Coal Mining 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 Activities and Resource Requirements
  Coal mining activities that could result in environmental impacts
• Potential Impacts
  Issues of environmental concern for coal mining, including direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts
• Laws and Regulations
  Federal legal requirements applicable to coal mining activities
• Mitigation Measures
  Mitigation measures to minimize or avoid environmental impacts
• Government Programs and Tribal Incentives
  Links to government programs and tribal incentives for coal mining
• Case Studies and General Information
  Case studies and coal mining Web sites

Coal Mining and Energy Development

Coal mining is just the first step in coal-fired energy production. Although this module touches on topics such as coal preparation and transportation, impacts of coal-fired power plants are not discussed here. A separate module on power plants will be developed for this Web site in the future. 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.