Karina Barriga Albring
Equinox Staff
While explosives destroy hundreds of acres of land in a few seconds, a forest will take over 500 years to grow back. According to Jack Spadaro, expert in preventing environmental damage and coal disposal, when mountaintop mining is practiced to mine coal, explosives are activated in the land and destroy biologically rich areas that are home to unique species of animals and plants.
Spadaro discussed how mountaintop mining has affected the Appalachian Region (southern New York to northern Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi) and New England during a conference given at Keene State College on Nov. 16. He referred to mountaintop mining as the most severe type of mining and the greatest environmental issue in the United States.
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Spadaro explained the mountaintop mining industry seeks to obtain underground coal by removing the top the soil of the land. Miners place explosives in rocks and then blasted them.
Spadaro said several coal-based power plants in New England use coal obtained from mountaintop mining in the Appalachians.
Science Professor Lisa Bomba stated, “In this region [New England], we are the unfortunate recipients of the by-products of the coal-fired power plants, meaning acid rain.”
She explained that when coal is burnt to create the energy, it produces ash and smoke. “These get caught in the prevailing winds….prevailing winds go from west to east, so they come to the East Coast.”
Bomba said she is not aware of any program to address the issue of acid rain in the region. “I think it is because we don’t see them in our backyard, so we don’t think about it. It does impact everybody.”
Spadaro, who has worked with the federal government to address the environmental impact of coal mining, said, “Mountaintop mining is directly linked to greenhouse gases. The coal goes into power plants that are generating 60 percent of these gases. If we can stop mountaintop removal, we can stop a huge part of the greenhouse gas emissions.”
Spadaro said mountaintop mining in the Appalachian region -especially Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia- has been practiced for over 30 years and has devastated what once was one of the richest soil areas in the United States. “There is a big loss of biodiversity. Appalachia has the most biologically diverse forest in the Northern Hemisphere.”
Spadaro mentioned the region has experienced more than ten floods in the recent years. “There have been tens of thousands of people severely affected by the flooding.”
Karina Barriga Albring can be contacted at kbarriga@keene-equinox.com.