Background Information-How is coal mined?

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As was the case 50 years ago, most coal is produced from two major types of mines--
underground and surface.  But the methods for recovering coal from the earth have
undergone drastic changes in the past 25 years, as a consequence of technological
advances.

Fifty years ago when most coal mining was done manually, underground mines accounted
for 96 percent of the coal produced each year.  Today, almost 60 percent is produced from
surface mines.  Most underground mines in the United States are located east of the
Mississippi River, although there are some in the West, particularly in Utah and Colorado.

 

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