1. Electric Drills Prepare the Overlying Strata for Blasting

STRIP MINING

by Robert Aberdeen

Strip mining has been around for centuries, with “references to a form of surface extraction made by Dr. Johann D. Schoepf upon his visit to Richmond, Virginia, in the winter of 1783" (Montrie 17). It is undetermined as to how long coal mining has existed, but underground mining was the primary form that existed until the early 20th century, when surface mining came into regular practice (Montrie 17). The following sections are direced on strip mining, the technology involved and how it has evolved through history, its effects on the environment, and the laws, restrictions, and regulations of it.

Strip mining is defined as “mining by first stripping away the overburden” (World Book 721). The basic process constitutes five steps:

1. Electric drills prepare the overlying strata for blasting.

2. Removal of broken ore.

3. Removal of broken rock.

4. Extraction of upper ore seam.

5. Removal of upper ore.

(Strip 1)

Strip mining is most adequate when coal beds or other desired mineral(s) lie beneath the earth’s surface. The targeted material for strip mining cannot be located within the sides of steep hills, cliffs, or buried deep within a mountain and cannot be too deep below the surface, or another form of mining is required to extract whatever minerals are sought after.

Nowadays, strip mining is distinguishable by its usage of dragline equipment. Before draglines were invented, “mining of the past included a pick and a shovel and a strong arm to shovel coal” (Coal 1). Eventually, steam shovels came into effect, and later draglines. These massive machines literally drag the top surfaces of earth away, exposing the targeted material, which is usually coal. Draglines have been around for approximately a century, and have undergone many changes in aesthetic styling, functionality, and power output. These changes are directly related to innovations in technology, advancing from steam-powered to gasoline and eventually, diesel engines. Advancements in technology results in machines such as “Bucyrus’ 8200 series walking dragline, which weighs 4,629 tons, is independently mobile and is capable of suspending 235 tons” (BNI 1).

There aren’t any real benefits of strip mining in its relation to the environment, but there are advantages when compared to other mining forms. Probably the most obvious is the fact it is performed above instead of below ground. If a tunnel collapses in underground mining, workers can be injured, killed, or trapped. Also, fumes escape slowly, if at all through underground tunnels and can cause brain damage or death to the miners. With strip mining, workers breathe fresher air, and if the ground begins to subside, they have a better chance of avoiding injuries when overtop of the ground collapsing than if they were underneath it.

Although this is another advantage of strip mining over other forms of mining, it benefits the environment in a secondary manner. By secondary, I mean that it doesn’t occur as the mining takes place, but what can result afterwards. Even though strip mining tears up the earths surface and creates deposits of overburden and spoil, the land can still be salvaged. If all the necessary precautions are taken and followed precisely, the land can be leveled out, reforested and/or fertilized, and can be just as fertile as before it was mined. With all the regulations and guidelines followed, strip mined land can be used for farming and wildlife once again.

Unfortunately, there are also negative repercussions of strip mining. If not performed properly, according to Montrie and Smith, it can result in catastrophic amounts of deforestation, landslides, and water pollution. Before regulations had been placed, strip mine operators would remove entire forests if they were in the way of the mining process. Landslides would result from the dumping of overburden and not depositing it to a safer location or minimizing the dump pile’s size by spanning and flattening it out over a larger area. Water pollution is caused from the spoils running off or seeping into the ground, infiltrating the water supply and contaminating it from the underground minerals, such as limestone or coal. Montrie quoted Congressman Hechler, who put it in more argumentative terms:

“What about the jobs that will be lost if the strippers continue to ruin the tourist industry, wash away priceless topsoil, fill people’s yards with the black muck which runs off from a strip mine, rip open the bellies of the hills and spill their guts in spoil-banks? This brutal an dhideous contempt for valuable land is a far more serious threat to the economy than a few thousand jobs which are easily transferable into the construction industry, or to fill the sharp demand for workers in underground mines” (139).

Fortunately, enough people over the years complained about the effects of strip mining and took matters into their own hands that legislative laws and restrictions have been formed to keep the consequences of strip mining to a minimum, if not avoid them entirely. Most laws and regulations are state-based, and therefore few laws are stated in a nationally-based or general law book, like those found within the mining section of American Jurisprudence Second Edition:

“The Act of May, 1972 remains the cornerstone of federal legislation dealing with mineral lands. This enactment gives legislative assent to occupation of nonagricultural lands for mining purposes and lays down a concise set of rules to govern their exploitation” (255).

“Since the common law regarded the proprietor of land as the owner of all things beneath the surface, privately owned lands of a mineral character were regarded, at common law, as open to mining if the consent of the proprietors could be obtained” (256).

In addition to laws, there are restrictions on strip mining as it is in process. According to the Missouri Revised Statutes, the rights and duties of miners and mine owners include:

1. The leveling of all ridges and peaks created by strip mining, except in the presence of special circumstances.

2. Water sources are to be properly fixed to avoid damaging runoff.

3. Twenty five percent of total acreage is to be reclaimed each year if the land is

reclaimed for wildlife purposes.

4. The commission shall not approve the application of a permit to conduct strip mining where it could endanger a residence, public building, school, church, cemetery, commercial or residential building, stream, lake, public road, or other property.

5. The operator may not construct dams to form lakes in pits.

6. The operator shall cover the exposed face of a mineral seam where acid forming

materials are present.

7. The operator shall reclaim all affected lands except in the presence of special

circumstances.

8. Such other requirements as the commission may prescribe by rule or regulation.

Recently, Bush announced a plan to streamline strip mine permits, according to Environmental Network News. Apparently, “the move would give states and the U.S. Office of Surface Mining more power and erode the authority of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which has been more critical of mountaintop removal mining” (Bush 1). Ironically, the plan is supposed to benefit not only the mining industry, but also the public and citizens who want to police mining practices, according to Bush administration officials. The allowance of the streamlined permit process resulted when the “OSM, EPA, the corps and the Fish and Wildlife Service jointly announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding, or MOU” (Bush Plan 1). The Bush Plan policy would allow companies to go through just one public review of draft permits, instead of numerous comment periods and hearings that can currently be required. As stated before, the EPA has been more concerned about mountaintop removal mining, which “they signed off on this streamlining plan to give more say in the permitting process to the agency that most wants to weaken or remove all environmental restrictions on mountaintop removal mining” (Bush 2). This reduction in authority overseeing strip mining may or may not have a serious effect on the public and environment. In other words, hopefully, the lack of overseeing authority won’t allow strip mining operations to cut corners or be able to bale out of reclaiming the land or recovering what minerals and materials possible.

In conclusion, the energy requirements and the environmentalist’s demands are beginning to create pressure within society and legislation. “Compliance with federal safety requirements presents a major difficulty for the industry with declining productivity and increasing demand for output, such as the costs of compliance being passed onto consumers. With surface mined coal providing one-third of our nation’s energy, strip mine output will continue to grow in importance unless curbed by legislation” (Energy 1). Also, “sulfur removal has not yet proven commercially feasible, but hopefully a method will prove successful, because pollution is a major limiting factor on coal use” (Energy 2).

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

American Jurisprudence Second Edition: Volume 53A. Rochester, NY: Lawyers Cooperative Publishing, 1996.

The American Jurisprudence law book series contains the laws that apply within the United States towards all applications, with mining being contained in this particular volume. While not necessarily the lightest of readings, it does list some of the black-and-white laws with no grey area when it comes to mining. Also, it states which laws have overridden others, declaring completely new requirements rather than just adding on to previous laws.

“BNI debut new Bucyrus dragline.” World Mining Equipment, Inc. 2004. 28 March 2005. <http://www.wme.com/new.asp?d=archives/2002/

&s=Headlines-12-13-2004-09-27-55.htm>

This website discusses Bucyrus’ most recently commissioned dragline, which happens to be the second largest in the world. It goes into the specifications and what work is entitled by such machines.

“Bush Plan Streamlines Strip Mine Permits.” Environmental News Network. 6 April 2005. <http://enn.com/eco.html/?id=446>

This website discusses and contrasts the roles of different government organizations before the streamlining plan was executed. Even though it shifts the authority overseeing strip mining to mountaintop removal mining, hopefully changes will be for the better and not worse.

“Circular 9355-Appendix B.” U.S. Geological Survey. 31 March 2003. 8 April 2005. <http://pubs.usgs.gov/usbmic/ic-9355/appendix-b.htm>

Simply listed upon this webpage are restrictions and regulations regarding strip mining, and the damages strip mining causes which pushed for such laws and guidelines to be implemented and enforced.

“Coal Mining and its History.” 28 March 2005. <http://is2.dal.ca/~mmturnbu/

coalhist.htm>

The history of coal mining is included in a general description in this website. Also, it goes onto different sections, with each one giving a slightly detailed description as to the different forms of mining, what they entitle, exactly, and how their basic processes are performed.

“Energy Policy: Industry Perspectives.” Ford Foundation. 2005. 28 March 2005. <http://www.fordfound.org/elibrary/documents/0157/053.htm

The section used from this website provided an overview as to where our economy stands as of now with strip mining and its laws and regulations. What was very helpful is that this website presented the material in an unbiased fashion.

Montrie, C. To Save the Land and People. Chapel Hill and London: The University of North Carolina Press, 2003.

Mr. Chad Montrie is very biased, no doubt, towards the ceasing of strip mining and mining in general. He makes it a point to discuss all the turmoil and destruction caused by strip mining in the past, the present, and what will happen in the future if nothing is done to prevent it. He focuses on certain states where strip mining has caused catastrophic and irreparable damage that have forced people to leave the area and settle down someplace else.

“Rights and Duties of Miners and Mine Owners.” Missourie Revised Statutes. 28 August 2004. 8 April 2005. <http://www.moga.state.mo.us/statutes/c400-499/ 4440000610.HTM>

This website provides a set of legal guidelines strip mine owners and miners must follow in the process of mining or the mine owner can be fined each day for as long as the violation(s) persist. Some of the violations are considered separate violations each day they aren’t legally followed.

Smith, D.A. Mining America. The United States of America: The University Press of Kansas, 1987.

Mr. Duane A. Smith, like Chad Montrie, provides another biased opinion towards the abolishment of strip mining and all things relevant. Contrary to Montrie’s environmentally-based support, Smith uses politics and law to back up his viewpoint, discussing the attempts towards laws and restrictions regarding strip mine actions.

“Strip Mining.” 28 March 2005. <http://www.digistar.mb.ca/minsci/surf/strip.htm>

This website solely discusses the process of strip mining and some of the machinery most common at strip mining sites.

World Book Encyclopedia: D. World Book, Inc. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1992.

The encyclopedia supplies a general definition of strip mining and a great discussion as to how it differs from other forms of mining. Along with these differences, it compares the machinery that has been technologically engineered for each mining type and how they have become more advanced and versatile through the years.