ABSTRACT
Economic and technological changes have impelled the mining industry toward increasing reliance on surface rather than underground mining as the most economical method of extracting minerals from the earth. Regulation of the surface mining industry can only be understood in the economic context of the surface mining industry as a whole, the benefits that it produces, and the harm that it causes. Surface mining’s immediate effects may be classified into five categories: air pollution, water pollution, safety and health hazards, noise and vibration, and aesthetics. Surface mining operations involve heavy equipment transporting large quantities of materials from the mine to market, spreading dust and debris, and increasing traffic hazards on roads and highways in the area. The selection of appropriate sites for surface mining activities and the control of mining operations are largely free from state or federal control, being traditionally handled on the local level.
