Water Quality

 

Water is a necessary aspect of life. Humans need it, plants need it, and animals need water to survive. What contributes to the water quality that we consume? Turbidity, Alkalinity, nitrates, phosphates, DOC, conductivity, temperature, pH and even ecoli. What do these components have to do with water quality?

Turbidity is just a facy word for dirty water. It isnt healthy to consume unclean water. This might remind you of the Ohio River. Often, a transparency tube is used to measure the total amount of sedement suspended in the water. Toxic chemicals from factories contribute to turbidity, however they are not know of until after years of being in the environment.

Alkalinity is the water's ability to neutralize acids. If the water has a low alkalinity, then the water is acidic.This also goes with pH. When water reacts with CO2 it creates carbonic acid.

 

 

Nitrates are the primary plant nutrient. Phosphates are in fertilizers this is a source for eutrophication. Eutrophication often occurs from fertilizers and raw sewage in very high levels produce a large amount of nitrate. This can happen when algae dies, decays, and reduces the Dissolved Oxygen Content (DOC).

Dissolved Oxygen is the product of photo synthesis and diffusion. This goes hand and hand with temperature. The warmer the water is the less oxygen it can hold. Most organisms need 5to 6 ppm of oxygen and cold water holds 15 ppm of oxygen.


Temperature is important in other ways too. If there are rapid temperature change, it can stress aquatic  organisms.

Water conducts electricity because most water in our area is hard. Hard water means that the water contains elements that conduct electricity such as, salt, magnesium, and calcium.

One of the terrible causes of poor water quality is ecoli. Escherichia coli (ecoli) is a form of bacteria found in the intestines of warm blooded animals. This can cause kidney damage and diarrhea. Clean water is a vital aspect of human life and in society. Without these delecate balances, society can not thrive.







Anti-Mountain Top Removal Mining

Mountaintop removal mining is bad for the environment as well as the residents in the area.
MTR contaminates streams, involves forceful blasting, increased flooding and sludge impoundments. Residents often leave their towns because of the negative effects of MTR. The general health to the residents in the towns is deeply effected. Through water decontamination, residents experience various health problems such as tooth enamal damage, gall bladder removal, chronic stomach pains, and even death. The blasting ruins the foundations of buildings around the area, and lowers the value of a resident's home. The lack of trees in the area, allow run off water to become more prominent. The run off accumulates faster and with more intensity. This creates flooding and erosion. Sludge is another factor. When the coal is separated from rock, it creates sludge. This sludge contains dangerous metals. If a sludge impoundment fails, homes, schools, stores, entire communties can be destroyed. Mountain top removal's risks don't out weigh the marginal increase in my opinion. While it may be safer to the miners and cheaper for mine owners, at what cost do the residents suffer and pay?

Pro Mountain Top Removal Mining

Mountain top removal mining is not such a bad thing. Sure, the environment is changed but the economy relies on mining. Mountain top removal is so popular because its cheap and safe. People need to have jobs in order for our economy to work. Nature was created to be able to take care of itself. Nature can adapt but people need jobs to take care of their families. Mountain top removal not only just effects the miners, but also effects the economy as a whole. Coal generates electricty that provides jobs for all the people who need electricity: electricians, grocers, teachers, mechanics, all need electricity. Without coal, how can these jobs be sustained? There are benefits to mountain top removal, although they are more marginal than environmental, nevertheless they are still benefits. Delegate Mitch Carmichael of Jackson County says "Extracting and using natural resources is essential to the health  and well being of our communtites and American economy."

Coal Camp

New River Coalfield

 

The New River Coalfield is located in Raleigh County, WV and Fayette County, WV. The camp produced large amounts of bituminous coal. The coal company recruited white people who had recently immigrated to the States and African Americans from the South to work in the coal mine. The owners were Anderson and Thomas Orwell. They were brothers who went into business together and lost everything when the coal mine business fell through. It had a population of 5,000.  After 1945, the mine started to close.The Mine is now apart of the National Park Service . The NPS preserves the coal heritage in the area. 

 

Surface Mining

Strip Mining- Used when coal is near the surface or overburden is unstable. Mining progresses and overburden is placed in the previous mine cavity.
Advantages: faster, less worker death, cheaper
Disadvantages: destroys the landscape, pollution


Contour Mining- strip or surface mining follows the contour of the hill or mountain leaving terraces in the mountain side.
Advantages: Easier to get to the coal, less worker fatalities
Disadvantages: The contour of the land is never restored


Mountain Top Mining- Tops of hills are removed to access horizontal cal seams. Over burdeb is pushed to high elevations. following reclamation, the original contour is not restored. Most controversial mining method.
Advantages: safer for miners
Disadvantages: foundations of homes are damaged from the blasts, deforestation and water pollution



http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/spring07/Bartlett/effects.html

Underground Mining

Drift Mining- Where coal seams intersect the surface; mine enters seam in a horizontal direction
Advantages: cheap and easy
Disadvantages- tunnels collapse


Shaft Mining- common method of accessing coal with elevators, deeper than 1000 feat below the surface
advantages: ventilation is okay, cheap
disadvantages: drilling the holes and charging them poses a huge risk









Room and Pillar Mining- half of coal left behind to support roof, Disadvantage: pillars put pressure on adjacent pillars leading to roof collapse. Roof falls are a constant danger.
advantages: high degree of flexibility, process is repititous.
disadvantages: cost of maintenance is very high


Continuous Mining- Machines usedwith drift mining or pillar mining, one miner operates the machine, varieties of machines used since 1940's. Paired with conveyor systems to transport coal out of the mine.
advantages: constant flow of caol out of mine, uses less workers.
disadvantages: sometimes the machines arent alway productive, then one loses money to pay for the machines to run without results

Long Wall Mining- highly effecient, huge machines support roof with hydraulics and once the coal os removed, the machine retreats and roof caves in.
advantages: can gather a lot more coal
disadvantages: more dust is generated at a dangerous rate



http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00461/shaft.htm

How Coal is Formed

     Coal formed in during the Pennsylvannian Period. Dead plant remains in swamp areas form peat. When the sun's light hits the plants it excites the electrons in chlorophyll. The high energy creates ATP and electron carriers. The ATP and electron carroers form bonds with CO2 to make carbohydrates.  After this the peat is pressurized and compacted over many years.