print. "Coal
Controversy In Appalachia : Feature Articles." NASA Earth
Observatory : Home. Web. 21 Mar. 2010.. "The Destructive Process of
Mountaintop Removal |." WebEcoist. Web. 21 Mar. 2010.. "Learn More
about Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining." ILoveMountains.org - End
Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining. Web. 21 Mar. 2010.. "Mid-Atlantic
Mountaintop Mining | US EPA." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Web. 21 Mar. 2010.. Mitchell, John G. "When Mountains Move."
National Geographic Mar. 2006. Print. Morello, Carol. "Rocky
Road-Widening." The Washington Post 06 Jan. 2005. Print Mountaintop
Removal Mining: What Is It?" Earthjustice: Environmental Law:
Because the Earth Needs a Good Lawyer. Web. 21 Mar. 2010..
"Mountaintop Removal Mining: What We're Doing." Earthjustice:
Environmental Law: Because the Earth Needs a Good Lawyer. Web. 22
Mar. 2010.. Palmer, M. A., et al. "Mountaintop Mining
Consequences." Science 327.5962 (2010): 148-149. Academic Search
Premier. EBSCO. Web. 21 Mar. 2010. Perks, Rob. "Scientists Support
Ban on Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining." Web Log post. NRDC: The
Earth's Best Defense. Switchboard, 07 Jan. 2010. Web. 21 Mar.
2010.. "Process | Mid-Atlantic Mountaintop Mining | US EPA." U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 21 Mar. 2010.. Reece, Erik.
"Mountaintop-removal Mining Is Devastating Appalachia, but
Residents Are Fighting Back." Orion Magazine Jan. 2006. Grist. 16
Apr. 2006. Web. 21 Mar. 2010.. Webb, Bo, and Vivian Stockman.
"Coal-sludge Dam Hazardous to School, Public." The Charleston
Gazette 07 May 2005. Print. "What Is Mountain Top Removal Mining?"
Mountain Justice. Web. 21 Mar. 2010.. "What Is Mountaintop
Removal?" Appalachian Voices. Web. 21 Mar. 2010..
![Mountaintop Removal Mining (MTR) and the Hydrologic Effects on Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems Background [1] Mountaintop removal (MTR) mining removes](https://img.pdfslide.us/doc/110x75/56649e755503460f94b763bb/mountaintop-removal-mining-mtr-and-the-hydrologic-effects-on-terrestrial.jpg)
