Surface coal mining

It was precisely in the context of public policy debates over the proliferation of surface coal mining that the long-latent public health concerns in relation to coal mining were finally given voice. In contrast to the extended discussions in the 19th century of employee health issues in underground coal mines, the many debates over the merits of opencast developments in the second half of the 20th century barely mentioned the occupational health of the surface miners. Rather, the focus was squarely on the impact of the opencast mine on the local environment, and in particular the health and quality of life of nearby residents (Beynon et al. 

Dick WA, Bonta JV, Haghiri F, et al. 1983. Stream water quality of two small watersheds as affected by surface coal mining. J Environ Qual 12 351-358. 

Cravotta C. A., Ill (1994) Secondary iron sulfate minerals as sources of sulfate and acidity-the geochemical evolution of acidic ground water at a reclaimed surface coal mine in Pennsylvania. In Environmental Geochemsitry of Sulfide Oxidation (eds. C. N. Alpers and D. W. Blowes). American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, vol. 550, pp. 345-364. 

Rathore CS, Wright R. Monitoring environmental impacts of surface coal mining. Int J Remote Sens 1993 14(6) 1021—42. 

Detailed descriptions of the reclamation procedures and requirements for all situations are beyond the scope of this chapter. Instead, a detailed description will be given for surface coal mining, with additional comments for other cases that are considered noteworthy. 

The following description of reclamation requirements for surface coal mining is based on requirements in the United States, as given in the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977. -... 

Reclamation operations are complex and extensive. The time sequence for reclamation activities in surface coal mining is summarized as follows ... 

R. V. Ramani et al., Pre-mining Planning for Environmental Control in Surface Coal Mines, Preprint No. 77-E-387, SME, New York, 1977, p. 25. 

Dreher GB, Finkelman RB. 1992. Selenium mobilization in a surface coal mine, Powder River Basin, Wyoming, USA. Environ Geol Water Sci 19(3) 155-169. 

Surface Coal Mining Effects on Ground Water Recharge... 

Gough, L. P., and Severson, R. C. (1983). Rehabilitation materials from surface-coal mines in the western U.S.A. II. Biogeochemistry of wheatgrass, alfalfa, and fourwing saltbush. Reclam. Reveg. Res. 2 103-22. 

Wiss, J. F., Linehan, P. W. (1978). Control of vibrations and blast noise from surface coal mining (Volumes 1-lV, Report to U.S. Bureau of Mines). Bureau of Mines. 

Coal is found by Huguenot settlers at Manakin on the James River, near what is now Richmond, Virginia 1748 The first reca-ded commercial coal production in the United States is recorded from mines in the Manakin area 1762 Coal is used to manufacture, shot, shell, and other war material during Revolutionary War 1816 Baltimore, Maryland, becomes the first city to Ught streets with gas made from coal 1830 The Tom Thumb—the first commercially practical American-built locomotive— is manufactured. Early locomotives that burned wood were quickly modified to use coal almost entirely 1839 The steam shovel is invented and evenmally becomes instrumental in mechanizing surface coal mining. 

Hughes, D.B. and Clarke, B.G. 2003. Surface coal mining and the reclamation of tips, landfills and quarries - some geotechnical case studies from northern England. International Journal Surface Mining, Reclamation and Environment. 17, 67-97. 

Anthracite mines covered, all surface coal mines exempted, along with aU mines employing fewer than 15. 

Records of preshift and on-shift inspections must be kept and made available to miners (as required for coal and metal/nonmetal mines in the 1977 Mine Act section 103(h)). There are other record-keeping requirements for these inspections as weU. In underground coal mines, the record must be kept in a book labeled Preshift, On-shift, and Daily Report, which must be secured in a fireproof repository. In surface coal mines, the daily report must be countersigned by the surface mine foreman, the assistant superintendent of the mine, the superintendent of the mine, or a person designated by the operator as responsible for health and safety at the mine. In metal/nonmetal mines, each working place shall be examined once each shift. Records of preshift and on-shift examinations must be kept for 1 year (coal/underground 75.1802, 75.1808 coal/surface 77.1713 metal/nonmetal 55/56/57.18-2). Record keeping of these examinations allows miners to be aware of them. 

Coal workers pneumoconiosis is also a concern at surface coal mines and preparation plants, but not to the extent as in underground mines for high-risk occupations. Dust control measures for surface mines (primarily for dust generated from drilling, hauling, and crushing) are different from the ones implemented in underground mines, and these will be covered in the section on control of hazards. 

Optimizing dust control on surface coal mines drill. Technology News No. 286. 

CFR Part 77 ( 77.1300-77.1304)—Surface Coal Mines and Surface Work Areas of Underground Coal Mines. 

Aldinger, J.A., J. Kenney, and C. Reran. 1995. Mobile Equipment Accidents in Surface Coal Mines. USBMIC 9428.51 pp. 

Part 77, Mandatory Safety Standards, Surface Coal Mines and Surface Work Areas of Underground Coal Mines, contains five subparts that address the use of electric power. Part 77 is organized very similarly to Part 75, except that the regulations govern surface coal mines and the surface area of coal mines and there is no subsection for trolley wires. 

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