Mountaintop Removal Research Paper
Mountaintop Coal Removal:
The Effects that this Growing Practice is having on Appalachia
Tyler DiNapoli
Jefferson Community and Technical College
Abstract Mountaintop removal is currently the most commonly used form of mining throughout Appalachia and it has a significant impact on life there. These different effects are environmental, physical, mental, emotional, and economical. While mountaintop removal may be safer for the miners themselves, the big question is how mountaintop removal is affecting the very way of life of the people of Appalachia
Mountain top removal (MTR) is slowly destroying the environment and reshaping the way that Appalachia has looked for thousands of years. Over 500 mountains have been flat lined to provide mountain top coal mines. (Amy, n.d.) If this process was happening in a more upscale part of the country then it might be a bigger issue and draw more attention to the need for change. Most of West Virginia relies solely on coal mining to be its biggest export and one of the very few jobs …show more content…
available to the masses that pays a good salary so even though this practice is extremely harmful people are forced to take a part in it. Harmful byproducts are destroying the environment; entire species of animals are disappearing from the ecosystem. These harmful byproducts are also damaging the health of the people that are exposed them by polluting water systems and forcing them to breathe carcinogenic dust. Mountaintop removal coal mining is the process where thousands of pounds of dynamite are used to completely blow up the top of a mountain and reveal all the coal seams that lay beneath the surface. Then large machines are used to dragline the mountain and force all the dirt and debris into the adjoining valley. More than 40% of MTR mines are in Appalachia, with 283 in West Virginia and 449 in Kentucky. (Mc Glynn,2011) MTR is so popular because it doesn’t require having to go deep into cave to mines for coal, it is a much cheaper practice, requires less man power and is safe for the miners themselves.
This form coal mining became prevalent when the coal companies learned about the safety benefits of it for miners and the cost effectiveness of this practice. Traditional mining practices require much more risk an 40 miners were killed in a mine explosion in 2010. (Mc Glynn,2011) Mining has always been a dangerous practice throughout history with very few adjustments to practices of safety regulations so when big name coal companies like Massey started tearing apart mountains to rip into the seams of coal then it really started to become a big practice. Though it is not completely safe either, in 2000 a slurry dam broke and flooded the Big Sandy River in eastern Kentucky. (Amy,n.d.)
“In the American imagination, Appalachia exists as a wholly formed entity,one created by generations of stereotypes and condescension.” (Fraley,2007) Appalachia is a very back woods part of the country that most people think poorly of and try to turn a blind eye to a lot. That could be a reason that this practice has been allowed to go on for so long without a big outrage throughout the country. Imagine if a wealthy family is Maine was forced to leave their home because a coal company wanted to blow it up and completely destroy their way of life. It would be a huge deal and more than likely be stopped fairly quickly but in a place that doesn’t have a lot of money and the people are looked down upon as lowly rednecks, it is easier to let it happen than to stand up and fight alongside them. The environmentalists that are fighting MTR frequently run into problems with trying to help the people of Appalachia who rely so heavily on the practice to provide the region with the economic stability that it otherwise lacks.
Appalachia has always relied heavily on coal mining for one of their biggest cash products and basis of their economy. This means that almost everyone knows someone that works in a traditional or MTR coal mine and most people are not willing to give up their steady source of income to fight against something, even if they know that it is wrong. Coal mining is one of the best jobs that the people of Appalachia can get, it requires no degree, pays a lot and they know that America is always going to need coal. “Area as big as Washington DC needs to be mined every 81 days to meet us coal demand” (Area,2007)
Up to 47% of Kentucky streams and rivers are currently polluted because of coal run off. (Prah,2006) Slurry is one of the worst byproducts produced by MTR, it is the water and the sludge that is left after the coal has been cleaned. It is full of heavy metals like magnesium, lead, and selenium which are extremely poisonous and damaging to the environment and the humans that are exposed to them. “Gregory J. Pond, an environmental biologist with EPA Region 3 in Wheeling, showed that more than 90% of 27 Appalachian streams below valley fill sites were impaired as per Clean Water Act standards” (Holzman,2011) The clean water act is something that as Americans we should have a right to, no one should have worry that their drinking water is going to make them ill or be chockfull of toxins. The animals and plants are also forced to be subjected to this water which is extremely unhealthy for them.
There are schools in West Virginia that are a mere 500 feet away from slurry dams. These schools frequently have children get sick with various ailments. One man in West Virginia walked 500 miles from Charleston to Washington, DC in protest of MTR and how close this slurry dam is to his granddaughter’s school which had been making her and a lot of her school mates sick. He was a coal miner at one time but after seeing the effects of byproducts he started his “Save the Children” campaign. (Moyer,2007).
Coal dust which has been linked to an assortment of lung problems like cardiovascular and lung disease is also found coating the surrounding areas around the mines. Coal Dust that is released into the air when coal is moved around has been reported to completely coat anything that is outside within the area of MTR mines which include homes, cars, schools, playground, toy and even the plants and ground . Hydrogen sulfide has also been found in high levels in homes near MTR mines and can possibly be damaging because it affects “oxidative metabolism”, which in the long term can cause headaches, memory loss, and irritability. (Holzman,2011) The hydrogen sulfide often goes undetected after a while because people develop a resistance to the smell of it which resembles rotten eggs and it no longer bothers them. “In 2011 three new studies showed strong associations between MTR mining and increased cardiovascular disease, (15.) increased frequency of birth defects, (16.) and reduced quality of life.” (Holzman,2011) After the studies and tests that have been ran it has shown almost inconclusive proof that MTR is slowly poisoning the members of the communities that these mines surround. The fact that people can see these statistics and still support MTR is unbelievable.
Where do the mountains go when they are drag lined? Straight into the valley below that mountain and destroy all forms of plant and animal wild life that was previously there.” In 10 years, 2,000 square miles of a mountain range that has stood for at least 290 million years will be irretrievably gone.” (Fraley,2007) The coal companies are supposed to either put the rock, dirt and debris back or move it but most often it is left there in the valley while pretty flowers are planted on top a perfectly flat ex mountain that has been completely stripped of its coal. (Motavilli,2007) The EPA has put strict regulations on this form of coal mining but frequently the coal companies try to ignore them and get away with as much as possible.
Trying to stop MTR all together is a pointless task but what we can do is help set higher standards of safety for the environment, safer disposal and handing of toxic byproducts, using less mountains and bringing back standard coal mining practices to lessen the amount that we rely on MTR. Forcing the coal companies to reform and take care of the beautiful mountains that they have for so long destroyed is something that Obama has been working on since he came to office (Holzman,2011) and thankfully it is working but people need to continue to fight against MTR so that it may never again destroy another mountain.
Slurry can be filtered for heavy metal presence and brought to power plants to help turn steam turbines so that way the carbon footprint that coal mining leaves is lessened greatly. Standard coal mining has always brought more jobs to the region and though it takes longer, instead of giving up, more people can focus on ways to keep the miners safe from accidents. The EPA can assign agents to each mountaintop removal mining location and they can make sure that the ways things are being done is held up to the high standard that they are supposed to be held to so that way no one can get around the laws. If an “area as big as Washington, D.C. needs to be mined every 81 days to keep up with US coal demand.” (Area,2007) then this country has a serious problem considering that it is the 21st century and the amount of technology that is available is vast. There are so many other options that America could be getting their sources of energy from. There is solar power, wind power and even steam power all of which are green options that we could be investing in. Though it might be less cost efficient currently in the long run it will pay off by saving the environment from being destroyed and people from becoming ill. MTR is destroying Appalachia in so many ways while people sit idly by and do absolutely nothing.
It is time to take a stand as country and to call the people of Appalachia to respect their homes and defend them so that they can end this terrible practice and find greener ways to meet Americas growing energy needs so that the earth can heal itself after all the damage that has been done to it. Imagine a beautiful serene landscape that is littered with tall beautiful mountains full of life, wonder and adventure, it is wonderful and peaceful place that has given birth to an entire society of people. Now picture a devastated barren looking landscape full of flat half formed mountains and toxins that can pose severe threats to anyone who gets too closes health. A place where no one can live, no one can visit, where no one can see the long enduring beauty that was the Appalachian Mountains and half of our beautiful
state
References
Amy , W. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://appvoices.org/end-mountaintop-removal/ecology/
Area as big as Washington DC needs to be mined every 81 days to meet us coal demand. (2007) International Business Times – US ed. , Retrieved from Academic One File.
Fraley, J. (2007). Appalachian stereotypes and mountain top removal. Peace Review, 19(3), 365-370. doi: 10.1080/10402650701524931 Retrieved from Academic Search Premier
Holzman, D. (2011, November) Mountaintop removal mining: Digging into community health concerns. Enviromental Health Perspectives, 119(11), 476. Retrieved from Academic One File
Motavilli, J. (2007). Once there was a mountain. E: The Enviromental Magazine, 18(6), 34-39. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier.
Moyer, B, (Performer) (2007) Mountaintop mining [Web]. Retrieved from Gale Database
The Effects that this Growing Practice is having on Appalachia
Tyler DiNapoli
Jefferson Community and Technical College
Abstract Mountaintop removal is currently the most commonly used form of mining throughout Appalachia and it has a significant impact on life there. These different effects are environmental, physical, mental, emotional, and economical. While mountaintop removal may be safer for the miners themselves, the big question is how mountaintop removal is affecting the very way of life of the people of Appalachia
Mountain top removal (MTR) is slowly destroying the environment and reshaping the way that Appalachia has looked for thousands of years. Over 500 mountains have been flat lined to provide mountain top coal mines. (Amy, n.d.) If this process was happening in a more upscale part of the country then it might be a bigger issue and draw more attention to the need for change. Most of West Virginia relies solely on coal mining to be its biggest export and one of the very few jobs …show more content…
available to the masses that pays a good salary so even though this practice is extremely harmful people are forced to take a part in it. Harmful byproducts are destroying the environment; entire species of animals are disappearing from the ecosystem. These harmful byproducts are also damaging the health of the people that are exposed them by polluting water systems and forcing them to breathe carcinogenic dust. Mountaintop removal coal mining is the process where thousands of pounds of dynamite are used to completely blow up the top of a mountain and reveal all the coal seams that lay beneath the surface. Then large machines are used to dragline the mountain and force all the dirt and debris into the adjoining valley. More than 40% of MTR mines are in Appalachia, with 283 in West Virginia and 449 in Kentucky. (Mc Glynn,2011) MTR is so popular because it doesn’t require having to go deep into cave to mines for coal, it is a much cheaper practice, requires less man power and is safe for the miners themselves.
This form coal mining became prevalent when the coal companies learned about the safety benefits of it for miners and the cost effectiveness of this practice. Traditional mining practices require much more risk an 40 miners were killed in a mine explosion in 2010. (Mc Glynn,2011) Mining has always been a dangerous practice throughout history with very few adjustments to practices of safety regulations so when big name coal companies like Massey started tearing apart mountains to rip into the seams of coal then it really started to become a big practice. Though it is not completely safe either, in 2000 a slurry dam broke and flooded the Big Sandy River in eastern Kentucky. (Amy,n.d.)
“In the American imagination, Appalachia exists as a wholly formed entity,one created by generations of stereotypes and condescension.” (Fraley,2007) Appalachia is a very back woods part of the country that most people think poorly of and try to turn a blind eye to a lot. That could be a reason that this practice has been allowed to go on for so long without a big outrage throughout the country. Imagine if a wealthy family is Maine was forced to leave their home because a coal company wanted to blow it up and completely destroy their way of life. It would be a huge deal and more than likely be stopped fairly quickly but in a place that doesn’t have a lot of money and the people are looked down upon as lowly rednecks, it is easier to let it happen than to stand up and fight alongside them. The environmentalists that are fighting MTR frequently run into problems with trying to help the people of Appalachia who rely so heavily on the practice to provide the region with the economic stability that it otherwise lacks.
Appalachia has always relied heavily on coal mining for one of their biggest cash products and basis of their economy. This means that almost everyone knows someone that works in a traditional or MTR coal mine and most people are not willing to give up their steady source of income to fight against something, even if they know that it is wrong. Coal mining is one of the best jobs that the people of Appalachia can get, it requires no degree, pays a lot and they know that America is always going to need coal. “Area as big as Washington DC needs to be mined every 81 days to meet us coal demand” (Area,2007)
Up to 47% of Kentucky streams and rivers are currently polluted because of coal run off. (Prah,2006) Slurry is one of the worst byproducts produced by MTR, it is the water and the sludge that is left after the coal has been cleaned. It is full of heavy metals like magnesium, lead, and selenium which are extremely poisonous and damaging to the environment and the humans that are exposed to them. “Gregory J. Pond, an environmental biologist with EPA Region 3 in Wheeling, showed that more than 90% of 27 Appalachian streams below valley fill sites were impaired as per Clean Water Act standards” (Holzman,2011) The clean water act is something that as Americans we should have a right to, no one should have worry that their drinking water is going to make them ill or be chockfull of toxins. The animals and plants are also forced to be subjected to this water which is extremely unhealthy for them.
There are schools in West Virginia that are a mere 500 feet away from slurry dams. These schools frequently have children get sick with various ailments. One man in West Virginia walked 500 miles from Charleston to Washington, DC in protest of MTR and how close this slurry dam is to his granddaughter’s school which had been making her and a lot of her school mates sick. He was a coal miner at one time but after seeing the effects of byproducts he started his “Save the Children” campaign. (Moyer,2007).
Coal dust which has been linked to an assortment of lung problems like cardiovascular and lung disease is also found coating the surrounding areas around the mines. Coal Dust that is released into the air when coal is moved around has been reported to completely coat anything that is outside within the area of MTR mines which include homes, cars, schools, playground, toy and even the plants and ground . Hydrogen sulfide has also been found in high levels in homes near MTR mines and can possibly be damaging because it affects “oxidative metabolism”, which in the long term can cause headaches, memory loss, and irritability. (Holzman,2011) The hydrogen sulfide often goes undetected after a while because people develop a resistance to the smell of it which resembles rotten eggs and it no longer bothers them. “In 2011 three new studies showed strong associations between MTR mining and increased cardiovascular disease, (15.) increased frequency of birth defects, (16.) and reduced quality of life.” (Holzman,2011) After the studies and tests that have been ran it has shown almost inconclusive proof that MTR is slowly poisoning the members of the communities that these mines surround. The fact that people can see these statistics and still support MTR is unbelievable.
Where do the mountains go when they are drag lined? Straight into the valley below that mountain and destroy all forms of plant and animal wild life that was previously there.” In 10 years, 2,000 square miles of a mountain range that has stood for at least 290 million years will be irretrievably gone.” (Fraley,2007) The coal companies are supposed to either put the rock, dirt and debris back or move it but most often it is left there in the valley while pretty flowers are planted on top a perfectly flat ex mountain that has been completely stripped of its coal. (Motavilli,2007) The EPA has put strict regulations on this form of coal mining but frequently the coal companies try to ignore them and get away with as much as possible.
Trying to stop MTR all together is a pointless task but what we can do is help set higher standards of safety for the environment, safer disposal and handing of toxic byproducts, using less mountains and bringing back standard coal mining practices to lessen the amount that we rely on MTR. Forcing the coal companies to reform and take care of the beautiful mountains that they have for so long destroyed is something that Obama has been working on since he came to office (Holzman,2011) and thankfully it is working but people need to continue to fight against MTR so that it may never again destroy another mountain.
Slurry can be filtered for heavy metal presence and brought to power plants to help turn steam turbines so that way the carbon footprint that coal mining leaves is lessened greatly. Standard coal mining has always brought more jobs to the region and though it takes longer, instead of giving up, more people can focus on ways to keep the miners safe from accidents. The EPA can assign agents to each mountaintop removal mining location and they can make sure that the ways things are being done is held up to the high standard that they are supposed to be held to so that way no one can get around the laws. If an “area as big as Washington, D.C. needs to be mined every 81 days to keep up with US coal demand.” (Area,2007) then this country has a serious problem considering that it is the 21st century and the amount of technology that is available is vast. There are so many other options that America could be getting their sources of energy from. There is solar power, wind power and even steam power all of which are green options that we could be investing in. Though it might be less cost efficient currently in the long run it will pay off by saving the environment from being destroyed and people from becoming ill. MTR is destroying Appalachia in so many ways while people sit idly by and do absolutely nothing.
It is time to take a stand as country and to call the people of Appalachia to respect their homes and defend them so that they can end this terrible practice and find greener ways to meet Americas growing energy needs so that the earth can heal itself after all the damage that has been done to it. Imagine a beautiful serene landscape that is littered with tall beautiful mountains full of life, wonder and adventure, it is wonderful and peaceful place that has given birth to an entire society of people. Now picture a devastated barren looking landscape full of flat half formed mountains and toxins that can pose severe threats to anyone who gets too closes health. A place where no one can live, no one can visit, where no one can see the long enduring beauty that was the Appalachian Mountains and half of our beautiful
state
References
Amy , W. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://appvoices.org/end-mountaintop-removal/ecology/
Area as big as Washington DC needs to be mined every 81 days to meet us coal demand. (2007) International Business Times – US ed. , Retrieved from Academic One File.
Fraley, J. (2007). Appalachian stereotypes and mountain top removal. Peace Review, 19(3), 365-370. doi: 10.1080/10402650701524931 Retrieved from Academic Search Premier
Holzman, D. (2011, November) Mountaintop removal mining: Digging into community health concerns. Enviromental Health Perspectives, 119(11), 476. Retrieved from Academic One File
Motavilli, J. (2007). Once there was a mountain. E: The Enviromental Magazine, 18(6), 34-39. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier.
Moyer, B, (Performer) (2007) Mountaintop mining [Web]. Retrieved from Gale Database