COAL IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

BY: EMILIA SAHRAIE

What are the effects of modern Coal Mining Techniques on the environment of British

Columbia?

History of Coal in British Columbia

Coal mining started on Vancouver Island in 1850. Western Civilization was triggered with the discovery of

coal.• It allowed technology to aspire and moved people and resources

around faster than ever.• The Hudson’s Bay Company even used coal to power their steamers. Coal statistics state that in 1886, 194,509 tons of coal

were sold for $765,748.• In 2012, 28,78 000 tons were sold and exported for

$5,059,642,000. Underground Mining started in the 1950s and was

extremely dangerous. • Since then, Open-Pit Mining was introduced in the foothills of the

Rockies.

History (cont.)

Throughout the 1900s, miners did not restore the mined areas back to its original state, and the land was left damaged.

Land Reclamation Laws were passed in the 1960s.

• They state that re-vegetating landscapes, restoring natural drainage patterns, and returning topography must be done.

• This is because Open-Pit Mining has great effects on the environment.

Importance of Mining in British Columbia

Mining is one of the most important factors that led to British Columbia becoming a colony.

• Mining made it possible for Britain to retain the colony during the Gold Rush, and attracted colonists and immigrants to come to B.C.

Mining has developed and brought attention to many cities in B.C.

• Such as the Kootneys, Nanaimo, Kamloops, and Prince George.

Importance of Coal Mining in B.C. and the World

40% of the world relies on Coal for energy.• Heat, and light specifically. Coal is considered to be green, and sustainable for the

environment. This is because coal is used to produce steel, and steel is used for green

energy, such as wind turbines, solar panels, tidal systems, and bio-energy infrastructures.

Coal Mining is significant because it is abundant in B.C. and the world has a high demand for it.

• FACT: Coal Mining plants have much simpler technology compared to Nuclear Power plants.

Map of Existing and Proposed mines in British Columbia

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The Effects on the Environment

Flue Gas

Open-Pit Mining on the Appalachian Mountains

Heavy-Metal Runoff

Chronic Diseases caused by Flue Gas

Landslides caused by Open-Pit Mining

Open-Pit Mining may be far more efficient than underground mining, because it is much less risky for the miners, but it causes great damage for the environment.

It destroys natural habitats, creates heavy-metal runoff and landslides, and increases the mined areas rate of chronic diseases.

Coal combustion also gives off a specific gas into the air, also known as flue gas. This gas often releases a great amount of carbon, that in the future, will result in climate change. After that, solid ashes remain and create a huge waste problem. There are two forms: fly ash and bottom ash.

There are solutions for these problems. Land Reclamation Laws and The Canadian Environmental Protection Act have been set up by environmentalists and the government. The only other issue is that most miners find it costly and time consuming to do such things. Especially with surface mining or open-pit mining, where it is nearly impossible to restore the mountain tops after removal. The American Appalachians are a perfect example of a mountain where the topography makes it difficult to reclaim the land.

The ProblemThe impact on the environment

The Land Reclamation Disputes in B.C.

45,412 hectares, or 0.05% of British Columbia’s land has been destroyed by mining for coal. Only 19,422 hectares, or 42% of that land has been reclaimed.

The EAO has refused to accept 219 reclamation proposals in the past 15 years.

The Raven Mine project, where the EAO initially stated that environmental effects could possibly be mitigated, was never undertaken.

They want to be economical, or in other words, keep their mines under budget. Reclaiming the land would cost a huge amount of money.

They claim that once a piece of mountain is used as an open-pit mine, it is most likely impossible to return it back to its original state.

The EAO’s response to the Raven Mine project was: “the project would not only have serious environmental impacts but that they could not be mitigated by proposed measures.”

Environment/Environmentalist’s Perspective

Miners/Environmental Assessment Office’s

Perspectives

Coal, in general, plays an important role in the world. It contributes daily to our modern and technology filled lives. It is a main export for many countries in the world. But, coal takes a huge toll on our global environment. As coal production rises, the damage to our world will also increase.

One main issue is Global Warming. As mentioned before, the flue gas given off by coal creates the most CO2 emissions out of all the fossil fuels. This is why coal has a huge impact on Global Warming, and it doesn't help that it is commonly used. Environmentalists predict that we must end our use of coal in North America within the next 30-40 years.

The Global Problem The Impact on the World’s

Environment

The only solution for the Global Warming/Climate Change issue is that we must reduce our use of coal. Although that seems impossible, there are other energy sources that we can utilise, like renewable energy. As mentioned before, coal is used to make the wind turbines, solar panels, etc. But we must limit our use of coal to only that. It will be a huge jump for our society, but it is inevitable in order to protect our environment.

As for the Open-Pit Mines, there is no way that we could switch back to only Underground Mines, it is too dangerous. But something has to be done, because we are risking our clean environment for these mines. Land Reclamation has to be stricter and there has to be more effort put into cleaning up the mess these mines have made.

Is there a Solution?

Sources: Information

"EnergyBC: Resource on Energy Sources, Uses and Issues in British Columbia." EnergyBC: Resource on Energy Sources, Uses and Issues in British Columbia. Web. 23 May 2015.

Ryan, Barry. Ministry of Energy and Mines in British Columbia. Web. 23 May 2015.

"Coal Mining." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Web. 23 May 2015.

"Greenpeace." Greenpeace. Web. 23 May 2015. "Tumbler Ridge." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 23

May 2015. "Basics of an Open Pit Mine." Basics of an Open Pit Mine.

Web. 23 May 2015.

Sources: Pictures

"Thieverycorp | To Help Put a Stop to the Site C Dam Approval." Web. 23 May 2015.

"Vibratory Equipment for Foundry, Mining & Recycling | General Kinematics." General Kinematics. Web. 23 May 2015.

"EnergyBC: Resource on Energy Sources, Uses and Issues in British Columbia." EnergyBC: Resource on Energy Sources, Uses and Issues in British Columbia. Web. 23 May 2015.

"Air Pollution." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 23 May 2015.

"Basics of an Open Pit Mine." Basics of an Open Pit Mine. Web. 23 May 2015.

THE END

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