The first article we got this week covered acid drainage and its harmful effects. We talked about it in class to some length, but there were still aspects discussed ere that I may not have fully grasped. One example is just how far the drainage travels. I was unaware beforehand that some acid drainage goes over 8 miles downstream, affecting every fish, plant, or human that comes in contact with it. In addition to sulfuric acid, much of the leakage is other metals, which is what creates that rust colored lining on the bottom of some river beds. These are actually a huge problem as metals don't simply break down and disappear; they linger for years and years until someone physically cleans it out.
Two ways this info relates to class is our studies of mining. When companies use explosives or other disruptive techniques in their mines, many minerals are deposited where they shouldn't be. This creates the acid drainage we just talked about. It also goes hand in and with our lab we did today: the mining simulation. Our group was so concerned with making enough money to not be in debt that we didn't care if we made any smears (acid drainage) while mining. It's not hard to see how a company that's $200 million in the hole may not care about how clean the streams are.
A question I have is about coal mining. How long does it last? As the apparent most advanced country in the nation, we can't always stay on such cruel forms of energy such as coal, right? When does West Virginia become a solar energy capital of the world?
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