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District 9 - Coal Mine Safety and Health
Facts About Coal
Coal is a combustible mineral formed from the remains of trees, ferns and other plants that existed and died during the time of the dinosaurs.
The mining industry is now recognized as one of the safest, with a lower rate of injuries and illnesses per 100 employees than the agriculture, construction or retail trades.
Nine of every 10 tons of coal used in the United States are for electricity generation.
Of all fuel and non-fuel commodities mined, the quantity of coal currently produced ranks third behind crushed stone, sand and gravel.
The largest coal producing state is Wyoming, with 314 million tons of production in 1998. In the past five years, the U.S. has produced more than one billion tons of coal each year.
Nearly two-thirds of todays coal production results from surface mining.
U.S. coal exports to foreign destinations contributed $3.1 billion in 1998 to the U.S. balance of payments.
Worldwide, coal accounts for nearly 25 percent of total energy consumption.
While coal use for domestic electricity has almost tripled since 1970, government statistics show sulfur dioxide emissions have decreased more than 20 percent below 1970 levels.
Productivity rates have reached an astonishing average of about 6 tons per miner per hour, or 48 tons in single 8-hour day.
These facts were obtained from http://www.nma.org/statistics/pub_fast_facts.asp
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