Coal mining leaves lasting scars on our planet
Coal mining devastates landscapes and contaminates waterways with toxic chemicals, creating enduring environmental harm that can sometimes be reversed with massive restoration efforts.
Coal mining dramatically reshapes Earth's surface and pollutes water sources, leaving behind damaged landscapes and toxic rivers for generations. Surface mining, like mountaintop removal in Appalachia, blasts away mountains to reach coal, destroying forests and wildlife habitats. Over 500 mountains in Appalachia have been fragmented since the 1970s, according to environmental reports.
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