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What Everyone Should Know

 

Why is it important to know about coal?

IT'S ABUNDANT
The United States produces ¼ of the world's coal (more then any other country), and has nearly 250 billion tons of recoverable coal.... enough to last us a long time!

IT'S USEFUL
Coal is used to generate more than half of all the electricity produced in the U.S. It's also used as a basic energy source in many industries, including steel production, cement and paper. It's used as a heating fuel, too.

COAL IS GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY, TOO!
More coal production will provide thousands of jobs in all aspects of the coal industry -- exploration, mining, equipment supply, transportation, etc.

IT'S AVAILABLE
Many U.S. coal beds are close to the either's surface. Modern mining methods allow us to easily reach most of our reserves.

IT'S A GOOD ALTERNATIVE
Greater use of coal will help the U.S. become more self-sufficient in energy. In addition to its use as a solid fuel, coal can be converted to liquid or gas to replace increasingly expensive imported fuels.

CONSUMERS ALSO BENEFIT
Consumers can also benefit from using coal because it is more economical then imported fuels. With expanded use, coal can help solve our energy problems.

What is coal?
Coal is a fossil fuel like gas and oil

HOW COAL WAS FORMED

Vegetation grew in swamps which covered many parts of America about 300 million years ago. The vegetation absorbed and stored the sun's energy.

Peat deposits were built up as vast amounts of vegetation dies and accumulated at the bottoms of swamps to form this spongy, brown material.

Geological forces buried the peat deep under the surface of the earth. There, the layers of peat were further compacted by pressure and heat.

Coal formed from the compressed peatafter millions of years under the earth's surface. The greater the pressure, the harder the coal.

There are 4 major types of coal

Coal is classified by hardness (determined in part by carbon content). The harder the coal, the less moisture it contains and the more efficient it is as a fuel.

LIGNITE
(softest coal) contains a lot of moisture. It's brownish-black and crumbles real easily. It's primarily used at electricity generation plants.

SUB-BITUMINOUS
(medium-soft coal) contains much less moisture then Lignite. It's used mostly to produce steam for electricity generation.

BITUMINOUS
(medium-hard coal) contains very little moisture and has high heat value. It's widely used to generate electricity and to make coke used in the steel industry.

ANTHRACITE
(hardest coal) has a very high heat value and makes a good home heating fuel.

How does coal effect the ENVIRONMENT?

In the past, coal mining and burning had serious effects on the environment. Today, new laws and technology help minimize any effects on our environment through.........

AIR MONITORING IN MINES
Dust in mines can cause lung disease. Federal law prohibits mining if there's too much dust in the air. Today, miners use personal air samplers to test dust levels at regular intervals. Also, large fans on the surface force explosive gases out of the mines, and dust is controlled by wetting coal or spraying limestone on mine walls.

GAS EMISSIONS CONTROLS

Burning coal produces numerous by-products. In sufficient quantity, these could pose environmental problems. Some of these by-products may contribute to acid rain, through the exact causes and possible solutions are still being studied by scientist within and outside of the industry.

Control methods include: using scrubbers or precipitators; use of different burning methods; removable of some undesirable material before using.

LAND RECLAMATION
Though coal mining alters the landscape. Federal and state laws now require all mined land to be restored to it's original condition. Mining companies plan the reclamation process before digging. In many cases, the land is left in better condition then before mining started.

WATER TREATMENT AND CONSERVATION

Iron sulfide (pyrite) in coal creates and acid which can contaminate water draining through mines. This acid is now being chemically removed before the water is discharged into streams.

Slurry pipelines require large amounts of water. But lakes created during land reclamation can help replace some of the water used.

FLY ASH AND SLUDGE CONTROLS

Fine ash particles fly up into the air when coal burns. Special devices placed in the smoke stack trap most of this ash. For example, one method uses electrically charged particles to trap ash.

Sludge is a by-product of using scrubbers. A new treatment being developed would solidify sludge for landfill or chemical uses.

PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT IS EXPENSIVE
The high cost of processing coal and controlling pollution has deterred greater coal production. However, new technologies promise to make coal cleaner, more convenient, and more economically attractive.

WILL COAL REPLACE OIL AND GAS?
Coal is far more plentiful in the U.S. then oil or gas. As methods continue to improve for mining, burning and producing oil and gas from coal, our dependence on oil and gas could be greatly reduced.

HOW MUCH OF OUR ENERGY NEEDS CAN COAL SUPPLY?
AS coal production increases and technology improves, coal should supply and even greater percentage of our total energy needs.

IS COAL ECONOMICAL?
Even with greater demand and the increasing cost of mining, transportation, preparation and pollution control, the price of coal should continue to be even more competitive with the rasing cost of other fuels.