In PA Alone, Coal Mining Damage Includes 250 Miles Of Highwall, 2,000 Miles Of Acidified Streams
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Officials in Pennsylvania and Maryland say considerable progress has been made toward addressing the safety, environmental and aesthetic problems from abandoned mine land since efforts began more than 40 years ago. Since 1977, about $1.6 billion in federal funds have has been spent to clean up abandoned mine land problems on more than 94,000 acres in the two states.
But much remains to be done. Pennsylvania officials say that only about 12% of its abandoned mine land has been cleaned to date. They estimate that, at the current funding rate, it would take $51 billion and 105 years to clean up all of the problems, including more than 800 coal waste piles, 250 miles of dangerous highwalls and, in the state’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed alone, 2,000 miles of streams polluted by acid mine drainage.
Maryland estimates there are still 127 miles of tainted streams and other projects needed that would cost $59 million. Approximately 25 kinds of heavy metals can be released in acid mine drainage, which seeps into streams from former mining sites and sometimes comes from “blow outs” in sealed tunnels.
Because water pollution from mining operations can continue for thousands of years, cleanup projects rarely eliminate the source. Instead, efforts focus on treating the acidity before it reaches waterways. Approaches and costs are varied.
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https://www.bayjournal.com/news/pollution/the-dirty-truth-it-takes-coal-to-heal-coals-scars-on-the-landscape/article_f39b0156-9401-11eb-921b-d394945e8ded.html
