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Jonathan Young
17 July 2017
John Seabloom-Dunne
English 15 Section 215

We Need A Change

In the current day and age of 2017, we tend to find ourselves living very eco-friendly

lifestyles with a general care for the environment. All over the world, areas are designated for

collecting trash and composting organic matter, as well as having designated areas to put plastic

and metal pieces for recycling purposes. On campus, we can even take a reusable green to-go

box at the dining commons in which we use, rinse, and repeat the cycle as many times as you

want. Motor companies are making electric cars that will reduce the gasoline emission into the

atmosphere, decreasing pollution and helping to reduce harm to the ozone layer one car at a time.

However, recently in Pennsylvania, both the State Senate and the House passed a bill

which allows companies with permits, especially Consol Energy, to freely long-wall mine for

coal underneath streams in a state park located in western Pennsylvania as long as it is not

expected to cause permanent damage to the waterways. The passing of State Bill 624 is a

disgrace toward the environment; coal mining underneath a state park undermines the safety of

the ecosystems and the environment as a whole, as well as possibly disrupting the harmony

between animals living in that area.

Coal mining has been known to cause numerous issues in the area surrounding a certain

mine. It can cause several types of pollution, for example both air and water pollution, and also

acid rain. Air pollution is caused by coal dust and dirt particles being released into the air as

explosions take place in the mines. When people are exposed to this toxic air for a prolonged

period of time, they can contract what is called “Black Lung Disease”, which can eventually
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cause lung cancer and heart failure, ultimately pointing towards early death. Water pollution is

possible because of highly acidic runoff from coal facilities, which will in turn affect the pH

balance in the waterways. This drastic change in pH balance can harm the fish and other

inhabitants of nearby streams and rivers, as well as hurt the population of animals that feed off

the waterways’ inhabitants. When an excess amount of acid is in the water, it joins the water

cycle and evaporates into the atmosphere. Through condensation, the acid joins with the rain and

is returned down to earth as acid rain, continuing pollution’s reign of terror. 1

Two other pressing issues surrounding coal mining are climate change and loss of

wildlife. Climate change can take place due to elevated levels of methane gas being released into

the ozone, contributing to the already pertinent destruction of the ozone layer of the atmosphere.

Also, when coal is burned, carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere, causing more

destruction to the ozone layer. Finally, loss of wildlife is a great concern when dealing with coal

mining. Since successful coal mining requires a large amount of territory, corporations invade

the land and can possibly destroy substantial amounts of wildlife in the process. This destruction

of wildlife can cause an unbalanced ecosystem and can lead to extinction for various species

inhabiting the land.2 These issues are very serious with extremely detrimental consequences and

need to be taken into consideration and put forward for discussion by the Department of

Environmental Protection.

Now, the Pennsylvania government recently passed a bill, S.B. 624 to be exact, which

allows mining companies, especially a company called Consol Energy, to mine underneath

Ryerson Station State Park in Greene County, Pennsylvania. “S.B. 624 would amend state

1
Kevin Hinton. “12 Environmental Effects of Coal Mining,”
http://www.environment911.org/12_Environmental_Effects_of_Coal_Mining
2
IBID
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mining laws to say that planned mining subsidence does not count as potential pollution under

the state's Clean Streams Law if it is not expected to result in permanent waterway damage.”3

The bill’s main sponsor is Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, a Republican from

Jefferson, Pennsylvania, who has reportedly been receiving campaign contributions from Consol

Energy for almost 17 years, and received a $5,000 donation from them on March 29 of this year

as well. He also believes that coal mining corporations make the waterways cleaner every

subsequent time they mine.4

Numerous interviewed citizens from Somerset, Pennsylvania believe that the passing of

this bill and the opening of a new mine will be very positive for their society. This new mine in

Somerset is set to open between seventy and one hundred new, high-paying jobs with salaries

ranging from $80,000 to $100,000 annually. “It’s something good, obviously. Someone isn’t

grieving. They can be happy. It’s not a loss, it’s actually a gain. We have a future now,” states

Deb Moore.5 Another Somerset resident named Betty Rhoads stated, “It’s the beginning of,

hopefully, a future again. Get it started. Hopefully you’ll see some more.”

The question that I cannot answer however is as follows: why? Why would the state

government pass a bill that would put the safety of a state park, the animal population inside the

state park, and the citizens in the surrounding area in danger? According to Lehigh University’s

website titled Pennsylvania State Environmental Laws, the Clean Streams Act of 1937 provides

the state of Pennsylvania “the authority to protect streams from pollution and the effects of

surface mining.” While I believe that this new bill is clearly going against previous pieces of

3
Laura Legere, “Bill Defining Coal Mining Pollution Advances in PA Senate,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 23, 2017.
4
Joe Scarnati in an interview by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Bill Defining Coal Mining Pollution Advances in PA
Senate,” published May 23, 2017.
5
Deb Moore from the article “PA Coal Country in National Spotlight as New Mine Gets Red Carpet Treatment.” On
PennLive.
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legislation and could potentially harm everyone involved, the government and supporters of this

new bill might state that it does not defy the Clean Streams Act because the mining companies

do not “intend” to cause permanent damage to the waterways. However, does a drunk driver

intend to cause a fatal accident? Does someone who accidentally leaves the stove on intend to

cause a house fire? Definitely not. Obviously, coal mining corporations do not intend on

polluting streams and other bodies of water, but more times than not, it happens. In fact, in 2015,

researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found streams that “were deemed unrecoverable at the

end of seven investigations,” and that the results were, in some cases, far beyond what the

Department of Environmental Protection had predicted.6 We, as a giant community in

Pennsylvania, need to fight back and protect the wildlife. Instead of mining for more coal,

citizens and power plants should strive to replace coal ovens with their newer, electric or natural

gas-powered counterparts. In doing this, less coal will be needed, and the previous miners can

work to install the new ovens into peoples’ homes, therefore still making money and still having

a positive effect on the local economy.

In order to protect the environment and people from potential harm, the government

should not allow mining corporations to mine underneath state parks no matter how many jobs it

would provide. We should be paying more attention to the state parks and keeping a closer eye

on the safety of nature around us. Also, we should have a higher respect for the quality of life as

coal workers often are diagnosed with the extremely fatal Black Lung Disease. State Bill 624 is

not beneficial to the good of the environment and to society for the sheer fact that it might

destroy a highly regarded state park that belongs to the people.

6
Laura Legere, “Bill Defining Coal Mining Pollution Advances in PA Senate,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 23, 2017.
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Works Cited

Adams, Jill U. "Air Pollution and Climate Change." CQ Researcher, 13 Nov. 2015, pp. 961-84,

library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2015111300.

Cusick, Marie. “Senate Advances Controversial Coal Mining Bill.” State Impact, 12 July 2017,

https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2017/05/22/senate-advances-controversial-coal-

mining-bill/

Hinton, Kevin. “12 Environmental Effects of Coal Mining.” Environment 911, 13 July 2017,

http://www.environment911.org/12_Environmental_Effects_of_Coal_Mining

Legere, Laura. “Bill Defining Coal Mining Pollution Advances in PA Senate.” Pittsburgh Post-

Gazette, 12 July 2017, http://www.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-

powersource/2017/05/23/Bill-defining-mining-pollution-advances-in-Pa-

Senate/stories/201705230044

Luciew, John. “PA Coal Country in National Spotlight as New Mine Gets Red Carpet

Treatment.” Penn Live, 12 July 2017,

http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/06/pa_town_in_national_spotlight.html

“Pennsylvania State Environmental Laws.” Lehigh University, Accessed 14 July 2017,

http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/envirosci/enviroissue/lawsregs/statelaw.htm

Weng, ZH, et al. "Pollutant Loads from Coal Mining in Australia: Discerning Trends from the

National Pollutant Inventory (NPI)." Environmental Science & Policy, vol. 19-20, 2012,

pp. 78-89.