After backstacking and grading of overburden has been completed, topsoil (or a topsoil substitute) is layered over the overburden layer. It is a drastic procedure, and has gained quite a bit of unwanted attention in the past few years. Critics refer to this type of mining as "mountaintop removal mining," which they say has destroyed 500 mountain peaks and at least 1,200 miles of streams while leading to increased flooding. Mountaintop Removal is a 2007 documentary film directed by Michael O'Connell. [53], A United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) environmental impact statement finds that streams near some valley fills from mountaintop removal contain higher levels of minerals in the water and decreased aquatic biodiversity. The ARRI operates utilizing the Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA). [40], On May 25, 2008, North Carolina State Representative Pricey Harrison introduced a bill to ban the use of mountaintop removal coal from coal-fired power plants within North Carolina. Filmed over a two-year period, Mountain Top Removal features citizen activists, such as Ed Wiley, Larry Gibson, Julia Bonds, Maria Gunnoe, and Mountain Justice Summer volunteers, in their efforts to stop the destruction of Southern Appalachia's natural landscape. [13], Because coal usually exists in multiple geologically stratified seams, miners can often repeat the blasting process to mine over a dozen seams on a single mountain, increasing the mine depth each time. In the past few decades, over 2,000 miles of streams and headwaters that provide drinking water for millions of Americans have been permanently buried and destroyed. Purtle, Joshua R. "Mingo Logan Coal Co. V. Amazon Doesn't Want You to Know About This Plugin. spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors. In the United States, this method of coal mining is conducted in the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. [82] Gunnoe and Lambert both organized and led grassroots efforts to educate their communities on the human health risks of MTM, with an emphasis on safe drinking water. The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers changed a rule to include mining debris in the definition of fill material, and the ruling was overturned. Fish species are also threatened by mountaintop removal since mountaintop removal is the eradication of forests integral to fish survival. Mountaintop removal mining in the Appalachian Mountains is among the most destructive actions that humanity has ever taken against the planet -- and it … [18] This group also facilitates restoration efforts by educating and training members of the coal industry on their role in promoting and adopting effective management practices. Fast-growing, non-native flora such as Lespedeza cuneata, planted to quickly provide vegetation on a site, compete with tree seedlings, and trees have difficulty establishing root systems in compacted backfill. What Are the Pros and Cons of Strip Mining? mountaintop removal “valley fills” are responsible for burying more than 2,000 miles of vital Appalachian headwater streams, and poisoning many more. Gunnoe advocated for the federal Clean Water Protection Act and continues to promote renewable energy efforts for the region. Mountaintop removal is done by surface mining the tops of mountains and ridge lines. [65] Consequently, biodiversity suffers in a region of the United States with numerous endemic species. [64] In addition, reintroduced elk (Cervus canadensis) on mountaintop removal sites in Kentucky are eating tree seedlings. [61], Reclaimed soil generally has high bulk density and lower in infiltration rate, nutrients content and organic matter; reclaimed sites are generally not successful to reestablish the pre-mining forests that once occupied due to poor soil quality. Jump to: navigation. Mountaintop removal is a radical form of coal mining in which the tops of mountains are literally blasted off to access seams of coal. A January 2010 report in the journal Science reviews current peer-reviewed studies and water quality data and explores the consequences of mountaintop mining. The waste is often disposed of in nearby valleys, suffocating small headwater streams. The rule states that certain conditions must be met, or the mining operation must take place “within 100 feet of a stream”. At current rates, MTR in the U.S. will mine over 1.4 million acres (5,700 km²) by 2010,[8] an amount of land area that exceeds that of the state of Delaware. Then, large amounts of explosives are used to literally blow the top of the mountain off, exposing useful material inside. [79] Poverty rates are directly proportional to mountaintop mining areas. It is most associated with the Appalachian Mountains in the United States, although this mining technique is in use all over the world. This little known plugin reveals the answer. Mine sites are often converted to non-native grassland and shrub land habitat with primarily invasive vegetation. Rates of mortality, lung cancer, as well as chronic heart, lung and kidney disease are also increased. [42] The MOU and IAP outlined different administrative actions that would help decrease “the harmful environmental impacts of mountaintop mining”. In MTR, through the use of explosives and large machinery, more than two and a half times as much coal can be extracted per worker per hour than in traditional underground mines,[22] thus greatly reducing the need for workers. Since the 1970s, when mountaintop removal first became popular with mining companies, people have objected to it on a number of grounds. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and This photograph shows part of the Kayford Mountain Mine in West Virginia on October 22, 2006. If the land owner has requested other post-mining land uses the land can be reclaimed to be used as pasture land, economic development or other uses specified in SMCRA. On four occasions, federal courts have ruled that the US Army Corps of Engineers violated the Clean Water Act by issuing such permits. [52] Another 2011 study found "the odds for reporting cancer were twice as high in the mountaintop mining environment compared to the non mining environment in ways not explained by age, sex, smoking, occupational exposure, or family cancer history". [16], Historically, reforested mining sites have been characterized by seedling mortality, slow growth and poor production. This group has been instrumental in advocating for the RECLAIM Act. Subscribe to our newsletter and learn something new every day. Mountaintop removal is a mining practice drastically transforming Appalachia. The rulemaking was an effort to better protect public waterways from mountaintop removal and other destructive coal mining practices. These may result from contact with streams or exposure to airborne toxins and dust. [57] A 2012 review by Science of the Total Environment cited elevated concentrations of SO42-, HCO3-, Ca2+ and Mg2+ downstream from VF sites. Michael Hendryx: Mountaintop removal is a form of surface coal mining. [26], Several studies of the impact of restrictions to mountaintop removal were authored in 2000 through 2005. As you can imagine, mountaintop removal results in rather dramatic changes to the topography of the landscape, and it has met with considerable opposition from people with very diverse concerns, ranging from economists to environmental activists. Harvard Environmental Law Review 37.1 (2013): 283-300. The new ecosystem differs from the original forest habitat and can have lower diversity and productivity. In an effort to apply specific forest restoration practices, the FRA focuses on five main reclamation components: (1) establish suitable soil deeper than four feet to enhance root growth, (2) ensure non-compacted topsoil is present, (3) plan vegetative ground cover to support tree growth (4) include tree species that support local wildlife, as well as commercially desired products, (5) ensure that proper planting techniques are utilized. Mortality rates show a similar relationship. MTR is sometimes the most cost-effective method of extracting coal. , search. While some of the land is able to be turned into grassland which game animals can live in, the amount of grassland is minimal. [7] Sites range from Ohio to Virginia. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Mountaintop Mining/Valley Fills in Appalachia: Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement," issued 2005 June 25, available at, Digest of Federal Resource Laws of Interest to the U.S. However, more studies are required on MTR impacts on public water and human health, some studies indicate the possibility of the two. It is an antiseptic term used to describe the most profound assault on land imaginable. [20] MTR accounted for less than 5% of U.S. coal production as of 2001. What are the Different Methods of Land Clearing? The overall loss of forest cover reduces suitable soil for revegetation efforts, carbon sequestration and biodiversity. Conventional coal mining involved miners tunneling underground to access and extract the coal. In mountaintop removal, entire coal seams running through the upper portion of a mountain are mined by removing all of the overburden (rock or soil overlying a mineral deposit), creating a level plateau or gently rolling contour. [75] Laboratory experiments on mice also suggested that PM collected from the Appalachian MTR site can damage microvascular function that may contribute to cardiovascular disease found in the area. Army. [17] The Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI), established in 2004, works to promote the growth of hardwood trees on reclaimed mining sites. Wastewater is often injected and stored underground and has the potential to contaminate other water sources. 2050 (Rep. Yarmuth ) bill. Other than occupational exposure, data and models suggested that deposits of  such pollutants in lungs of the residents are significantly higher in mining areas. It concludes that mountaintop mining has serious environmental impacts that mitigation practices cannot successfully address. [10] However, coal companies are often granted waivers and instead reclaim the mountain with "topsoil substitute". What is the Difference Between a Mountain and a Hill. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Increasing phosphorus and nitrogen can cause nutrient pollution. Mountaintop removal mining (MTR), also known as mountaintop mining (MTM), is a form of surface mining that involves the topographical alteration and/or removal of a summit, hill, or ridge to access buried coal seams. [19], Current remediation methods may vary, but expensive treatment costs persist. [14] Although U.S. mountaintop removal sites by law must be reclaimed after mining is complete, reclamation has traditionally focused on stabilizing rock formations and controlling for erosion, and not on the reforestation of the affected area. This is an important distinction because forest conditions vary from both classifications. [63] Forest communities as well as flora and fauna diversity depend on habitats provided by old growth forests. [5], A front-end loader or excavator then removes the coal, where it is transported to a processing plant. [32]  The Obama Administration, in July 2015, wrote up a draft "Stream Protection Rule". Published studies also show a high potential for human health impacts. Epa." exciting challenge of being a wiseGEEK researcher and writer. Parton, Chris. Environment Complete. Coal seams are extracted from a mountain by removing the land, or overburden, above the seams. When topsoil is removed, the land is incapable of restoring native hardwood forest habitat. [60], While aquatic ecosystems and resources are vulnerable to pollution and geomorphological changes due to MTM and VF leaching, the terrestrial environment is also negatively impacted. [78], The Appalachian region has a long history characterized by poverty. The first step in mountaintop removal is clearing the mountain of trees and topsoil. Mountaintop removal is a safer way of mining coal than digging a mine, but West Virginia should really consider the reasons why we should stop this process. [34], The Bush administration appealed one of these rulings in 2001 because the Act had not explicitly defined "fill material" that could legally be placed in a waterway. Is Amazon actually giving you the best price? [46][47] Land disturbance from forestry cutting, soil and bedrock displacement/removal and use of heavy machinery can decrease soil infiltration rate, terrestrial habitat and carbon sequestration, increase in runoff and sediment weathering. [58], Headwater streams play a major role in the physicochemical quality of larger rivers and streams because of their close association to the surrounding landscape. The practice of MTM has been controversial. Once coal removal is completed, the mining operators back stack overburden from the next area to be mined into the now empty pit. Mountaintop removal mining is the main method for extracting coal in the approximately 200 surface mines actively producing in the Central Appalachia region (KY, TN, WV, and VA). For the 2007 film, see, The examples and perspective in this article, Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI), Poverty and mortality disparities in Central Appalachia. [61], The Appalachian region is characterized by its high biodiversity and steep topography. [5] It occurs most commonly in West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky, the top two coal-producing states in Appalachia. Google Earth Engine and Landsat imagery report the extent of newly mined land from 1985 to 2015 to be 2,900km2. A study conducted in 2017 found that herpetofaunal (reptiles and amphibians) habitat generalists are associated with all habitats, while habitat specialists are only associated with forest sites. In 2007, adult poverty rates in MTM areas were 10.1% greater than adult poverty rates in non-mining areas in Appalachia. Published studies also show a high potential for human health impacts. Nearby communities, however, are not economically secure and depend on these operations for jobs. As the name suggests, it literally removes up to 800 feet off the tops of mountains to try to reach coal seams that are not accessible by other mining techniques because the terrain is too steep or the veins are too thin. [12] Any streams in a valley are buried by the overburden. This process is considered to be safer compared to underground mining because the coal seams are accessed from above instead of underground. Tour Mountaintop Removal in Google Earth If you already have Google Earth on your computer, you can view the Appalachian Mountaintop Removal Layer without downloading anything. [9], Mountaintop removal has been practiced since the 1960s. [71] A 2011 study found that counties in and near mountaintop mining areas had higher rates of birth defects for five out of six types of birth defects, including circulatory/respiratory, musculoskeletal, central nervous system, gastrointestinal, and urogenital defects. This method differs from more traditional underground mining, where typically a narrow shaft is dug which allows miners to collect seams using various underground methods, while leaving the vast majority of the overburden undisturbed. [76], MTR has negative effects on surface and ground water quality. While West Virginia has plenty of hills… Since the 1970's, conventional coal mining has been eclipsed by MTR, because it allows coal companies to access coal more effectively and efficiently while reducing the overall number of employed miners. The land does not retake the form it had before the MTR. The film explores how mountaintop removal mining in West Virginia has affected local communities. Stop Exporting Coal. The removal of vegetation for mining sites reduces evapotranspiration rates from the watershed and ultimately leads to an increase in average discharge rates. [5] Increased demand for coal in the United States, sparked by the 1973 and 1979 petroleum crises, created incentives for a more economical form of coal mining than the traditional underground mining methods involving hundreds of workers, triggering the first widespread use of MTR. This can result in a vertical descent of hundreds of extra feet into the earth. 18 Feb. 2014. Some of the most common treatments include plugging mine openings, altering the landscape to divert incoming water from at risk ecosystems, alkaline inputs, limestone channels and treatment ponds or wetlands. MTR reduces the freshwater resource that supports biodiversity. The overburden from MTR is either placed back on the ridge, attempting to reflect the approximate original contour of the mountain,[4] and/or is moved into neighboring valleys. Challenges associated with returning forests to their pre-mining state enabled grassland conversion to become standard. [50] For example, the extensive tracts of deciduous forests destroyed by mountaintop mining support several endangered species and some of the highest biodiversity in North America. [27] Mountaintop removal sites are normally restored after the mining operation is complete, but "reclaimed soils characteristically have higher bulk density, lower organic content, low water-infiltration rates, and low nutrient content". 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