Surface coal mining and reclamation facts; from www.osmre.gov/osm.htm

Mountain Top Mining	Pictured is an Eastern Kentucky mountain top mining site. With the use of large equipment, this mining operation is removing the entire tops of the mountains, not just small strips around the edge. Although much greater surface disturbance occurs during the mining operation, all water runoff from the mine is directed into sedimentation that prevents off-site pollution. As the mining is completed at this operation, it is being reclaimed to farm land
Coal Seam Blasting	This Wyoming coal mine is one of the largest producing coal mines in the United States. Because the coal seam is 80- to 100-feet thick, there is a very small area of disturbance compared to a large volume of coal extracted. This photo shows the coal seam being blasted to break it up for loading. Coal is transported by train to electric generating plants or sea ports for shipping to other parts of the world.
Dragline	This active coal mining operation is located in Northwest Colorado and produces approximately 2 million tons of coal annually. It is typical of coal mining in this part of the country, where overburden is removed with a dragline, the coal removed, and the land reclaimed in one continuous operation.