What is Surface Mining and is it Bad?
Surface mining is the practice of the removing the soil and rock over a mineral deposit, such as coal. Rather than digging an underground shaft, the mineral is removed from the top, so there is no chance of collapse of a shaft. The three types of surface mining are strip mining, open-pit mining, and mountain top removal. Some say there are advantages to surface mining. The obvious advantage is that it should be safer for mine workers than being in shafts where they can be trapped. There is also a lower cost of recover (since trucks can enter the mine), … Continue reading