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Strip Mining

Strip Mining. Soraya Sadeghi, Nicole Mehdian, Dami Kim. What is Strip Mining?. Strip mining is the mining of ore or coal from an open mine. Process of Strip Mining. Coal stacked up in layers in Earth. Strip miners blow up a portion of the Earth using bulldozers and dynamites.

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Strip Mining

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  1. Strip Mining Soraya Sadeghi, Nicole Mehdian, Dami Kim

  2. What is Strip Mining? • Strip mining is the mining of ore or coal from an open mine

  3. Process of Strip Mining • Coal stacked up in layers in Earth. • Strip miners blow up a portion of the Earth using bulldozers and dynamites

  4. Process of Strip Mining • Top layer(overburden) is carried away, revealing the coal/mineral • Overburden is either deposited into the valley or put back on the mining area.

  5. Impact on Water • The waste from coal mining is filled with mercury, diesel, and other toxic chemicals.

  6. Impact on Water • This waste is placed in dams, which seep into groundwater and eventually go into the drinking water. •   The overburden that is placed in the valleys increases the amount of metal in the water, causing floods or blockage.

  7. Impact on Air Quality • Once vegetation is removed, windborne particulates such as lead and arsenic are formed from elements in the air. (cause problems with respiratory tract when inhaled) •   The toxic chemicals from the diesel-run engines pollute the air.

  8. Impact on Ecology • Because of increased soil erosion and metal loading, the aquatic life is affected negatively leaving behind fewer species. • Restoring the land that was destroyed is hard because trees almost never grow and these new ecosystems do not accept all types of wildlife.

  9. What are the causes? • Coal is needed for energy • The demand for coal is so high that mining companies need cheaper, easier, and faster ways to collect coal.

  10. Solutions • An average person can join petitions and campaigns such as the Mountain Justice Program to stop or lessen strip mining. • Look for alternative ways to collect sources of energy other than coal, such as wind, solar, and water. Ex: The Coal River Wind project uses windmills to produce energy instead of coals.

  11. Outlook • Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977: controls the environmental effects from strip mining • Regulations include…permitting, bonding, inspecting, restricting on lands.

  12. Contacts You can contact these guys : • Organizations..for example.. Mountain Justice Program • Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement • Email: GetInfo@osmre.gov

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