Get The Facts
Land Use
Coal operators are guided by the principle that coal extraction
carries with it the responsibility of restoring the land. Surface
mining today is as much a land reclamation process as it is a way of
extracting coal. From initial planning through final reclamation,
post mining land use to a higher and better use is a prime
consideration.
Reclaimed coal mine lands benefit the American people in two ways.
First, the coal mine has been a source of jobs and ancillary
economic activity (each coal job generates an additional seven jobs)
while providing affordable coal energy. Second, after mining, the
land can become a more productive and attractive resource available
for agriculture, forestry, recreation and other uses.
Air Quality
The use of coal to meet America’s electricity demand more than
tripled between 1970 and 2009. But thanks to investments in clean
coal technologies, emissions of criteria air pollutants (those
defined by the Clean Air Act as having a negative impact on human
health) declined by more than 67% during that same time period,
according to the U.S. EPA, and, thanks to improved technology SOx
and NOx emissions are expected to decrease an additional 50% between
2007 and 2020.
Because of our nation’s investment in developing and utilizing
technology, U.S. air quality has improved dramatically and our
electricity costs remain affordable. It will be a challenge to
maintain the partnership between private and government resources to
continue this remarkable progress in the future. By providing
industry with sufficient lead time for investing in new technologies
to meet science-based reduction standards, we will achieve further
progress while continuing to enjoy the benefits of reliable and
low-cost energy.
Clean Coal Technology
You may be surprised to learn that most of the nation’s coal-based
power plants utilize some type of clean coal technology developed
through the private-public Clean Coal Partnership. Emissions rates,
such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), particulate
matter and mercury continue to decline while America’s air quality
remains nearly the best in the world of all developed and developing
nations. Arch advocates modifications to current U.S. federal laws
and regulations that will encourage companies to invest in
technology and maintenance to increase energy efficiency and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions per unit of fuel consumed. There is also
the increasing commercial use of coal combustion byproducts to
create or strengthen building materials, such as concrete and roof
shingles.
Climate Change
Global warming, including the role and impact of man-made greenhouse
gas emissions, is an issue of significant focus among domestic and
international policymakers. On the policy side, Arch advocates an
aggressive timeline for technology research and development that
will reduce greenhouse gases from man-made sources, including the
use of coal. On the operations side, Arch is continually evaluating
how to reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions and increase the
efficiency of our fuel use, while also assessing the most effective
approaches for managing our business in a carbon-constrained
economy.