Black beauty coal mine

[piplnr65656]

We were passing by it on are way today and junior had never seen a big dragline so we drove right on in took some pics, saw a big blast and then made a run for it.

[mjames]

Wow, that's a freakin big mover right there. Oh and by the by

saw a big blast

how close were you to the blast?

[Willard]

grr... Strip mining is something I have disagreements with... grr...

Cool machinery though.

[piplnr65656]

grr... Strip mining is something I have disagreements with... grr...

Cool machinery though.

and what may I ask is wrong with strip mining?

[piplnr65656]

Wow, that's a freakin big mover right there. Oh and by the by

saw a big blast

how close were you to the blast?

Maby 2,000 feet at the most. It was a good size blast but not as big as the ones we got away with in wyoming.

[caver]

This one is in Kansas probably about 90 miles from Springfield. It's a state park now. That blue spot near the bucket is my Dad.

[piplnr65656]

yes That is a B&E 1850. There is a B&E 1950 working near pittsburg. We have snuck in there a few times at night and watched it work.

[Willard]

grr... Strip mining is something I have disagreements with... grr...

Cool machinery though.

and what may I ask is wrong with strip mining?

It distroys the landscape and they never cover it back up. Even if they do the land is permenatly destroyed... there's other types of earth moving that bothers me too so it's not just strip mining that bothers me.

[piplnr65656]

grr... Strip mining is something I have disagreements with... grr...

Cool machinery though.

and what may I ask is wrong with strip mining?

It distroys the landscape and they never cover it back up. Even if they do the land is permenatly destroyed... there's other types of earth moving that bothers me too so it's not just strip mining that bothers me.

Before the reclamation laws of the early 70's the land was retty much fucked but nowadays it is hard to tell where they have mined just 5 years ago. The land is returned to the same topography as before and in most cases is normaly more productive for farmers. The mine in the picture for example only mines areas that have already been cleared of trees by farmers. The top soil is moved first by truck/shovel method and stockpiled then the overburden is removed. Then eveything gose back nicely. Mines are only alowed to mine at the rate that there reclamation is proceding. Areas like web city MO are discusting because no conservation or reclamation was done but just 30 miles west of there in south east kansas you can not tell that at one time that was home to the biggest stripmininig operations in the world.

[Willard]

Before the reclamation laws of the early 70's the land was retty much fucked but nowadays it is hard to tell where they have mined just 5 years ago. The land is returned to the same topography as before and in most cases is normaly more productive for farmers. The mine in the picture for example only mines areas that have already been cleared of trees by farmers. The top soil is moved first by truck/shovel method and stockpiled then the overburden is removed. Then eveything gose back nicely. Mines are only alowed to mine at the rate that there reclamation is proceding. Areas like web city MO are discusting because no conservation or reclamation was done but just 30 miles west of there in south east kansas you can not tell that at one time that was home to the biggest stripmininig operations in the world.

Oh ok, well I guess I didn't know about the environmental laws for strip mining... though with Bush in office I bet those have been doen away with as well.

[Theolotus]

I've lived in a town that used to be a mine town back in the 50's and 60's. It got shut down because of tightend regulations about coal with sulfur content. Most of the old mines are currently covered by homes, back yards, etc.

piplnr is right. Most places you can't tell where a mine used to be.