Recently the US government has announced that will be increasing restrictions on businesses that pollute water affected by mountaintop removal mining. This involves exploding coal seams from the side of mountains which eventually sends very hazardous & often radioactive toxins such as lead, arsenic & selenium into nearby rivers & streams.
This was somewhat in response to a disaster on December 22nd 2008 at the TVA Kingston's coal fired power plant in Tennessee which created the worlds largest coal sludge disaster. Over a billion gallons of this coal sludge destroyed nearby homes, lands & rivers.
From CNN:
The retention wall breached early Monday, sending the sludge downhill and damaging 15 homes. All the residents were evacuated, & three homes were deemed uninhabitable, according to the TVA."
Meanwhile in China coal mining is the deadliest occupation where thousands of people die annually either directly from pit disasters or indirectly from airborne pollution from coal mines or coal fired power stations.
The latest tragedy occurred in the northern China province of Shanxi only a month ago.
From NY Times:
"Investigators blamed the usual culprit in China’s regular mine accidents: a lack of safety precautions.
For days before the mine flooded, managers ignored water leaks that presaged trouble, according to preliminary findings by the State Administration of Work Safety. Miners had been ordered to step up the pace of construction to meet an October deadline to begin production at the mine, the agency said.Of the 261 miners underground that day, 108 made it to safety. The rest were trapped & feared dead.
However, the most recent mining tragedy is currently being uncovered on our turf in Australia's Hunter Valley. This tragedy is far less obvious but potentially just as deadly in the long term.
For the past twenty years the Hunter Valley has seen more & more mines being approved many of them open cut coal mining that readily creates airborne pollution across nearby areas.
Below: Satellite photo of the Hunter Valley. The grey areas are mines.
On 12th of April Singleton became embroiled in a 'cancer cluster' story that was aired by he ABC's 4 Corners program that links a predominance of cancer, asthma & allergies in the area to the large amounts of coal dust that comes from local mines & power stations.
A link to this story including a full version of the program & many more details can be found here: http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2010/s2867659.htm
From ABC News:
"People who live in Singleton and Muswellbrook and the towns in between have told Four Corners that the pollution coming out of nearby mines and power stations is making them sick with cancer and asthma.
Local GP Tuan Au tested 900 local school children and found one in six students had a lower lung function. The national average for asthma is one in nine.
His report was dismissed by New South Wales Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt.
Dr Au says that is not good enough and he has called for more to be done.
"What I'm going to do, is do it again until the Government will listen to it, and I will let the history be the judge," he said. "If we ignore the problems and we do nothing about it's the same as murder."
One month later:
"Fears of high rates of childhood asthma in the resource rich Hunter/New England Region have been confirmed in the New South Wales Government's new child health report.
The report found nearly 40 per cent of 9 to 15-years-olds in the region had suffered from asthma at some stage. That is 17 per cent more than the central coast. The region also has the highest asthma rate for children under eight, with just over a quarter needing treatment.There have been ongoing calls for a comprehensive health study in the Upper Hunter, due to concerns about asthma being linked to the coal and power sectors.
Health officials have previously acknowledged above-average levels of asthma and respiratory problems in the area."
Polymer Innovations is located at Singleton in the heart & lungs of the Hunter Valley.
We feel it is our duty to maintain our commitment to offering local, national & global mines products that can solve or at least abate these coal mine pollution problems.
There are 3 specific Polymer Innovation products that assist in controlling coal mine pollution.
1. Polymer Innovations SAP HPF (High Performance Fines) & HD (Heavy Duty) absorbs large quantities of water present in mining, construction, roadways & other water affected areas.
Muddy water that is too thick to pump or too watery to shovel up, can be thickened or solidified quickly by adding SAP HD & HPF allowing for fast & easy removal.
In mining SAP HPF & HD is designed for critical applications where production is affected by water based slurries. Recovered waste can be transported to the surface on conveyors without extended periods of downtime or reduction in productivity.
SAP HPF contains smaller polymers for quick, targeted removals of water ingress.
SAP HD is generally more suited for larger scale instances of sludge to be removed.
However varying conditions occur all the time & the correct SAP for each customer is determined on a case by case basis.
However varying conditions occur all the time & the correct SAP for each customer is determined on a case by case basis.
Much more information on our SAP Products can be found in a previous blog post Super Absorbent Polymers SAP HD & HPF.
Our SAP range is not available online, yet.
2. Polymer Innovations Water$ave DS Dust Suppression is especially important in heavy industry that resides in open environments such as mines, roads & airstrips or construction sites that pollute the air & blow it elsewhere.
Finding ways to effectively control it in a simple & cost effective manner is beneficial for everyone.
Polymer Innovations has met this demand with it's own specific blend for dust control Water$ave DS.
Water$ave DS has become a simple, proven, economic & environmentally friendly solution to control dust & light soil erosion.
No matter the scale Polymer Innovations provides the dust suppressant solution to keep your environment clear & it's inhabitants breathing easier.
More Information on our Water$ave DS Products can be found in a previous blog post Water$ave DS Dust Suppression.
Or download or view the Water$ave DS Catalogue for more information.
Water$ave DS (Dust Suppression) is available in 20kg pails at our Online Store & we service worldwide.
3. Polymer Innovations Water$ave RS Road Stabilisation is an oil based product that is the key element of a road stabilization system. It eliminates dust, costly watering & maintenance procedures.
Water$ave RS is applied as a neat liquid once or twice a year to provide efficient dust control on haul roads, access roads & similar heavy traffic areas.
Water$ave RS is extremely effective as a stabilising agent for waste & mineral dumps, rural airstrips & other dust prone road surfaces.
- This is a proven, economic & environmentally friendly solution for road stabilisation.
- Binds soil particles to provide a firm hard surface.
- Surface has excellent traction in wet & dry conditions.
- Water is not required during application.
- Only need to apply once or twice a year.
- Easy and safe to use.
- Reduces time and expenditure on road maintenance.
- Increases the bearing capacity of existing road material.
- Consolidate & improve the quality of existing road materials.
- Significantly cuts dust exposure.
Our Water$ave RS range is not available online, yet.
For more information please View/Download our Water$ave RS Catalogue.
For all enquiries & orders call Polymer Innovations on: +612 65 715 177 or email: mining@polymerinnovations.com.au so we can help you solve these coal pollution problems for you A-SAP!
The investment into alternative power generating technologies such as nuclear energy may need to be measured against the potential cost when things turn against you as unfortunately happened this year in Japan. The use of thermal coal (steam coal) that is mostly burnt for power generation may be valid for other countries who may not be able to allocate resources and funds to alternative and more greener sources of power. Coal newsletters and coal statistics show developing economies are more likely to increase their investment into & their use of thermal coal & metallurgical coal in coming years because of coal's affordability and ability to quickly meet increasing demands for electricity and steel.
ReplyDeleteCherry of www.coalportal.com