The results of good restoration – by Argus Energy
Narrative Description
This operation was originally a 198.34 acre surface mine in the 5 Block and Freeport Seams located in southern Wayne County in the Left Fork of Parker Branch of Kiah Creek watershed. This permit was initially approved in September 1990 and mining activities commenced shortly thereafter.
Mining and initial revegetation activities came to a close in 1994. The postmining land use for the permit was wildlife habitat. The planting plan consisted of various tree and shrub species recommended at that time by the WVDNR Specialist. The plan was typical of that time with blocks of White or Virginia Pine, various fruit tree blocks of either crabapple or wild cherry, and travel ways of Washington Hawthorne and Autumn Olive with some Black Locust, European Black Alder and Grey Dogwood.
A Phase I Bond Release was received on March 20, 1995 and several years later a Phase II Release was received on January 5, 1999. A Phase III Bond Release will be submitted soon.
The reason for this nomination is not necessarily for what was planted over 10 years ago but for what has happened due to these plantings.
A review of the attached photographs carefully documents the environment created by these plantings and the lessons we have learned over the last ten years of what works well and what doesn’t.
Argus Energy feels that the goals of good reclamation should be to meet the requirements of the postmining land use (which in this case was wildlife habitat) and to foster natural succession so that the reclaimed site can be self sustaining. During the first attempts of initial planting of a hand full of species, it is amazing to see the natural colonization of a vast number of native species which now greatly enhance the intended postmining land use.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
Overview looking across the valley fill at the encroaching native
vegetation among the planted White Pines. Please note the “V”
shape configuration in the center of the photo.
These are two old
riprap ditches that are being colonized by native trees.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
A close-up view of trees colonizing an old riprap ditch.
Please note the rocks on the surface.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of one of the on-bench sediment ponds.
Please note the large amount of aquatic vegetation.
Numerous ducks and other water birds frequent the area.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of several species of trees and vines (Virginia Creeper)
covering a pile of rocks adjacent to one of the ponds.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of several yellow Poplar trees that have colonized an old riprap
ditch on a valley fill.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of a Sycamore tree that has colonized a rock check dam
in a combination ditch at the back of a valley fill.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
A view of a rocky area of loosely graded spoil near an old sediment
ditch. Please note the mosses, leaf litter and native vegetation.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
Another view of rocky spoil and numerous
native species colonizing the area.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
A view of a 25’ tall Black Oak volunteer in an old
sediment ditch below a planted block of White Pines
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of a 20’ tall volunteer White Oak that grew up in
the block of planted Washington Hawthorne.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of another White Oak colonizing a
group of planted Washington Hawthorne.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
A view of a wild azalea which has volunteered in an old sediment
ditch. Please note the leaf litter forming a new forest floor.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
A view of an old riprap channel near a planted block of
White Pine that has now been colonized by various mosses,
Sweet Birch, Wild Cherries, Maples and other native species.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
A view of White Ash and Red Cedars colonizing
an area of the permit with more alkaline soils.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of a peaceful road through the middle of a planted block of
White Pine. Please note several other species such as Red Maple,
Sugar Maple, Yellow Poplar and Redbud which have
colonized along the edges.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of colorful Red and Sugar Maples and White Ash that have
colonized a rocky area adjacent to a block of planted White Pine
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of a pond below a valley fill that has been colonized by
numerous aquatic species such as cattails and bur reed. Please note
the muskrat den in the middle of the pond.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of a muskrat feeding area in a patch of bur reed.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
Another view of the larger on-bench pond showing a Black Willow in
the foreground along with Joe-Pye weed and other wetland species
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
Another view of the pond showing the various aquatic and wetland
species colonizing the area naturally
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of another native grass meadow on a lower mine bench
adjacent to one of the on-bench ponds
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of another larger on-bench pond.
Please note the aquatic vegetation including Long-leaf
pond weed in the deeper portions of the pond
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of a meadow of Little Bluestem on a ridgetop that had been
mined and planted with typical exotic species. The native grass
colonized the area naturally due to low pH and soil type in the area.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of an ephemeral wetland area on the ridgetop. Please note the
native Bluestem and Woolgrass in the clayey soil.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
A close-up view of the vast amount of berries produced by the
Washington Hawthorne. These plantings have been known to attract
large flocks of Cedar Waxwings.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
A meadow of Little Bluestem being colonized by Virginia Pine and
Sourwood trees.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of an old bird’s nest in a planted Washington Hawthorne
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of another old bird’s nest found a few yards away
from the nest shown above. This nest was also located
in a planted Washington Hawthorne.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of a cluster of Sugar Maples which have
colonized an area on a reclaimed slope
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of an area that was originally fairly rocky and sparsely
vegetated, now colonized by Sugar Maple, Red Maple, Redbud,
White Ash and several native grasses.
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of a Christmas fern that has colonized the
slope of a sediment ditch near a valley fill
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of more Christmas ferns colonizing the sides of a
sediment ditch near a block of planted White Pines
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of an old sediment ditch colonized by various native species
such as sourwood, serviceberry and sycamore trees
Argus Energy WV, LLC, Permit No. S-5063-89
View of another old sediment ditch not far away colonized by
native species such as sumac, Red Maple and even an
American Beech tree to the right of the photograph
What , No comments that this site could not be a restored Mountaintop Removal Mine. It sure DOESN”T look like a moonscape to me. These are the photos the MEDIA NEVER SHOWS. What does a restored site look like after twenty years of growth………Any Questions???????? Come on Ashley Judd or Woody Harrleson or even Darryl Hannah. Don’t you all have any comments? I’d MUCH rather have a mine site in my back yard than a Walmart parking lot…..which will look greener in twenty years????
How have you restored the peoples lives you detroyed in the process of ruining one of God’s most beautiful creations? You cannot regrow the mountain and you cannot restore the lives and health of the people you have effected by your actions! There are trees growing in devastated areas of Chernobyl, Russia. They still have high levels of radiation and grass and trees growing…….that sure dosen’t mean I want to live anywhere near there though. STOP THIS MADNESS!
Classic hypocrisy! Randall Maggard says “these are the photos the MEDIA NEVER SHOWS” The imnplication being “the media” manipulate facts to fabricate innaccurate “stories” while choosing among select images to utilize in the process of validating their biased and inaccurate viewpoint.
“Please comment on the restoration photos! – Randall Maggard SEE PHOTOS ”
“Come on” Randall Maggard, don’t you have “any comments” to Kevin Boyd’s question regarding effects of mountaintop strip mining on local residents health, lives, and generational heritage? While it is certainly appreciated (when it actually occurs), revegetation activities of land parcels is NOT the entirety of “reclamation”.
I am very happy to finally see some pictures of a reclaimed site. Unfortunately this is the only images I have ever seen and they appear to be from one company. What about the 499 others? And what about the destruction that occurs during the coal removal process, the ground water that is contaminated, the people who become ill, the communities that are destroyed. We do not fight MTR simply because we love trees! We fight it because it poisons the planet and its inhabitants. Whether you believe in climate change or not, coal is dirty and a major pollutant. The air we breath, the water, the soil, these things are not contained within some imaginary line that declares one area West Virginia. What happens in West Virginia effects every single person on this planet.
Dear Eruza,
I am deeply saddened that you didn’t get to see the ” other ” side of the story.
There are many ,many more sites that are even better than the ones submitted . There were interviews with landowners and neighbors to our mining operations that WANTED their land mined
that were filmed by the very makers of “Coal Country” but were cut because they didn’t promote the agenda of the film . Which by the way I was told was going to be a ” Balanced” documentary similar to ” The Appalachians” not a propaganda piece for the Sierra Club and Climate Action Ground Zero.
Boy was I duped
The groundwater was not contaminated…people have not become ill around our sites…. we even have one employee who is 82 years old thats worked in the mining businees most of his life. Most of our employess live very close to our operations and none are experiencing the ill effects alleged by the film…but wait that wasn’t shown. I have to remember they had an agenda and it was to screw the coal industry not take an objective look at the situtation.
Sorry I participated,
Proud to Mine Coal,
Won’t be so trusting of OUTSIDERS,
Randy
Randall,
You must admit, though the photos here show something encouraging they are no where near what this landscape would be had it been alone by the coal companies.
Additionally, most of the photos seem deliberately designed to use the focused image as distracting away from barren or nonwooded background.
Superficial pictures like this do in fact show that SOMETHING has been brought back to the land, but I wouldn’t for a second buy that this habitat will be as healthy in 20 years as it was 20 years ago (or that any of the other hundreds of “reclaimed” sites that AREN’T photographed).
Kyle,
I feel your mind is already made up that mining is BAD. If I sent in a thousand photos would that make a difference. Why do you ALL continue to focus on the negative . These sites are not the barren moonscapes that YOU PEOPLE always talk about. As a restoration specialist I am amazed on how resilient the ecosystems can be . No they won’t look exactly the way they did prior to mining but they will be viable functioning ecosytems that can and will support a variety of wildlife while still providing the fuel and jobs to support our economy till alternatives are found and developed.
The Native Americans periodically burned vast swaths of lands to provide grasses and forage to bring in game animals such as elk,deer ,and turkey to support their hunting activities. I have seen the same on our previously mined areas. our sites now support large numbers of deer which were sparce prior to mining …we have numerous flocks of turkeys when there were none twenty years ago…we also have the predators such as bobcats and black bears which were almost nonexistent prior to our activities.
So please don’t tell me that we have failed till you know all the facts and I mean FACTS not worthless propaganda.
Natural Succession,
Randy
Randy,
In many ways, you are right, I have made up my mind about MTR and mining in general. I’ve been to MTR sights in West Virginia (I go to VT) and I’ve seen the absolute devastation they cause. Furthermore, I recognize that having the mountain look decent 20 years later does not redeem the countless other health related and environmental problems caused by MTR and mining in general. I do respect you for presenting your opinion, and I recognize nothing either of us can say will change our views. However, you must acknowledge that even if this reclaimed sight is as great as you describe it, it is the exception, not the rule!
Also, you are wrong to call out solar and wind for needing/receiving government funding, and especially because of the way you cast government funding in a negative light. The fact is that OF COURSE lots of technology has been developed by the private sector, but LOTS of technology would not have developed as quickly or successfully without government research and support. If I tried, I don’t think I could ever accurately make a list of all the technologies our government has helped design and fund, but the fact is that the computer you are typing on, and the internet we are communicating through, are both A) Originally GOVERNMENT technologies, and B) further developed largely through our higher education institutions (read: funded heavily by the government). Digital cameras, cell phones, and MUCH of aviation technology itself was spurned by government creation/investment. Or how about nuclear power? We invested billions of dollars as a nation to make that into a viable technology. There’s no denying that, Randy! Government does not have all of the solutions, but it does provide solutions. The fact is that the institutional structure of a government can allow for a more developed and strategic reinvestment in higher sectors of the economy than does the private sector alone. A good government will take the surplus profit from it’s natural resources (these are called primary sectors–things like farming, mining, forestry, etc.) and reinvest them into secondary sectors (like manufacturing, textiles). Eventually that will create a higher standard of living, but at the point a responsible government will aid in reinvesting that surplus into tertiary sectors of the economy (these are the “services” and “professions” like merchants, doctors). Finally, a nation and government will invest in it’s fourth sector, largely known as R&D. R&D helps makes the other sectors of the economy more efficient and dynamic. Why do I tell you this? Because the thing is, whenever there is an emerging marketplace (such as with solar or wind) it has an inherent disadvantage against the status quo, because it has many economic factors playing against it (economies of scale, a lack of consumer reliability). The reason the government is funding these technologies is because it KNOWS that ultimately, the private sector will pick it up (which is completely the case, if you look at private sector investments in wind and solar technologies over the past decade). However, in the mean time the government can use its unique stability and institutional organization to strengthen these burgeoning industries. So please don’t bash government spending. Of course it can be excessive or inefficient, but so can the private sector. They work together!
Cheers,
Kyle
Randall,
I just watched the documentary, Coal Country. I commend you for the courage to be a part of a documentary that you probably knew would subject you to villification by some groups. The video shown in the film of the reclaimed areas under your care looked appropriate for a sustainable environment. The knowledge, care and pride you showed in the results of your work were evident to me. These views are typically not what is shown to the non-coal public. I also commend the producers and the videographer for allowing your side of the story to be included in the movie.
Randall,
Would you drink out of the pond that is on the “reclaimed” site?
And why is it all the photos are from one permit number?
Do you have any more photos from another sight?
Yes,
I would gladly drink out of the pond in the photograph after proper filtration… see the muskrat den there, there probably some fecal coliform present. A simple filtration device like you would take backpacking should suffice…
As for the photos, they were put together for a reclamation award nomination and this permit represented less than 300 acres which meant that I provided 35 photos to represent that area.
As for other photos, I have thousands but would that make a difference? I feel your mind is already made up that mining is bad weather I submit one photo or a thousand. How many would it take???????
Proud of My Work,
Randy
And when there are no more mountains to be demolished. How happy will Virginians and West Virginians be then? The demand for coal won’t stop unless we find alternative solutions. Alternative solutions will be sought only when we stop destroying our mountaintops.
Dear John,
YOU can develope alternatives to coal any time you want. Did the developer of CD’s try to outlaw cassettes or before that eight track tapes? Did Henry Ford try to outlaw horse and buggies?
I think the answer to that is NO…. he just built something better without ANY government intervention…remember it was two bicycle repairmen that developed manpowered flight….not a bunch of government money and regulations.
If there is currently an alternative to coal. find it, build it , and sell it….it’s that easy.
Don’t outlaw what we know works till you have a replacement …wind and solar will NEVER come close to powering our economy…so go find your magic pixie dust and let me know when you find it.
Randy
I agree Randy,if there is alternatives to coal,find it use it,and sell it until alternatives.coal is the answer .Everyone can fight coal ,but when it is hurting people that need jobs.there is NOTHING better than coal.Stop and think where would our ecoonomy be.God made coalmining ,stripmining for a reason.YOUR NEEDS .Without coal everything will go to nothing.I dont think there is any Alternative.
Unfortunately, Marie… there ARE good alternatives to coal, and this issue isn’t about jobs. Mining jobs are down drastically due to mountain top removal mining practices that are a sin against nature, God, and human beings. Coal companies have proven time and time again for their entire history that they care for PROFITS and not the miners. Remember the 29 miners who were killed because of flagrant disregard of safety violations by Massey Energy recently? Jobs? You have been misled and fed a crock of baloney. Coal KILLS people in digging or blasting it up, and it kills you, me, and our children by burning it for fuel to run turbines for electricity. Alternatives are not considered important at this point because politicians like Senator Manchin line their pockets with coal money, and that trail leads all the way to Washington.
Coal is an antiquated energy source that will be looked at in history books (if indeed we have a history in 50 years) as being aquainted with the iron age, copper age, dark ages, and the industrial age. Now we must move into the technological age, or we will simply not survive.
If you are truly interested in the future of your grandchildren, take a long hard look at what the industry is doing to our environment, and then re-evaluate the rhetoric that’s been pounded into your head by the coal pundits.
I just watched “Coal Country” and feel sick to see our wonderful state being destroyed this way. I find it funny how Mr Maggard wants you to see how his company is doing such a wonderful job after they leave. How ever like Ronnie says it is only from one claim number. Are there any other sites he can show us to prove his point?
Herb,
I have some “Pepto Bismol” if your still sick but I hate to inform you that the state of West Virginia is not being destoryed. What you saw was a lopsided propganda piece. I really don’t know what your talking about when you mention ” claim number ” I can take it your not from around West Virginia. What I think your refering to is the Permit Number , which is a number assigned by the state which has to approve our mining and restoration plan. the last two digits of the number is the year the application was submitted which in this case was “89″ which means we submitted this application in 1989… quite a few years ago so you can see “mountaintop mining has been going on for a long time this not something new as the media portrays. Just all the liberal media hype is whats new. I’ve been at this since 1983 and we are doing a better job now than we ever have.
I continue to be appalled at the misinformation and bias that continues to spew from the media.
NO ONE bothers to check the facts, there’s alot of errors stated in the “Film” as factual that are outright wrong. Judy bonds states that Boone County is the poorest county in the country which is grossly inaccurate, in fact it has the highest per capita income in the entire state….due in large part to coal mining.
All I ask is just check the facts.
Just the Facts,
Randy
Dear Randall,
Thank you for expressing your side of things. My family is from Mingo and Wayne Counties, and I have nothing against coal miners or responsible mining. However, I am a mountain person and am unconvinced that the flattening of their tops is a justified practice. There is no doubt that vegetation will regrow (this phenomenon will occur even without human aid); it is the mountains themselves that cannot regenerate. It’s like cutting off ones head versus shaving ones beard.
One of the most obvious and main concerns of people against MTR is the beautiful view of the great Appalachian Mountains. There is no restoring the peaks. Reclaimed mountains look unnatural and altered on the general scale, not on the close up, limited view. Our mountains should have points, not platteaus.
On another note, people do need power and jobs. Would there not be more jobs if the coal companies used methods of mining requiring more manpower but which left the landscape and vegetation in tact? Also, perhaps the effects of mining on other people’s jobs should be considered. For example, there are a lot of people employed in and state revenue generated by the tourism industry. This industry greatly relies upon the beauty and ruggedness of the Appalachian wilderness. The miner’s paychecks are not the only ones that matter.
Perhaps it is time for the miners and the community to stand up to the coal companies and demand that the land they call home be respected adn left in tact. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Remember the old adage, “all things in moderation”?
There are lots of facts in this whole issue, one of them being that MTR is permanently altering your and my mountains on a very large scale. I expect that you will probably respond to my comment as you have others– wtih sarcasm, cynism, and words written in all caps. However, I do not mean to personally offend you. This is just how I see it. I want my children and grandchildren to see the mountains as close to the way God created them as possible.
Thank you for taking the time to read my view of things.
~ Diane
These people who believe in global warming and villification of industry should wake-up and smell the coffee.
Global warming is a scientific farce, and, villians live in Washington D.C. or Copenhagen.
Our jobs are going over seas and they don’t have any EPA standards over there.
Where is Ross Perot when you need him.
Even with all our national problems, if the 30 million illegal aliens could be sent home there would be no unemployment in the USA. Don’t believe 10 or 11 million. By the secret count of the congressional committtee on National Security they estimate between 25 and 30 million illegals from all over the world.
So keep bashing industry and believing in Global Warming Farce and our whole country will be sold out to the highest bidder.
By the by I grew up in what then was Neon, Kentucky; I remember well the battle with the coal companies especially Duke Power over in Harlan County. My dad and grandpa had to go over there and work when they shut down McRoberts.
I don’t love Coal Companies but they furnish jobs. Jobs we desperately need. All the democrats since Bobby Kennedy have been coming and promising help, look around did they help us any of us.
They sure didn’t help when my dad was shot in the big strike and had to go north to work in the steel mill.
So, prove to me there is global warming and jobs are bad and I mean prove it —– not what some lieing scientist in England and Al ” richie – richie ” Gore says.
No one seems to have the guts to answer my comments. I thought maybe with the cold weather you might come inside and stopping hugging some lost tree.
Oh, that is right, it is not cold. Why might you ask??? Because of GLOBAL WARMING says I.
Poor old Algore still can’t get it right. Those pesky polar bears keeping increasing in number and the Polar Ice Cap keeps getting thicker.
Randall: It looks good BUT it isn’t the way God created it. Are the trees you are planting native to the area? Your pictures don’t tell that. You do mention that native trees are coming in. Take a look at what is happening to the Everglades and see what has happened there when men fooled around with the way God and nature intended it to be. It looked good too until we began to notice native species flora and fauna dying off. Now we are spending billions to fix what was done before. And harvesting pythons that are eating our native animals.
Marbeth,
Once you cut down the first tree or even better yet plant another tree you changed the way God created it. All the trees you see now are at least second growth unless you are in one of the few remaining virgin forests protected or missed by logging a hundred years ago.
The trees we are planting now are all native species. We as humans have to change our environment to live the way we do on this planet. What really upsets me is when people from big cities come to West Virginia and want it to look like a wilderness area but then go back to their big city lifestyles after they’ve caused us to lose our jobs.
I don’t want to live in some concrete jungle….I want to live and work outdoors and thats what I’ve been doing for the last 24 years. I’m proud of our restoration work….. we have produced over 40 million tons of coal in the last twenty years . Provided GOOD jobs for hundreds of people….and left the land in a way that the vast majority of the locals see as an improvement over its original state. Hunters flock to our sites to harvest deer, rabbits, turkeys, bear, and now even elk.
Please don’t tell me that it isn’t the way God created it.
If you have any questions please ask.
Thanks,
Randy
I appreciate your response. I realize that the forest is second growth. Our forefathers harvested the trees not ever dreaming that one day they would be gone along with the animals they housed.
I do live in a city. I appreciate the mountains. My people are mountain people. My roots are there.
I doubt that ‘vast majority of the locals see what you have done a an improvement over its original state.’ Probably see it as much better that if you left it alone after you ripped it up.
I do think coal or no coal, our country has to find an alternate solution to our energy source. Why not now instead of when the coal has run out? Why not plant wind turbines on the mountaintops creating income for evermore for the land owners and leaving the land?
Marbeth,
Did you see the portion of the film where Delcie Vance, one of the local landowners expressed her thoughts of her land after mining. The most common question we get whenever we approach landowners about leasing their land for surface mining is ” How much of my land can you leave flat?’ All the mountaintops we’ve mined are just as high or higher in elevation than before mining with access roads to the tops for anybody that wants to build a windfarm is welcome to make a proposal.
All it takes is investments. Enviromental groups still file suits for windfarms and the associated powerlines to them. Look at whats happened recently in Greenbrier County ,WV.
Why don’t all those Hollywood milliomaires just put up the money to build some if it’s such a good idea. Did you hear that Ashley Judd??????
Randy,
Token coal guy
Not familiar with Greenbriar County, WV. But I’ll look for info on it.
I don’t see how they can be as high or higher than they started if you are taking something out (coal) the math does not work for me.
Marbeth,
Just ” Google ” Greenbrier County Wndfarm ” and you can find the articles about the lawsuits trying to stop it based on the endangered species act and it’s potential to harm Indiania Bats, even though no surveys have ever found any in the vicinity.
In regard to your comment about how mining can make a mountain higher, the amount of coal removed in most cases is not sufficient to compensate for the ” swell ” that occurs when you excavate rock and dirt.
That’s the whole reason for valley fills in hilly or mountainous terrain. The typical swell factor is usually between 20 to 30 percent, so if you excavate a cubic yard of material you have about 1.2 to 1.3 cubic yards to put back, so your only choices are to put the excess material in a valley or hollow fill or in some cases pile the material higher if the slopes are not to steep. If the terrain is already very steep the only choices are to create valley fills where the material can be placed in a stable manner. In most surface mining one removes anywhere from 10 to 20 cubic yards of material to get to one ton of coal so you can see how the extra volume can accumulate rather quickly. One ton of coal is about one cubic yard, so one cubic yard is removed from the site but you end up with an extra five cubic yards to place somewhere due to the swell factor of the rock covering the coal.
Does this explain things better?
If you need more information , please feel free to ask.
Thanks,
Randy
Hey Randy,
I notice there is a lot of negative comments out there about mountain top removal, and in my honest opinion I am in some ways opposed to it. I am an Environmental science/Earth Science major and have done studies on MTR, coal and so forth. What I don’t think people realize is that if you don’t mine for the coal the way you do, then people do not get energy because without MTR it is hard to keep up with demand- so for people who complain about the mining process, every time you turn your lights on (or at least for 90% of you out there) it is powered by coal. We can not be mad at the coal companies for doing what they do because they are just trying to keep the supply coming to meet our needs. This is in defense of Randy and all the other miner’s out there keeping the lights on. If people want to stop MTR, then start pushing the government to move to alternative energy sources like nuclear.. just my input. But in the mean time, we cannot be mad at those supplying our power.
I do have one question, after the mountain top removal what are some of the leftover/pollution effects? I know that from the blast rivers and streams can become clogged or polluted but are there others? And what are the coal companies doing to prevent/clean up or are they even cleaning up the surronding blast area?
Hey Mike,
I notice there are no good reactions to turning on your kitchen faucet to discover that your drinking water is black, and in my honest opinion I am always opposed to it.
One thing I notice is if you do farm wind they way they do, there are sustainable jobs and much less black tap water for all West Virginians.
Here is a question: What are the side effects of creating Wind Power and sustainable Wind Power jobs in West Virginia? What are the pollution side effects? How will a sustainable job source drain the already stricken West Virginia ‘coal is our PR campaign’ economy?
How much more in taxes can a Wind Power company contribute to the local well being of West Virginians? INFINITELY COMPARED TO MASSEY AND THE ZERO TAXES THEY PAY. Please, Mike, tell me the benefits of mountain top removal!
I have nothing but respect for coal miners as it is my family heritage and is still a huge part of my family. But times have changed!
SAVE TRADITIONAL WEST VIRGINIAN FAMILIES AND END MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL
Or, rather, come shower in my family’s pure West Virginia BLACK WATER for a week and describe how you feel, Mike? Or maybe your’re not a quite BLACK WATER person but a more moderate ESPRESSO WATER cosmopolitan metrosexual but not gay (BY MASSEY BY GOD) type, or maybe your the weaker JUST COFFEE LOOKING SHIT SMELLING WATER enthusiast?
Try brining your family all of the water it needs in a tank on the back of your pickup monster truck (of course all West Virginians can afford them) but don’t forget to boil it, it’s still not potable right out of the tap you import it from cross county to your generations old Family house your taking it to, where the water is BLACK.
Signed,
Chark
Notice how Randell doesn’t answer to all of the arguments with proof; Also, Randell, learn how to spell, and use grammar, bud.