e water from two main river channels and ground water from shallow aquifers are widely utilized for irrigation, livestock purposes, and domestic use. Local people fear that acid water run off from the mines will pollute these water resources.
The mining consortium, however, claims that the potential for their damaging the land is greatly exaggerated. They have yet to address the water pollution issue though.
Coal production is a complex, heavy industry which can have a significant impact on the environment. Of the various mining techniques, perhaps "strip mining" is the most controversial. There are three different types of surface mines; these include contour, mountaintop removal, and area mining. The three differ according to such factors as operation size, the equipment used, and spoil handling (NRC, 1990, p. 60). All three forms of surface mining involve the phases of pre mining exploration, active mining, and post mining reclamation. Each of these activities can have a negative effect on both land and water resources.
In the Northern Great Plains Region, area mining is the primary method employed. Mining of this particular type generally involves the processes of vegetation removal, topsoil storage, blasting, overburden removal, and revegetation. Typically, these activities are performed sequentially: i.e., the overburden of new sites is used to fill the extraction pits of previously mined areas; the terminal pits are then landscaped and allowed to fill with water, thus forming an artificial lake. In western states, surface mining has already been performed on thousands of acres. The techniques tend to change the contour of the land, and may alter both geological and hydrological features. For example, haphazard replacement of soils and overburden can affect soil chemistry. In the northern half of North Dakota, the overburden has been largely deposited by glaciation. These materials tend to be tra...