Coal | Mysite

By Biswarup Ganguly - Own work, CC BY 3.0,

In 2023, medical reports noted

“rising rates of pneumoconiosis

and COPD and lung cancer.”

Miners have to worry about accidents as well,

“coal mining safety has attained national attention

due to several highly publicized disasters.”

“Trains carrying loads of coal bring with

them higher rates of asthma, heart

disease, hospitalization and death

for residents living nearest the rail lines.”

“Coal processing refers to the practice of converting coal into … coal tar, coke, and tar-based chemicals."

“Describing and eliminating the health hazards of coal processing requires an understanding of

the nature of the raw materials, products, by-products, [and] the type of pollutants produced.”

Traditionally coal has been burned to make steel.

One steel mill, “released 8.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2020.” The resulting local

“hazardous air and water pollution” led to “heart attacks, infant mortality and hospital emissions.”

New industrial methods for steel production are starting to show promise. The older way, however,

remains in use. “The reason we keep using coal to make steel … is simple: it’s cheap.”

About a quarter of the electricity generated in the USA is from coal-burning power plants.

“Coal is … a mix of many chemicals – carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, even metals.

When coal is burned, all of these chemicals are emitted to the atmosphere either as gases or particles.”

“‘PM 2.5 from coal … is much more harmful than we thought'.’’

“'As air pollution in the U.S. gets ... cleaner, we should be targeting the remaining sources.'"

The U.S. government will spend money on formerly-privately-owned, but now closed, mines:

“for projects that treat acid mine drainage

to improve water quality,

restore mine-damaged water supplies,

close dangerous mine shafts

and reclaim unstable slopes.”

“Mountaintop removal mining … is a public health disaster.”

“The air and water pollution … involves deforesting and tearing off mountaintops to get at the coal,

[and] is leading to increases in cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, pulmonary disease, and birth defects.”