Mining can affect water sources, said Tim Johnson, a professor at Duke University who studies energy and the environment. A pit mine is pumped as it is dug, and that impacts groundwater, he said. Leftover mine waste can be carried by rainwater or streams and contaminate watersheds.
Noise and dust are the other hazards, and all of that needs to be weighed, he said, against the mine’s output and the larger pursuit of cleaner energy.
“Ultimately, we’re doing this to replace carbon emissions, which has a huge benefit,” Johnson said. “There’s always a trade-off someplace else, and this is just a classic example of that.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZK%2B2v8innKyrX567tbHRmpqtoaaafHN8kWxmoaenYra0ecuiq6GhpaJ6rrXNnpto