Effects Of Surface Coal Mining Research Articles

Hydrologic Effects of Surface Coal Mining in Appalachia (U.S.)

AbstractSurface coal mining operations alter landscapes of the Appalachian Mountains, United States, by replacing bedrock with mine spoil, altering topography, removing native vegetation, and constructing mine soils with hydrologic properties that differ from those of native soils. Research has demonstrated hydrologic effects of mining and reclamation on Appalachian landscapes include increased peakflows at newly mined and reclaimed watersheds in response to strong storm events, increased subsurface void space, and increased base flows. We review these investigations with a focus on identifying changes to hydrologic flow paths caused by surface mining for coal in the Appalachian Mountains. We introduce two conceptual control points that govern hydrologic flow paths on mined lands, including the soil surface that partitions infiltration vs. surface runoff and a potential subsurface zone that partitions subsurface storm flow vs. deeper percolation. Investigations to improve knowledge of hydrologic pathways on reclaimed Appalachian mine sites are needed to identify effects of mining on hydrologic processes, aid development of reclamation methods to reduce hydrologic impacts, and direct environmental mitigation and public policy.

Exploring the legacy effects of surface coal mining on stream chemistry

Surface coal mining results in dramatic alterations of the landscape in central Appalachia, leading to a myriad of environmental problems. In this study, we explore the long-term effects of surface coal mining on stream chemistry and endeavor to gain a better understanding of the efficacy of reclamation. We examined 30 sites in the Raccoon Creek watershed in southeastern Ohio, where the majority of surface mine sites are in various stages of reclamation. Our results show that conductivity (r = 0.862; P = 0.000), sulfate (r = 0.619; P = 0.000), and aluminum (r = 0.469; P = 0.009) levels increase linearly as a function of the areal extent of reclaimed mines in each subwatershed, suggesting limited success of reclamation to restore natural stream chemistry. In contrast, pH was not significantly linearly correlated with the areal extent of surface mines. This suggests that local acid mine drainage remediation projects are able to regulate acidity levels in the watershed but not conductivity and certain heavy metal concentrations. Many sites had conductivity levels high enough to impair aquatic biota via ionic and osmoregulatory stress. In sum, surface coal mining appears to have a strong legacy effect on stream chemistry in the Raccoon Creek watershed.