A discussion of coal mining, environmental impacts associated with coal mining, and mitigation measures to avoid or reduce those impacts.
Follow the links below to learn about coal mining technologies and environmental impacts of coal mining. You'll also find information about mitigation measures that can be used to reduce environmental impacts.
Resources and Technology
Coal, its geographic distribution, and coal mining technologies and associated facilities
Coal mining is just the first step in coal-fired energy production. Although this section touches on topics such as coal preparation and transportation, impacts of coal-fired power plants are not discussed here. Similarly, the impacts from construction and operation of electric transmission systems are discussed separately in the Energy Transmission section, and must be considered in addition to the impacts presented here.