Environmental science

Introduction

Coal is considered as a fossil fuel that is burnt to generate heat and electricity to produces diesel fuel and gas. Coal is either removed from the surface or extracted deep inside. Coal has been involved with several environmental impacts that include waste management, land use, air pollution and water pollution. These impacts have been caused by coal mining and coal burning, processing and use of coal products. Coal burning has produced atmospheric pollution that has caused the production of million tons of solid waste products.

Land pollution

Strip mining has had several impacts on the landscape through reducing the natural environment value in the surrounding land. Mining has an impact on relocation and resettlement of certain members in the mine site. Coal mining has also impacted the economic activities such as agriculture in the mining site. Existing land uses in the mining site are eliminated hence affecting the uses of land in the mining area (Keating,2001). These include timber production, crop growing, and livestock grazing. During the mining operations, intensive and high-value land use such as transportation and urban systems are not usually affected during the operations of mining.  Strip mining is considered to eliminate existing vegetation and destruction of genetic profile, destroying habitat and wildlife and altering the current land uses. Coal surface mining has caused indirect and direct damage to wildlife. The impact of wildlife has included redistributing, relocating, disturbing and removing the wildlife stems from the land surface. Displacement and destruction of species in areas of spoil piling and excavation. Spoil areas and pits cannot be used for the capable provision of food and cover for most of the species in the wildlife stem.

Water pollution

The surface mining has impaired the groundwater in numerous ways. This includes drainage of water that can be used for consumption, lowering the levels of water in the areas and changing the direction of flow and contamination of usable water due to the mining operations.  The contamination of both nearby streams and groundwater may be for a long period due to the mining operations. The deterioration of groundwater and stream quality has been as a result of toxic trace elements, acid mine drainage, high content of dissolved solids and increased load of sediments that are discharged in the streams (Younger,2004). Coal mining causes the formation of dams, slurry, and floods that have resulted in deadly environmental disasters such as accidents.

Air pollution

Coal and coal waste have included bottom ash, fly ash and boiler slag that produce toxic release chemicals that are dangerous when they are released to the environment. During the burning of coal (combustion) the reaction between air and coal produces oxides of carbon that contribute to the greenhouse gases. Burning coal releases toxins due to sulfur and other elements such as mercury. The burning of coal produces toxins that increase health dangers due to air pollution. The emissions of coal burning have increased the greenhouse effect around the atmosphere hence leading to global warming in the environment.

Solutions

Improvement in mining methods, monitoring of hazardous gas, electrical equipment, ventilation, and gas drainage have been used in the past to mitigate the environmental impacts of coal. These have reduced unhealthy air quality, the risk of rock falls and explosions. Gases that have been released during mining have been recovered to improve the safety of work and generation of electricity. Technological advancements have made the mining of coal in the current world to be more productive than ever. This has drastically reduced the risks posed by the miners and the environment. Two major technologies have been used in coal mining. These include the clean coal technology and circulating fluidized bed technology (Zhengfu et al., 2010).  The CCT has a been involved in the generation of new energy processes. This has increased the ability to reduce certain pollutants and air emissions. This new technology has breakthroughs regarding environmental and economic responsibility. The CFB uses ultra-superficial and the superficial combustion. It is a clean coal combustion that has unique low-temperature combustion process that has significantly reduced the carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

Recommendation

Enhancing gasification during the mining and burning of coal is important. This is a method that can be used to convert coal into gas. This is important regarding reducing impurities of coal and also a great way of cleaning the pollutants of coal (Chadwick et al., 2013). This is one of the ways that is recommended for cleaning of coal and removing impurities so that they are not released into the environment. It is important to reduce mineral consumption and improve the environmental performance at mines.  To reduce the environmental impacts of coal, it is important to increase the efficiency of processes of manufacturing to reduce the demand for mining new minerals. The government should also be involved in regulations and legislation that reduce the environmental impacts of mining.

Conclusion

It is important for the mining industry to take steps in promoting sustainable mining. The technological and scientific advances will with time lead to mining that is clean, and that has fewer impacts on the environment. This should cover land, water management, wildlife, and air. This will make coal mining environmentally sustainable and integrate practices that will reduce the impacts of mining coal.

 

 

References

Chadwick, M. J., Highton, N. H., & Lindman, N. (Eds.). (2013). Environmental Impacts of Coal Mining & Utilization: A Complete Revision of Environmental Implications of Expanded Coal Utilization. Elsevier.

Keating, M. (2001). Cradle to grave: The environmental impacts from coal. Clean Air Task Force.

Younger, P. L. (2004). Environmental impacts of coal mining and associated wastes: a geochemical perspective. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 236(1), 169-209.

Zhengfu, B. I. A. N., Inyang, H. I., Daniels, J. L., Frank, O. T. T. O., & Struthers, S. (2010). Environmental issues from coal mining and their solutions. Mining Science and Technology (China), 20(2), 215-223.