Coal Industry

Details

• Personal Author:
  Haas, Emily J. ; Mischler, Steven E.
• Description:
  Coal is a brownish-black sedimentary rock that is the most abundant fossil fuel on earth. Coal is composed of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and a mixture of minerals. The carbon and hydrocarbon content of the coal rock make it combustible and an accessible source of energy. Statistics from the World Coal Association indicate that, globally, coal provides around 30 percent of the worlds primary energy needs and provides approximately 40 percent of the world's electricity. Coal is found on every continent, with recoverable reserves that are economically extractable in about 70 countries. The largest coal reserves are found in the United States, Russia, China, India, and Australia. Approximately 25 percent of the world's coal content can be found in the United States. The majority of coal mined in the eastern United States is located in an area of largely rural and mountainous terrain that extends from southern New York to Mississippi, known as Appalachia. Specifically, eight states are considered the Appalachian coal mining region: Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The majority of coal mined in the western United States is found in the Powder River Basin, which includes the states of Montana and Wyoming. However, several other states have active coal mines that perform underground and surface operations. Estimates indicate that, at the current rates of production, there is up to 200 years of coal in reserves worldwide. However, with improvements in mining techniques and technology, reserves that are currently inaccessible may be able to be reached and extracted more easily in the future. Due to the abundance of recoverable coal reserves and the longevity of the coal mining industry, it is important to remain cognizant and responsive to the health and environmental impacts of coal mining and what risk-reduction methods can help minimize the occurrence of these associated health consequences. Therefore, after discussing types of coal and coal mining, this entry focuses on environmental and societal concerns of mining coal and control methods in place to alleviate these concerns. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coal Electricity Hydrocarbons Minerals Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Carbon Coal Industry Coal Mines Combustion Electrical Power Generation Environmental Impacts Fossil Fuels Health Effects Mining Industry Rock Mechanics Sociological Factors Underground Mines

  More +
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISBN:
  9781483345734
• Publisher:
  SAGE Publications Inc.
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Book
• Place as Subject:
  Alabama ; California ; Kentucky ; Maryland ; Montana ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 8 ; OSHA Region 9 ; Pennsylvania ; Tennessee ; Virginia ; West Virginia ; Wyoming
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  PMRD - Pittsburgh Mining Research Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  297-303
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20048255
• Citation:
  The SAGE encyclopedia of cancer and society. Colditz GA, ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2015 Aug; :297-303
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon (CAS RN 7440-44-0) ; Hydrogen (CAS RN 1333-74-0) ; Nitrogen (CAS RN 7727-37-9) ; Oxygen (CAS RN 7782-44-7) ; Sulfur (CAS RN 7704-34-9)
• Editor(s):
  Colditz GA
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• NORA Priority Area:
  Mining
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  The SAGE encyclopedia of cancer and society
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c32a7791638bd5c5767700e0a063997540ae0e66a89adba0c694503df04bdc7645b7a3f72b3e16788b421704625ec05a65952b8103160192bc4825a7c76d83d5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/228261/cdc_228261_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 123.36 KB ]