Is mountaintop removal the same as strip mining?

Is mountaintop removal the same as strip mining?

Mountaintop removal mining devastates the landscape, turning areas that should be lush with forests and wildlife into barren moonscapes. Mountaintop removal coal mining, often described as “strip mining on steroids,” is an extremely destructive form of mining that is devastating Appalachia.

How is mountaintop removal MTR different than traditional underground mining?

Coal companies argue that MTR mining is cheaper than traditional mining (Yan 2010). Rather than going underground or digging through “overburden” (soil, trees, and rocks) to access coal seams, mountaintop removal just blasts the tops off (Yan 2010).

What is mountaintop removal and why is it done?

“Mountaintop removal/valley fill is a mining practice where the tops of mountains are removed, exposing the seams of coal. Mountaintop removal can involve removing 500 feet or more of the summit to get at buried seams of coal. The earth from the mountaintop is then dumped in the neighboring valleys.”

What is mountaintop removal mining and why is it so controversial?

The most controversial mines are known as mountaintop removal mines because coal companies literally remove the tops of mountains with dynamite and earth-moving machines, called draglines, in order to reach coal seams.

Is mountaintop mining illegal?

In the United States, MTR is allowed by section 515(c)(1) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. Although most coal mining sites must be reclaimed to the land’s pre-mining contour and use, regulatory agencies can issue waivers to allow MTR.

Does mining destroy mountains?

Tragically, mountaintop removal mining has already destroyed more than 500 mountains encompassing more than 1 million acres of Central and Southern Appalachia. …

What is mountaintop removal mining quizlet?

what is mountaintop removal. mountaintop removal is a destructive form of extracting coal in which coal companies blast off hundreds of feet of a mountain ridge top using heavy explosives to assess Ben seems of coal below.

How does mountaintop removal affect the environment?

Contaminants from mountaintop removal even poison the drinking water of downstream communities. And this form of mining makes a twofold contribution to climate change: The forests destroyed in the process no longer store carbon, and the burning of the coal that’s mined releases carbon into the atmosphere.

What are some advantages of mountaintop removal?

It Is Cheaper Than Traditional Forms Of Coal Mining The clean coal mining industry looks to reduce atmospheric pollution while also reducing the costs of obtaining the coal that needs to be burned for power.

What is a problem associated with mountaintop removal mining?

This destructive practice, known as mountaintop-removal mining, sends carcinogenic toxins like silica into the air, affecting communities for miles around. It also destroys beautiful, biodiverse forests and wildlife habitat, increases the risk of flooding, and wipes out entire communities.

How has mountaintop removal affect the Appalachian Mountains?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that mountaintop removal “valley fills” are responsible for burying more than 2,000 miles of vital Appalachian headwater streams, and poisoning many more. Under the change, the coal industry drastically accelerated mountaintop removal mining, with grave consequences.

How has mountaintop removal affect the Appalachian mountains?

What are the different methods of mountaintop removal?

Methods of mountaintop removal coal mining include, but are not limited to: cross-ridge mining, box-cut method mining, steep slope mining, area mining or mountaintop mining. What is the process of mountaintop removal coal mining? Before mining can begin, all topsoil and vegetation must be removed.

What are the impacts of mountaintop removal in the Appalachian Mountains?

Communities near mountaintop removal sites frequently experience contaminated drinking water supplies.

How is mountaintop removal bad for the environment?

Despite being legal, depositing soil and other mining byproducts into waterways can be incredibly harmful to the environment. The EPA studied streams near valleys filled with mountaintop removal mining waste, and they found that these streams had higher levels of minerals in water.

Where does the coal from mountaintop removal come from?

Most mountaintop removal coal is burned in power plants in the eastern United States and in some Midwestern states. Many Americans get their electricity from utilities that purchase coal from companies that engage in mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia.