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Chapter Five
COAL AND THE
ENVIRONMENT
F
or some people, coal is a major
villain in today’s industrial world.
They see it as a huge cause of
pollution for land, air, and water, and as
a great producer of greenhouse gases—
which it is, worldwide. To counter these
problems, the coal industry in North
America is working to lessen pollution
and to increase the use of coal as a
valuable raw material, as well as a fuel that
ensures the continent of energy supplies
well into the future.
sequestration:
storing or
taking something to keep it
for a time.
spoil heaps:
piles of
material left over from
excavation.
subsidence:
sinking lower
or falling, as when land
sinks above an old coal
mine.
watercourse:
a channel
along which water flows,
such as a brook, creek, or
river.
Words to Understand