Coal Mining and Freshwater Streams

 With the recent passing of bills from the government; a bill was signed with providing surface mining runoff to inhabit our beautiful freshwater streams. The bill that was signed was H.J. Res. 38; it was signed on February 16, 2017. This bill would no longer help to protect waterways from coal mining waste in the United States of America. With this recent signing, there will be no protection on the headwaters of steams when there is removal of mountain top coal in the United States of America. Headwaters are one of the most important part of the waterways. It fuels the streams and rivers all over the United States. Mountain top coal removal will only bring more debris into our local freshwater streams hurting the aquatic life we have today.

Figure 1 Stream in central Pennsylvania

When it comes to mountains, a natural elevation of Earth’s surface that rises to a summit; everything is going to run off to a shallower elevation. These shallower elevations are called valleys. In most cases they’re waterways that lay at the bottom of these valleys, known as streams and rivers. Figure 1 shows a small native stream in central Pennsylvania. This stream is one of 3.5 million miles of streams and rivers combined in the United States of America. In Pennsylvania, this small native stream is one of 85,000 miles of combined streams and rivers. These statics show that almost every valley contains a stream or river at the bottom of a mountain. Whatever happens on top of the mountain will affect what’s on the bottom of the mountain in this case, it would be the streams and rivers.

With mountain top coal removal, this small stream in central Pennsylvania that contains the Pennsylvania state fish (Brook trout) will become polluted with surface run off and debris. Mountain top coal removal is responsible for burying more than 2,000 miles of Appalachian headwaters streams. Acid mine drainage is a major fact in polluting streams and rivers in Pennsylvania and the rest of the states. Acid mine drainage is the mixture of water and unearthed rocks such as coal. This mixture contains high levels of heavy metals that are leaked out of abandoned mines. Since mountain top coal removal will happen on top, this mixture will run down the side of the mountain and end up in the streams and rivers. Polluting everything in that stream or river. Bringing the coal industry back will bring all the coal jobs back including strip mining. Strip mining also has a major impact on the streams and rivers. Strip mining clears everything on top of a mountain. Strip mining also uses a blasting technique to reach the coal. This technique throw debris into the streams and rivers in the valley. Clearing everything out, leaves a layer of topsoil. When it rains, this topsoil disturbs the streams and river. Blocking the flow of the water and creating floods. It also disturbs the aquatic and plant life. These are some of the examples that can pollute the streams and rivers in the United States. Every one of these examples, can alter the quality of water in a stream and river. In most cases, it will decrease the quality of water.

Figure 2 Polluted stream from mountain top coal removal

Not only does mountain top coal removal hurt the streams and rivers, it also has a big impact on the aquatic life in the streams and rivers. The life cycle of aquatic life can be altered by the quality of the water causing populations to decrease becoming threatened or endangered. A good indicator of water quality is the fish. For example native brook trout prefer water quality around a pH of 6.5 to 8.0. The closer to a pH of 7 the better off native brook trout are. However, the pollutants from mining causes the streams and rivers to decrease in quality causing fish to die off. A study was done in 2014, showing that fish populations in a stream down from a site of mountain top coal removal were reduce by two-thirds between 1999 and 2011. This study took place in the Appalachia region mainly in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Macroinvertebrates are also impacted by this type of mining. Doug Wood a biologist for West Virginia’s Department of Environmental Protection, found evidence that an entire order of mayfly vanished from a stream that was down from a mountain top mining site. Finally, what about salamanders living by the streams and river. Filling in the valleys with mining debris will only result in less salamander life. I do not know about you, but I grew up looking for salamanders by streams. It was one thing I enjoyed doing when being outside in nature.

Figure 3 Brook Trout

Other people may have the view point of job creation; although by passing and signing bills in congress, we will allow the coal mining to start up again. Bringing back the coal mining business will increase jobs for the United States of America. There is no doubt that it would create jobs in the future. It may even bring the coal towns that once ruled the rural areas in West Virginia and Virginia. This would help us with the unemployment rate. Some people may look at coal mining as the answer of all their problems. So, what if a coal mining site hurts one little stream, at least I will be able to work and make a pay check for my family. Everyone has a different view on this issue.

Mountain top coal removal contains many impact on the United States. Impacts such as a decrease in water quality, creating jobs, polluting streams and rivers, and killing life forms. Mountain top coal removal will only bring more debris into our local freshwater streams hurting the aquatic life we have today. Can you imagine trout will be spawning among coal mining waste such as toxic heavy metals? I ask every reader out there, what is your view point on mountain top coal removal, is it good or bad?

Literature Cited:

Appalachian Voices. 2013. Ecological impacts of mountaintop removal. <

http://appvoices.org/end-mountaintop-removal/ecology/>. Accessed 24 Feb 2017.

Forbes. 2017. Hey anglers, get ready to enjoy some toxic heavy metals with your trout fishing. <

https://www.forbes.com/sites/monteburke/2017/02/17/hey-anglers-get-ready-to-enjoy-

some-toxic-heavy-metals-with-your-trout-fishing/#22ecc45bc8aa>.  Accessed 18

Feb 2017.

Greenpeace International. 2016. About coal mining impacts. <

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/coal/Coal-mining-

impacts/>.  Accessed 20 Feb 2017

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission [PFBC]. 2017. Fishing. <

http://www.fishandboat.com/Fish/Fishing/Pages/default.aspx>. Accessed 20 Feb 2017.

United States Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]. 2013. Rivers and streams. <

https://archive.epa.gov/water/archive/web/html/index-17.html>.  Accessed 20 Feb 2017.

Imagines Cited:

Figure 1: Chelby Sherwood

Figure 2: Appalachian Voices: http://appvoices.org/end-mountaintop-removal/ecology/

Figure 3: Chelby Sherwood