The Effect of Mining in West Virginia's Mountains -
West Virginia is well known for coal mining; in fact, coal used to be the most important industry in the state. Because a lot of the coal has been mined out in the state, coal mining has been replaced by tourism as the number one industry. Coal mining has damaged the tourism industry by many different factors.
Strip mining is much more involved in threatening the beautiful scenery and valuable sites than the other types of mining. Strip mining takes its name from the way coal is removed. Its method of mining coal is to strip away mountainsides with huge machines just to collect the coal. Huge walls of coal up to 1,200 feet wide and 15,000 feet long have been removed from mountainsides by machinery. However, not only do the machines take away the coal, but they also take rocks, trees, soil, and other surrounding plant life that protect the mountainsides. Using those huge machines also pollutes the air by spewing carbon dioxide in large amounts into the atmosphere. It's very important that these machines have pollution controls on them to prevent excess carbon dioxide from entering the surrounding atmosphere.
Strip mining also damages the areas around the sites. When trees are taken from the mountainsides, soil erosion takes place which can cause huge mud slides to fall onto the small communities or coal towns near the sites. Strip mining can be dangerous, too, because loose, large rocks can fall off the mountainsides and roll toward the homes and historical properties located near the strip mine sites. Those historic sites are critical sites for the tourism industry in the state.
In the winter, it is much more noticeable where strip mining has occurred. If the mountainsides have not been reclaimed, the mountains look like someone has chopped off its sides and tops. When the strip mining companies do not reclaim the mountains to their original state and don't replant trees and plants, the beautiful scenery is ruined. If the mountains don't look beautiful, tourism will be negatively affected. Who wants to see ugly mountains?
It becomes extremely important that the mountains be restored properly to make them look alive. Because so many mountainsides have been damaged and their beauty has vanished, the federal and state governments have enacted laws and regulations to control reclamation of mountains. The laws state that when companies mine, either deep, slope, or strip mine, they must return the land to as near its original state as is humanly possible.
Luckily, in the summer, most mountains have enough foliage and trees that they cover up the strip mine evidence of removing the mountainsides. Although West Virginia is now doing a good job with reclamation efforts, there are still some strip mining sites that have not been reclaimed. We think that all the strip mine sites that haven't been reclaimed should be restored to their natural form. It would be wise if the state would take over the job of reclaiming those sites and planting trees which have been taken from the mountainsides. We want West Virginia's mountains to look as beautiful as they were before any mining took place.
Mining in West Virginia is very harmful to the environment and to wild animals' homes. When trees disappear from the mountains, animals such as squirrels, rabbits, birds, deer, black bear, opossums, chipmunks, and raccoons lose their ability to live in harmony with nature. Their homes are destroyed and their food supply decreases because of human interference. Most animals eventually can regain their way of life but the disruption by man for mining might take a while for the animals to return to normal.
We think mining is important to the lives of many West Virginians as well as populations in other areas. Mining provides incomes for families, electricity for power plants, and a natural resource that is important for making steel. But, coal is a nonrenewable resource that once taken from the earth is never returned. Since coal mining has affected mountainsides, it becomes extremely significant to the tourist industry that reclamation is the answer to restoring the natural beauty of the mountains.
To everyone who cares about the beauty of our world, try to encourage reclamation of any lands that have been damaged by man. That is the key to making our world a beautiful place to see!
Info - Harish and Sneh, West Virginia
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