Surface Mining

Surface mining is a mining technique that is used to safely and efficiently extract coal reserves near the surface in the steep terrain conditions characteristic of Central Appalachia. During the surface mining process, multiple coal seams are uncovered by removing the overburden and interburden (the rock situated above and between seams), which are then placed on previously mined areas or within engineered fill areas.

The average surface mining wage is more than $66,000 per year, excluding overtime – 57 percent higher than the average for industrial jobs and surface mining employs more than 15,000 surface coal miners in the Appalachian region.

After the coal is removed, the entire site is restored through mine land reclamation as required in permit specifications. Each surface mining site is uniquely designed, engineered, permitted, operated and reclaimed in accordance with standards that are defined and regulated under local, state, and federal laws and regulations, including the 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), which requires final reclamation of the site to create "a level plateau or gently rolling contour with no highwalls remaining." Here are some examples of pre and post reclamation land use in Appalachia:

Efforts by Congress and federal agencies to eliminate surface mining will have a devastating economic impact on the communities where these mines are located.

One third of all American coal is mined in Appalachia, with surface mining accounting for approximately 45 percent of all coal production in West Virginia.

Visit the Truth About Surface Mining website for more information.