Misplaced Pages

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59-476: South Branch Newport Creek begins in strip mines near the community of Wanamie in Newport Township . The headwaters are located north of Penobscot Mountain . The creek flows east for some distance before gradually turning north slightly west of the community of Alden . It then flows into the western part of Nanticoke , where it joins Newport Creek. South Branch Newport Creek has one named tributary, which

118-429: A "relatively new semi-surface and semi-underground coal mining method that evolved from auger mining". In highwall mining, the coal seam is penetrated by a continuous miner propelled by a hydraulic pushbeam transfer mechanism (PTM). A typical cycle includes sumping (launch-pushing forward) and shearing (raising and lowering the cutterhead boom to cut the entire height of the coal seam). As the coal recovery cycle continues,

177-433: A controlled water-inflow pump system and/or a gas (inert) venting system. Recovery with tunneling shape of drives used by highwall miners is much better than round augering holes, but the mapping of areas that have been developed by a highwall miner are not mapped as rigorously as deep mined areas. Very little soil is displaced in contrast with mountaintop removal; however, it is comparatively more expensive to own and operate

236-437: A highwall miner. Mapping of the outcrop, as well as core hole data and samples taken during the bench-making process, are taken into account to best project the panels that the highwall miner will cut. Obstacles that could be potentially damaged by subsidence and the natural contour of the highwall mine are taken into account, and a surveyor points the highwall miner in a line (theoretical survey plot-line) mostly perpendicular to

295-556: A long strip of overlying soil and rock (the overburden ); this activity is also referred to as overburden removal . It is most commonly used to mine coal and lignite (brown coal) . Strip mining is only practical when the ore body to be excavated is relatively near the surface and/or is mostly horizontal. This type of mining uses some of the largest machines on earth, including bucket-wheel excavators which can move as much as 12,000 cubic meters (16,000 cu. yd.) of earth per hour. There are two forms of strip mining. The more common method

354-476: A number of effects on the local environment. The negative effects involve soil, water, air, and noise pollution as well as landscape alteration and various other negatives. However, new technology and proper management can make it easier to properly treat the local water supply and restore the local ecology which helps rebuild the environment. Each type of surface mining has its own environmental impact, as laid out below. Strip mining - Once operations have ended,

413-402: A once operational surface mine requires a large sum of money and extensive environmental remediation . These remediation projects can continue on for years after the mine is closed. In some cases, the mining companies go bankrupt leaving abandoned mines with no funding for remediation. In other cases, mining companies are unwilling to pay for remediation, meaning litigation or regulatory action

472-545: A region of the United States with numerous endemic species . Erosion also increases, which can intensify flooding . In the eastern United States, the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative works to promote the use of trees in mining reclamation. Dredging is a method for mining below the water table. It is mostly associated with gold mining. Small dredges often use suction to bring

531-508: A region where flat land is rare. They also maintain that the new growth on reclaimed mountaintop mined areas is better able to support populations of game animals. Critics contend that mountaintop removal is a disastrous practice that benefits a small number of corporations at the expense of local communities and the environment . A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) environmental impact statement finds that streams near valley fills sometimes may contain higher levels of minerals in

590-424: A variety of health risks caused by mining such as different cardiovascular diseases, food, and water contamination. Habitat destruction , alongside air, noise, and water pollution, are all significant negative environmental impacts caused by the side effects of surface mining. There are five main types of surface mining as detailed below. Strip mining is the practice of mining a seam of mineral, by first removing

649-401: Is area stripping , which is used on fairly flat terrain, to extract deposits over a large area. As each long strip is excavated, the overburden is placed in the excavation produced by the previous strip. Contour mining involves removing the overburden above the mineral seam near an outcrop in hilly terrain, where the mineral outcrop usually follows the contour of the land. Contour stripping

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708-461: Is 13.04 pounds (5.91 kg) upstream of the creek's mouth, where the concentration is 1.09 milligrams per liter. The daily load of acidity at the headwaters of South Branch Newport Creek is 9.43 pounds (4.28 kg). The concentration of acidity at this location is 33.80 milligrams per liter. Downstream of UNT 28346, the daily load of acidity is 314.40 pounds (142.61 kg), with the concentration being 62.47 milligrams per liter and downstream of

767-453: Is a health hazard. Although MTR sites are required to be reclaimed after mining is complete, reclamation has traditionally focused on stabilizing rock and controlling erosion, but not always on reforesting the area. Quick-growing, non-native grasses, planted to quickly provide vegetation on a site, compete with tree seedlings, and trees have difficulty establishing root systems in compacted backfill. Consequently, biodiversity suffers in

826-731: Is entirely in the ridge and valley geographical region of the Appalachian Mountains . The southern part of the watershed is on Little Wilkes-Barre Mountain . 79 percent of the rock in the watershed of South Branch Newport Creek belongs to the Llwellyn Formation . 7 percent belongs to the Pottsville Group , 7 percent belongs to the Mauch Chunk Formation , and 7 percent belongs to the Pocono Formation . 70 percent of

885-480: Is known as Reservoir Creek . It also has an unnamed tributary. At the headwaters of South Branch Newport Creek, the daily load of iron is 0.07 pounds (0.032 kg). The concentration of iron at this location is 0.26 milligrams per liter. Downstream of UNT 28346, the daily iron load is 16.81 pounds (7.62 kg) per day and the concentration is 3.34 milligrams per liter. Downstream of the Sheatown Discharge,

944-692: Is located on the west side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Province extends from southeastern New York in the north through northwestern New Jersey , westward into Pennsylvania through the Lehigh Valley , and southward into Maryland , West Virginia , Virginia , Kentucky , Tennessee , Georgia , and Alabama . They form a broad arc between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Plateau physiographic province, which includes

1003-506: Is mostly found in the central part of the watershed and disturbed land is mostly found in the western reaches of it. The headwaters of South Branch Newport Creek can be accessed by State Route 3004. In the late 1800s, there was a swamp at the headwaters of South Branch Newport Creek. In 1874, there was a large release of quicksand at the Alden shaft on South Branch Newport Creek. Several collieries discharged into South Branch Newport Creek in

1062-563: Is necessary to compel the companies to commit funds to remediate. These legal issues often delay remediation and the environment is negatively affected. In the United States, when the company does not exist anymore or is otherwise unable to clean the site, special taxes on hazardous waste producers (i.e. the Environmental Protection Agency Superfund ) can be used to fund remediation projects. Ridge and valley The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , also called

1121-443: Is often followed by auger mining into the hillside, to remove more of the mineral. This method commonly leaves behind terraces in mountainsides. Open-pit mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth through their removal from an open pit or borrow . This process is done on the ground surface of the earth It is best suited for accessing mostly vertical deposits of minerals. Although open-pit mining

1180-458: Is regulated by state and local laws, which may vary widely. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and many more laws deal with the subject of surface mining. In some cases, even with proper legislation in place for surface mining some negative human health and environmental impacts remain. Surface mining can have

1239-458: Is sometimes mistakenly referred to as "strip mining", the two methods are different (see above). Mountaintop removal mining (MTR) is a form of coal mining that mines coal seams beneath mountaintops by first removing the mountaintop overlying the coal seam. Explosives are used to break up the overburden (rock layers above the seam), which is then removed. The overburden is then dumped by haul trucks into fills in nearby hollows or valleys. MTR involves

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1298-485: Is very sensitive and vulnerable to drastic and harmful changes within their ecosystem. Highwall mining - Has a lower environmental impact than mountaintop removal because of the smaller external surface area present but there are still negative side effects. Air and noise pollution from blasting are common environmental effects along with the large tailing piles, which can leach into waterways and numerous ecosystems. Properly cleaning, restoring, and removing hazards from

1357-593: The Allegheny and Cumberland plateaus. They are characterized by long, even ridges , with long, continuous valleys in between. The Valley and Ridge Province was formed during the Alleghanian orogeny , a mountain-building event that occurred between 325 and 260 million years ago. The rocks in the region were subjected to immense pressure and heat, causing them to deform and fold. The softer parts of these rock units (chiefly shale and limestone) were eroded to form

1416-462: The Appalachian coal fields of West Virginia , Kentucky , Virginia , and Tennessee in the United States. The profound changes in topography and disturbance of pre-existing ecosystems have made mountaintop removal highly controversial. Advocates of mountaintop removal point out that once the areas are reclaimed as mandated by law, the technique provides premium flat land suitable for many uses in

1475-507: The New River , and the Potomac River , are older than the present mountains, having cut water gaps that are perpendicular to hard strata ridges. The evidence points to a wearing down of the entire region to a low level with little relief, so that major rivers were flowing in unconsolidated sediments unaffected by the underlying rock structure. The region was then uplifted slowly enough so that

1534-943: The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as "transition", and 116.822 pounds (52.990 kg) per day comes from coal mines . 80.767 pounds (36.635 kg) of sediment per day comes from land classified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as "low-intensity development", 40.767 pounds (18.492 kg) per day comes from land classified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as "high-intensity development", and 12.986 pounds (5.890 kg) comes from croplands. 0.493 pounds (0.224 kg) of sediment from wetlands flows into South Branch Newport Creek each day. The discharge of South Branch Newport Creek at its headwaters ranges from 0.010 to 0.133 cubic feet per second, with an average of 0.052 cubic feet per second. The discharge of

1593-716: The Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians , are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands division. The physiographic province is divided into three sections: the Hudson Valley, the Central, and the Tennessee. The river valleys were areas of indigenous settlements for thousands of years. In the historic period, the Cherokee people had towns along many of

1652-426: The coal mined in the United States . In most forms of surface mining, heavy equipment , such as earthmovers, first remove the overburden. Next, large machines, such as dragline excavators or bucket-wheel excavators , extract the mineral. Advantages of surface mining include lower cost and greater safety compared to underground mining. Disadvantages include hazards to human health and the environment. Humans face

1711-593: The tailings are placed back into the hole and covered up to make the site resemble the landscape before the mining operation. This process involves the removal of all ground vegetation in the area, which is a detriment to the environment. Topsoil may be placed over the tailing along with planting trees and other vegetation. Another reclamation method involves filling in the hole with water to create an artificial lake. Large tailing piles left behind may contain heavy metals which can leach out acids such as lead and copper and enter into water systems. Open-pit mining - One of

1770-408: The Sheatown Discharge, the load is 377.36 pounds (171.17 kg) per day, with a concentration of 42.57 milligrams per liter there. Upstream of the mouth of the creek, the daily load of acidity is 166.56 pounds (75.55 kg), where the acidity concentration is 13.93 milligrams per liter. The concentration of alkalinity at the headwaters of South Branch Newport Creek is 2.3 milligrams per liter and

1829-549: The South Branch Newport Creek watershed is 43.5 inches (110 cm). The average runoff is 1.03 inches (2.6 cm) per year. South Branch Newport Creek's watershed has an area of 5.05 square miles. 58 percent of the land is forested land, 28 percent is developed land, 13 percent is agricultural land, and 1 percent of the land is in other categories. Most of the watershed is in Newport Township and Nanticoke, but

South Branch Newport Creek - Misplaced Pages Continue

1888-696: The coal seam, and today's models are capable of going farther, with the support of gyro navigation and not limited anymore by the amount of cable stored on the machine. The maximum depth would be determined by the stress of further penetration and associated specific-power draw (torsion and tension in screw transporters string), but today's optimized screw-transporters conveying embodiments (called pushbeams) with visual product development and discrete element modeling (DEM) using flow simulation behavior software shows smart-drive extended penetrations are possible, even so under steep inclined angles from horizontal to more than 30 degree downhole. In case of significant steep mining

1947-473: The colonial era, including Cumberland Gap , Braddock's Road , and Forbes Road . These were later improved as America's first National Roads, including Wilderness Road , Cumberland Road , Lincoln Highway , designated as U.S. Route 40 and U.S. Route 30 in later years. Early settlers of Ohio Country tended to enter it via the Ohio River ; river systems were the most important transportation corridors. It

2006-417: The creek downstream of UNT 28346 ranges from 0.085 to 2.276 cubic feet per second and the average discharge is 0.933 cubic feet per second. Below the Sheatown Discharge, it ranges from 0.127 to 4.492 cubic feet per second, with an average of 1.644 cubic feet per second. Above the mouth, it ranges from 0.424 to 5.284 cubic feet per second and the average is 2.216 cubic feet per second. South Branch Newport Creek

2065-560: The cutterhead is progressively launched into the coal seam for 19.72 feet (6.01 m). Then, the PTM automatically inserts a 19.72-foot-long (6.01 m) rectangular pushbeam (screw-conveyor segment) into the center section of the machine between the Powerhead and the cutterhead. The pushbeam system can penetrate nearly 1,200 feet (370 m) (proven in 2015 till today) into the coal seam. One patented highwall mining system uses augers enclosed inside

2124-456: The daily manganese load is 10.77 pounds (4.89 kg), with a concentration of 2.14 milligrams per liter and downstream of the Sheatown Discharge, the load is 19.69 pounds (8.93 kg) per day. The manganese concentration downstream of the Sheatown Discharge is 2.22 milligrams per liter. Upstream of the creek's mouth, the daily load is 26.65 pounds (12.09 kg), where the concentration is 2.23 milligrams per liter. The daily aluminum load at

2183-408: The early 1900s. 41°12′10″N 76°00′48″W  /  41.2029°N 76.0132°W  / 41.2029; -76.0132 Strip mine Surface mining , including strip mining , open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining , is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit (the overburden ) are removed, in contrast to underground mining , in which

2242-426: The environmental impacts are primarily found underwater. The method of extracting material from the seafloor or any water body leads to the harmful risk of marine life. Overall, the effect are far less compared to the other mining methods. The influx of sediment can bury flora and fauna, change water levels and can alter the oxygen content. Water and noise pollution is a concern that must be monitored because marine life

2301-434: The headwaters of South Branch Newport Creek is 0.56 pounds (0.25 kg). The concentration of aluminum at this location is 2.00 milligrams per liter. The load is 22.82 pounds (10.35 kg) per day downstream of UNT 28346, with a concentration of 4.53 milligrams per liter and 30.00 pounds (13.61 kg) daily downstream of the Sheatown Discharge, with a concentration of 3.38 milligrams per liter there. The daily aluminum load

2360-503: The highwall. parallel lines represent the drive cut into the mountain (up to 1,200 feet (370 m) deep (2015 records), without heading or corrective steering actuation on a navigation azimuth during mining results in missing a portion of the coal seam and is a potential danger of cutting in pillars from previous mined drives due to horizontal drift (roll) of the pushbeam-cuttermodule string. Recently highwall miners have penetrated more than 1,200 feet (370 m) (2015 ongoing records into

2419-576: The load is 0.64 pounds (0.29 kg) per day. The alkalinity concentration upstream of the creek's mouth is 9.1 milligrams per liter and the daily load is 108.78 pounds (49.34 kg). There is a daily sediment load of 2,936.489 pounds (1,331.969 kg) in the South Branch Newport Creek watershed. 1,512.712 pounds (686.155 kg) per day comes from hay or pastures. 447.507 pounds (202.986 kg) per day comes from forests, 439.284 pounds (199.256 kg) per day comes from stream banks, 285.151 pounds (129.342 kg) per day comes from land classified by

South Branch Newport Creek - Misplaced Pages Continue

2478-442: The load of iron is 40.96 pounds (18.58 kg) per day (with a concentration of 4.62 milligrams per liter) and upstream of the mouth, the load is 13.32 pounds (6.04 kg) per day, where the concentration of iron is 1.11 milligrams per liter. At South Branch Newport Creek's headwaters, the manganese load is 0.45 pounds (0.20 kg) per day. The concentration at this location is 1.61 milligrams per liter. Downstream of UNT 28346,

2537-462: The loose sediment in a pond of its own making. Highwall mining is another form of mining sometimes conducted to recover additional coal adjacent to a surface-mined area. The method evolved from auger mining but does not meet the definition of surface mining since it does not involve the removal of overburden to expose the coal seam. CERB final report No. 2014-004 "Highwall Mining: Design Methodology, Safety, and Suitability" by Yi Luo characterizes it as

2596-928: The mass restructuring of earth in order to reach coal seams as deep as 400 feet (120 m) below the surface. Mountaintop removal replaces the original steep landscape with a much flatter topography. Economic development attempts on reclaimed mine sites include prisons such the Big Sandy Federal Penitentiary in Martin County, Kentucky , small-town airports, golf courses such as Twisted Gun in Mingo County, West Virginia and Stonecrest Golf Course in Floyd County, Kentucky , as well as industrial scrubber sludge disposal sites, solid waste landfills, trailer parks, explosive manufacturers, and storage rental lockers. This method has been increasingly used in recent years in

2655-439: The mined material up from the bottom of a water body. Historical large-scale dredging operations often used a floating dredge; a barge-like vessel that scoops material up through a conveyor belt on the bow, filters out the desired component on board, and returns the unwanted material to the water via another conveyor belt on the stern. In gravel-filled river valleys with shallow water tables, a floating dredge can work its way through

2714-449: The new mining method phrase should be "directional mining" (commonly used technologies as valuable synergy directional drilling and directional mining are categorized in "surface to in-seam" (SIS) techniques), dry or wet, dewatering is developed or cutting and dredging through screw transporters are proactive in developing a roadmap of the leading global highwall mining engineering company. Historically, moving materials out of surface mines

2773-417: The overlying rock is left in place, and the mineral is removed through shafts or tunnels. In North America, where the majority of surface coal mining occurs, this method began to be used in the mid-16th century and is practiced throughout the world in the mining of many different minerals. In North America, surface mining gained popularity throughout the 20th century, and surface mines now produce most of

2832-534: The pushbeam that prevent the mined coal from being contaminated by rock debris during the conveyance process. Using a video imaging and/or a gamma-ray sensor and/or other geo-radar systems like a coal-rock interface detection sensor (CID), the operator can see ahead projection of the seam-rock interface and guide the continuous miner's progress. Highwall mining can produce thousands of tons of coal in contour-strip operations with narrow benches, previously mined areas, trench mine applications, and steep-dip seams by utilizing

2891-582: The rivers in western South Carolina and North Carolina, as well as on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains in present-day Tennessee. Similarly, the Catawba people occupied areas along the upper Catawba River in Western North Carolina , to the east of Cherokee County . The ridge and valley system presents an important obstacle to east–west land travel even with today's technology. It

2950-832: The soil in the watershed is of the Udorthents-Urban Land-Volusia series. The remaining 30 percent belongs to the Lackawanna-Arnot-Morris series. The Llwellyn Formation occupies all of the northern and central reaches of the South Branch Newport Creek watershed. South of the Llwellyn Formation is the Pottsville Formation. South of the Pottsville Formation is the Mauch Chunk Formation and then the Pocono Formation. The southernmost reaches of

3009-456: The southwestern edge of the watershed is on the border between Newport Township and Slocum Township . Most of the developed land in the South Branch Newport Creek watershed is in the central part of the watershed, around the community of Wanamie or in the northeast part of the watershed, in Nanticoke. Forested land is found throughout the watershed, except for the northeast part. Agricultural land

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3068-522: The valleys and the harder parts of the folds (quartzites) formed the mountain tops and ridges. The ridges represent the edges of the erosion-resistant strata, and the valleys portray the absence of the more erodible strata. Smaller streams have developed their valleys following the lines of the more easily eroded strata. A few major rivers, including the Delaware River , the Susquehanna River ,

3127-566: The waste rock of which is used to flatten out the surrounding land by infilling rivers and valleys. This is very destructive as it physically permanently alters the landscape and the associated ecosystem. Throughout the Appalachians in states such as Kentucky and Virginia, mountaintop removal is a common mining method where whole forests are cleared and the area becomes vulnerable to possible landslides, with restoration sometimes being too difficult/costly. Dredging - A form of surface mining where

3186-416: The water and decreased aquatic biodiversity . The statement also estimates that 724 miles (1,165 km) of Appalachian streams were buried by valley fills from 1985 to 2001. Blasting at a mountaintop removal mine expels dust and fly-rock into the air, which can then disturb or settle onto private property nearby. This dust may contain sulfur compounds, which some claim corrode structures and tombstones and

3245-565: The watershed are occupied by rock of the Duncannon Member formation. The area near the mouth of the creek, it flows over a coal sheet called Sheet III. South of the middle reaches of the tributary Reservoir Creek, all of the soil belongs to the Lackawanna-Arnot-Morris series. North of this area, the soil all belongs to the Udorthents-Urban Land-Volusia series. There is some drift on the banks of South Branch Newport Creek, but not as much as on Newport Creek itself. The average annual rainfall in

3304-405: The world's largest types of mine and the size of these operations leave behind massive landscape scars, destruction to environmental habitats, and substantial clean-up cost. An open-pit mine can yield an enormous quantity of waste rock, sinkholes can form down the road, flooding and similar negative impacts as strip mining. Mountaintop removal mining - Involves the removal of whole mountaintops,

3363-540: Was a nearly insurmountable barrier to European-American migrants who walked or rode horses traveling west to settle the Ohio Country , and later the Northwest Territory and Oregon Country . In the era when animal power dominated transportation, there was no safe way to cross east–west in the middle of the range; crossing was only possible nearer its extremes except for a few rough passages opened mid-range during

3422-520: Was accomplished through manual labor, horse-drawn vehicles, and/or mining railways. Current practices tend to use haul trucks on haul roads designed into the features of the mine. Federal governments have imposed multiple laws and regulations which mining companies have to strictly follow. In the United States, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 mandates reclamation of surface coal mines. Reclamation for non-coal mines

3481-712: Was difficult in the late 19th and 20th centuries to construct railroads and modern highways through this area. The eastern head of the Ridge and Valley region is marked by the Great Appalachian Valley , which lies just west of the Blue Ridge . The western side of the Ridge and Valley region is marked by steep escarpments such as the Allegheny Front , the Cumberland Mountains , and Walden Ridge . The Valley and Ridge

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