User:HannahGraceBirmingham/Environmental justice and coal mining in Appalachia

''' I will create section 3.2 under Law and Regulations. This is incomplete. '''

The American Coal Council (ACC), a nonprofit trade association that represents coal suppliers and energy traders, industrial consumers, utilities and independent power providers, transportation companies, terminals, and support services suppliers has responded to Rita Chow with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “Hazardous Waste and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; Enhancing Public Access to Information; Reconsideration of Beneficial Use Criteria and Piles” comments. In response to commentary conducted by the EPA, the ACC confirms that the coal supply chain is under heavy regulation by local, state and federal levels. Betsy Monseu, CEO of ACC, stated, “Changes to regulations, inconsistencies in regulations, and regulatory uncertainty affect businesses large and small. There are real consequences to people, their livelihoods, and their families.” Although the environmental impacts caused by coal mining are increasing, the EPA has begun to see the benefits of coal ash. In 2020, the EPA stated, “Coal ash can be beneficially used to make new products, such as wallboard or concrete. Due to the many potentially useful properties of coal ash, a vast array of businesses from construction to agriculture and manufacturing choose coal ash as a substitute for other materials”. The ACC has been urging the EPA to consider using coal combustion residuals, also known as CCR. CCR’s have been labelled as environmentally beneficial, by the ACC. Although the EPA has researched and ruled CCR as a beneficial alternative, no action has been taken. In order for CCR to be recognized as an appropriate solution, the EPA must evaluate coal combustion residuals with four criteria: (1) The CCR must provide a functional benefit; (2) The CCR must substitute for the use of a virgin material, conserving natural resources that would otherwise need to be obtained through practices such as extraction; (3) The use of the CCRs must meet relevant product specifications, regulatory standards, or design standards, when available, and where such specifications or standards have not been established, CCR may not be used in excess quantities; and (4) When un-encapsulated use of CCR involves placement on the land of 12,400 tons or more in non-roadway applications, the user must demonstrate and keep records, and provide such documentation upon request, that environmental releases to groundwater, surface water, soil, and air are comparable to or lower than those from analogous products made without CCR, or that environmental releases to groundwater, surface water, soil, and air will be at or below relevant regulatory and health-based benchmarks for human and ecological receptors during use.

Neufeld, R. D. (1979-08-01). "Environmentally acceptable disposal of coal conversion solid waste residuals. Progress report, April 21-July 31, 1979".

''' I have decided to add an addition to give the coal mining a fair argument and talk about the aspect of jobs and economy. I will add proper citations at the end, as I am still editing and forming my statements. This is incomplete '''

Since 1995, the Appalachian region has produced about half of the United States' coal. Although Appalachia has played a large role in contributing to the coal supply of the United States, the communities surrounding such mining practices have suffered immensely. Several studies have shown disparities between mining communities and non-mining communities in terms of public health, environmental degradation, pollution, and overall quality of life in Appalachia. Variations of surface coal mining techniques in the Appalachia include contour, area, high-wall, auger, and mountaintop removal mining (MTR). With the cons that have came with coal mining, there are still many aspects about this process that are do good for our region and community. The coal industry not only has produced millions of dollars, but the jobs that also have came with it are crucial for the economy of this region.