Mountaintop Removal Research Paper

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Mountaintop removal is defined as “any method of surface coal mining that destroys a mountaintop or ridgeline, whether or not the mined area will be returned to what is legally described as the ‘approximate original contour’” (Environmental Protection Agency, pg. 5). Before describing the environmental and social impacts of this dangerous process, it is important to understand the process by which coal is drawn from mountain seams. The process of mountaintop removal coal mining, outlined by the Appalachian Voices organization, begins with clearing; prior to the actual mining, all vegetation must be cut away from the surface and removed. This includes trees, animal habitats, and any other form of life that could be sitting on top of a natural …show more content…
After blasting is digging, which describes the actual removal process of the coal. The coal is extracted using draglines, enormous earth-moving machines, and is then moved off of the now-deformed mountain into a cleaning station, normally located within a nearby river. The coal is washed with chemicals and these chemicals are often mixed into the river water and carried further downstream. Next is dumping waste, which the Bush Administration changed the definition of to include “toxic mining waste” so that coal companies can legally dump debris, or “overburden,” into nearby valleys. The blasted, useless part of the mountain, or “overburden” is deposited into adjacent valleys. These valley fills have buried over 2,000 miles of headwater streams and polluted more. The next step, processing, involves the chemical treatment of the coal prior to its shipment to plants for burning. This creates coal sludge, containing toxic heavy metals like arsenic and mercury. Finally comes reclamation, the part where the companies who engaged in mountaintop removal are supposed to develop the flattened land into something
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