An Analysis of the Impact of Mountain Top Removal Mines on Private Drinking Water Wells in West Virginia
Abstract
Mountaintop removal coal mining (MTR) is currently the dominant driver of landuse
change in the central Appalachians. It involves the clearing of forests, removal of
topsoil, and use of explosives to remove the overburden above the coal seams. After
mining is complete, some of the overburden is replaced and the excess is pushed into
adjacent valleys. These valleyfills bury headwater streams and generate mine drainage,
which contains elevated concentrations of sulfate and trace metals and metalloids
with known toxicity. Numerous studies have reported that residents of counties where
MTR occurs experience disproportionate levels of adverse health effects including
increased rates of cancer mortality and birth defects. In this study, the link between
MTR and community health was investigated by sampling and analyzing private drinking
water wells and using geospatial statistical models to determine whether MTR is affecting
drinking water quality. Over 30% of the wells sampled had concentrations of aluminum,
manganese, and iron high enough to cause bad taste and staining. However, these concentrations
were not correlated with distance from mining activity. Wells downstream of mines
were found to have higher levels of selenium, uranium, sulfate, nitrate, and potassium,
but none of these contaminants were present in concentrations that exceeded drinking
water standards.
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/5310Citation
Brantley, Halley (2012). An Analysis of the Impact of Mountain Top Removal Mines on Private Drinking Water
Wells in West Virginia. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/5310.Collections
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