This method of coal mining creates local jobs for those who live near a mountaintop removal site. Sites are typically found in some of the poorest states in the US, such as West Virginia and Kentucky; the placement of these mines gives residents a chance at employment, employing approximately 1,500 West Virginians as of 2001.
Many environmentalists argue that mountaintop removal permanently damages the land where sites once were. Contrary to that argument, once companies have completed work at a site and it is then deemed unusable to them, they reclaim the land. Reclamation is the process of restoring the land as much as possible by reshaping the mountains, planting trees and other flora, and creating a stable environment for the wildlife. Below is a photo of a former mountaintop removal site that has been reclaimed.
Mountaintop removal is a significant source of energy in the US. Half of the electricity in the US is powered by coal in general. Mountaintop removal contributes to that, and without this method of mining, the statistic would drop significantly. Mountaintop removal is crucial when it comes to producing energy in the US. The following photo shows the abundance of coal mountaintop removal produces.
Mountaintop removal is often much safer than underground mining. When mining underground, miners risk collapses, explosions, deadly gas leaks, and other hazards that miners are unable to escape when trapped underground. Surface mining completely avoids the risk of workers becoming trapped and a larger area makes mistakes less deadly. Safety is better regulated on mountaintop removal sites.
No comments:
Post a Comment