Confronting acid mine drainage: A conversation with Rural Action’s Marissa Lautzenheiser
The problems posed by abandoned mine lands come in many forms across places impacted by coal mining — and each contributes to making these communities less healthy, less safe, and less inviting for residents and businesses. Open mine portals can overflow, causing landslides. Dangerous impoundments rupture and cause toxic floods. Gob piles — massive heaps of coal refuse — seep into water sources. Flooded mines blow out, dumping hundreds of gallons of polluted water into streams and rivers. There are risks from hazardous gases, underground fires, clogged streams and more.
One of the more visible problems caused by abandoned mine operations is the acid mine drainage (AMD) that colors streams, creeks and rivers rust orange with dangerous pollution. These polluted bodies of water are an all-too-common roadside sight throughout coal communities, but they are more than just an eyesore. The ongoing threats posed by AMD threaten the health of people and wildlife and undermine development efforts. The Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) fund has helped clean up many sites impacted by acid mine drainage across the country, but an untold number still exist and clean-up projects already in operation must be operated indefinitely.
To share more about this urgent issue, advocates for abandoned mine land restoration talked to Marissa Lautzenheiser, who leads AMD clean-up efforts for Rural Action in Appalachian Ohio. In this conversation, Marissa lays out the basics of the AMD challenge, discusses the unique funding needs for AMD clean-up, and talks about some of the innovative work Rural Action is doing to tackle this problem.
Read the full conversation at https://appvoices.org/2021/10/06/conf...
Take action: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tel...
Learn more about Rural Action's work to clean up acid mine drainage at https://ruralaction.org/our-work/wate...
See related blogs and videos at https://appvoices.org/amd