Chronic Illness Linked To Coal-mining Pollution, Study Shows

ScienceDaily (Mar. 27, 2008) — Pollution from coal mining may have a negative impact on public health in mining communities, according to data analyzed in a West Virginia University research study.

 “Residents of coal-mining communities have long complained of impaired health,” Michael Hendryx, Ph.D., associate director of the WVU Institute for Health Policy Research in WVU’s Community Medicine department, said. “This study substantiates their claims. Those residents are at an increased risk of developing chronic heart, lung and kidney diseases.”

Hendryx and co-author Melissa Ahern, Ph.D., of Washington State University, used data from a 2001 WVU Health Policy Research telephone survey of more than 16,400 West Virginians. That was correlated with data from the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, which shows volume of coal … Read More »

The CCAG Secretary replies to the Quirindi Advocate on LPSC corruption allegations.

Our health and Coal Mining
The effects of coal mining on the environment are devastating – just ask any of the communities affected by coal mining to-date.   Here are just a few of the reports on the damage that has been done and can be expected here if our food production, fertile alluvial soil and water supplies are sacrificed for coal.
•    Coal mining uses vast amounts of fresh water and damages rivers, streams, creeks, aquifers and swamps (and their associated eco-systems) in the process.
The Ulan mine, for example, draws 11 million litres of water a day from the aquifers – water that is then poisoned by coal.  Would we farmers be allowed to use this amount of water and poison it?  No, we would be hauled in front of the courts.  This is not the case for mines since the royalties … Read More »

The Federal Minister for Climate Change and Water,  Senator Penny Wong,  has issued Press Releases on CSIRO Research on water availability, December 2007Climate Change COAG Meeting, January 2008Funding on National Groundwater Action Plan, March 2008