Table of Contents
What is contour strip mining used for?
Contour mining allows for the extraction of coal from mountainous areas, where it is not feasible to extract the entire seam, using mountain top removal mining. Contour mining allows for the partial removal of the coal seam at the elevation of the coal seam.
What is the environmental impact of contour strip?
Strip mining destroys landscapes, forests and wildlife habitats at the site of the mine when trees, plants, and topsoil are cleared from the mining area. This in turn leads to soil erosion and destruction of agricultural land. When rain washes the loosened top soil into streams, sediments pollute waterways.
How common is strip mining?
Strip mining for coal comprises well over half of the land that is strip-mined, which totaled less that 0.3% of land in the United States between 1930 and 1990.
How is strip mining done?
Strip mining is the process of removing a thin strip of overburden (earth or soil) above a desired deposit, dumping the removed overburden behind the deposit, extracting the desired deposit, creating a second, parallel strip in the same manner, and depositing the waste materials from that second (new) strip onto the …
Why is strip mining harmful?
Surface mining (another name for “strip mining”) can severely erode the soil or reduce its fertility; pollute waters or drain underground water reserves; scar or altar the landscape; damage roads, homes, and other structures; and destroy wildlife.
What are the pros and cons of strip mining?
The technique is somewhat controversial, with pros such as improved efficiency, cost, and safety and cons including the destruction of the natural ecosystem and potential for environmental pollutants. Strip mining is considered very harmful to the environment.
Why is strip mining bad?
What minerals are mined in strip mining?
Strip mining is the practice of mining a seam of mineral, by first removing a long strip of overlying soil and rock (the overburden); this activity is also referred to as overburden removal. It is most commonly used to mine coal and lignite (brown coal).
Are strip mines safer than underground mines?
On a production basis, comparing fatalities per million tons, strip mines are over four times safer than underground mines; and on an exposure basis, comparing fatalities per million man hours, strip mines are approximately twice as safe. This disparity in numbers is due to the higher productivity of the strip mine.
Why are strip mines safer?
It is safer than underground mining Given that strip mining just covers the surface, workers aren’t exposed to risks like the collapse of a tunnel – a risk that is inherent in underground mining. Also, companies are required to reclaim any land they use for strip mining.
What is wet mining?
i. A system of mining in which water is sprayed into the air at all points where dust is liable to be formed, and no attempt is made to prevent the air from picking up moisture.