Page 664 - Environment: The Science Behind the Stories

levels of lung cancer, heart disease,
Total selenium (Se) 0.005 kidney disease, pulmonary disorders,
Al, Fe, and Mn concentrations (mg/L) 100 0.003 Selenium concentration (mg/L) out this study, Michael Hendryx and
Total iron (Fe)
hypertension, and mortality. The
Total aluminum (Al)
public health researchers who carried
Total manganese (Mn)
0.004
10
Melissa Ahern, found that these health
problems occurred in women as well
as men, so they could not be the result
1
of direct occupational exposure among
0.002
coal miners.
How much damage is too much,
0.1
when it comes to a watershed?
0.001
tions in streamwater can lead to birth
defects. This embryo of a fish has a
Various studies over the years have
severely curved spine as a result of
found that when over 5–10% of a Figure 2 high selenium concentra-
0.01 0.000 watershed’s area is disturbed by selenium exposure downstream from
WV stream some sort of human land alteration, a mine. Source: Lemly, A.D., 2008. Aquatic
condition index water quality and biodiversity in a hazard of selenium pollution from coal mining,
Number of pp. 185–201, in G.B. Fosdyke, ed., Coal mining:
insect genera stream decline. Mountaintop mining Research, technology, and safety. Nova Science
100 Number of 40 typically disturbs a greater percent-
intolerant genera age than this. For instance, of eight Publishers, Inc.
WV stream condition index 60 30 Number of genera in West Virginia in 2008, mining was U.S. government is failing to enforce
Number of
mountaintop mining permits issued
mayfly genera
80
Palmer’s team concluded that the
allowed to cover 17–51% of each
watershed.
the Clean Water Act and the Surface
Can mined mountaintops, filled
20
Mining Control and Reclamation Act,
valleys, and human health be restored
40
enough to prevent severe impacts from
mining? The science so far says no. A
mountaintop mining. The research-
10 to their original condition after and that these laws may not be strong
20 2006 USGS study showed that even ers urged the U.S. government to
after reclamation efforts, groundwater
from people’s wells near mining sites strengthen regulation of mountaintop
0 0 still contains higher levels of mine- mining practices. “Regulators,” they
0–50 50–100 100–200 200–500 >500 derived chemicals than water from wrote, “should no longer ignore rigor-
ous science.”
wells in unmined areas.
Just months after publication of
Streamwater Reclamation efforts have tradi- this paper, the U.S. Environmental
sulfate concentrations tionally focused on planting grasses
2- Protection Agency announced that
(mg SO 4 /liter) and herbs—a far less diverse plant it was strengthening its regulations
Figure 1 mining increases pollutant con- assemblage than was destroyed. on mountaintop mining. After review-
centrations in streams and affects aquatic Moreover, the degraded, compacted ing EPA-sponsored and independent
organisms. Data from over 1000 West soils do not hold water, nutrients, or
Virginia streams show that concentrations of organic matter well, so trees have a scientific studies, the agency adopted
four pollutants (selenium, iron, aluminum, and hard time establishing. A 2008 study rules aimed at protecting 95% of
manganese) rise along with the increased found little or no regrowth of trees aquatic life in Appalachian streams,
sulfate concentrations that result from mining and shrubs a full 15 years after recla- and began revisiting permits granted
(top). Data also show that insect diversity mation was completed. Another study in Appalachia for mountaintop mining CHAPTER 23 • Min ERA ls A nd Mining
decreases with rising sulfate concentrations projected that even 60 years later, the operations.
(bottom). Source: Palmer, M.A., et al., 2010. Moun- soil would hold only 77% as much
taintop mining consequences. Science 327: 148–149.
Reprinted with permission of AAAS. carbon as it did originally.

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