Law Commons^™

Texas Surface Mining And Reclamation Act - New Hope For Protection Of Texas Resources., Kay C. Martinez

St. Mary's Law Journal

Strip mining has been an increasingly important method of mineral extraction since the 1930's. It is economically preferable to shaft mining, for operator and consumer, because it extracts coal from the surface as opposed to the more costly methods of deep mining. More than 50% of all coal gets mined through the stripping method as of 1972. Unfortunately, some of the same characteristics which have made strip mining desirable have also produced extremely undesirable results in the environment. Sulfuric and sedimentary water pollution, caused by surface mining, affects the suitability of water for human consumption, and the stripping has often …