Strip Mining Of Coal

Coal will continue to provide a major portion of energy requirements in the United States for at least the next several decades. It is imperative that accurate information describing the amount, location, and quality of the coal resources and reserves be available to fulfill energy needs. It is also important that the United States extract its coal resources efficiently, safely, and in an environmentally responsible manner. A renewed focus on federal support for coal-related research, coordinated across agencies and with the active participation of the states and industrial sector, is a critical element for each of these requirements. Coal focuses on the research and development needs and priorities in the areas of coal resource and reserve assessments, coal mining and processing, transportation of coal and coal products, and coal utilization.

Strip mines can be found everywhere from Appalachia to India, across China, and all the way to Australia. They may contain deposits of coal, copper, or gold. Readers will find out what strip mines are and how they are used, and discover some of the pros and cons about the operation of these mines. Full-color photographs and in-depth sidebars highlight some of the destruction that the mining practices cause and how some companies work to reclaim the land after the mines are closed.