Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
(Stracher and Taylor, 2004; Stracher, 2007) and as a consequence, so has the number of coal fires. Today these fires
occur in every region of the world where coal is mined. Walker (1999) notes that uncontrolled coal fires have been
reported in the United States, Canada, China, Australia, India, Indonesia, South Africa, England, Germany, Poland,
Czech Republic, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and Thailand. Coal fires have also been reported from Columbia, Egypt,
France, Portugal, and New Zealand (this atlas, Stracher et al., 2005; Masalehdani et al., 2007a, b).
In this chapter we review and illustrate some common environmental impacts of coal fires and briefly discuss the
possible health consequences. According to Finkelman (2004),
“
It is difficult to think of a natural or anthropogenic
process that has absolutely no societal benefit.
”
In addition, he states
“
Coal fires, both surface and in-ground,
represent the rare phenomenon that is totally devoid of societal value.
The more common environmental problems
caused by surface and in-ground coal fires are, according to Finkelman (2004):
”
Visual blight and the loss of potentially valuable acreage;
Destruction of the nearby ecosystem;
Forest fires;
Windblown dust and siltation of streams:
Deterioration of cultural infrastructures by acidic gases;
Destruction of personal and public property;
Disruption of families and communities;
Physical hazards from collapse or explosion;
Health hazards due to respiration of dust and aerosols, exposure to acidic gases, potentially toxic trace elements,
and organic compounds;
Pollution of surface and ground water;
Loss of valuable energy resources;
Significant amounts of the major greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO
2
).
Environmental Consequences
Visual Effects
A
lthough piles of burning coal waste (called gob piles in bituminous coal regions and culm banks in anthracite coal
regions) on the surface are more obvious, underground coal-bed fires have left a long legacy of environmental damage.
Deforestation, smoke, clinker (rock baked and oxidized by burning coal), ground fissures, gas vents, sinkholes, and
solid by-products of combustion including minerals and creosote are the first images visible in an area affected by a
coal fire. High temperatures and gas perpetuate the appearance of a scarred landscape by preventing the growth of new
vegetation (Figure 7.1.4). Kuenzer et al. (2007) provide a comprehensive description of the environmental and
geomorphic impacts of underground coal fires in north-central China. They estimate that toxic gases and heat from
the Wuda coalfield fires in Inner Mongolia have destroyed more than 95% of the vegetation in a region scarred by
trenches, pits, cracks, and subsidence. These authors note that
“
Coal fire-induced uncontrolled subsidence poses a great
threat to local infrastructure and buildings.
The classic case of this is Centralia, Pennsylvania (Figures 7.1.5 and 7.1.6)
where a large portion of this once thriving town was evacuated due to the danger of toxic gases and subsidence
associated with the Buck Mountain anthracite seam burning in abandoned coal-mine tunnels beneath the town. In
1962, Centralia had about 1100 residents, but by 2003 the underground coal fires had reduced the population to about
20 people. Today, only a handful of people remain (DeKok, 1986; Stracher et al., 2006).
”
Heffern and Coates (1997) noted that clinker covers an area of about 1600mi
2
(~1442 km
2
) in the Powder River
Basin in Wyoming and Montana. They estimate that this represents about 30
40 billion tons of burned coal and
that there may have been about 10 times more clinker than today that has been eroded. Barren turf produced by a
coal fire exposes fine particulates to wind and rain, facilitating high levels of particulates in the air and runoff
leading to stream siltation.
-
Coal fires also cause forest and range fires that may promote additional coal fires. These fires also destroy homes
and other buildings (Figure 7.1.7), render ranch land useless, and may consume mining equipment (Figure 7.1.8).
Unless extinguished, there is little chance for new vegetation to take root in a landscape altered by a coal fire.
However, once a fire is put out or burns out by itself, reclamation can return the area to one of useful purposes. The
