Resources tagged with "Coal"
Issues tagged Coal
Acid Mine Drainage: Acid seep in Nevada - photo Glenn Miller Acid Mine Drainage refers to the outflow of acidic water from a mining site. In most cases, this acid comes from oxidation of iron sulfide (FeS2, also known as pyrite or "fool's ... [read-more]
Alaska Coal History: Coal was first discovered in Alaska by an English trader in 1786. The deposit was located at Coal Cove, near Port Graham Bay on the Kenai Peninsula. The Russian-American Company began mining at this site almost 70 years later in ... [read-more]
Alaska Coal Proposals Overview: Regions Arctic Cook Inlet Central Alaska Matanuska Susitna Valley Other Regions Abandoned Projects (This is a summary of all coal-related projects and proposals in Alaska, kept up to date as possible. For references and more detail, check out the individual ... [read-more]
Arctic Coal: Most of Alaska's coal can be found in the northern part of the state, north of the Brooks range, near the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. 88% of the state's identified coal resources are in these Arctic deposits. Although this coal ... [read-more]
Beluga Coal-to-Liquids (CTL): PacRim Coal is pursuing a possible coal mine in large deposits on the Chuitna River near Cook Inlet and this could supply coal to a coal-to-liquids (CTL) facility in nearby Beluga. This facility has been suggested as an 80,000 barrels ... [read-more]
Benefits of Coal: History Coal has been used as a heat or energy source throughout the world since at least the Bronze Age. Coal was an important fuel for the Romans in the West as well as in China around the same period. ... [read-more]
Bering River Coal Field: Background Kushtaka Lake An aerial view of Kushtaka Lake, looking out over the Bering River Delta GET PHOTO The Bering River Coal Field is a bituminous coal field, located near Bering Glacier, between Icy Bay and the mouth of the ... [read-more]
Bethel Coal Plant: The 100-MW Bethel Power Plant was proposed as a collaboration between the Calista, an Alaska Native Corporation, and the gold-mining company NovaGold Resources Inc. The plant was to have powered the proposed Donlin Creek Gold Mine, as well as Bethel ... [read-more]
Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS): Is 'Low Carbon Coal' possible?When coal is burned, large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) are released into the atmosphere. Releases of CO2 from coal-fired power plants make up around 40% of total CO2 emissions in the US, and are therefore ... [read-more]
Chickaloon Coal Leases: Plans for developing the Chickaloon Coal Field in the Matanuska Valley were previously abandoned in 2007, but were resurrected in 2011 when the Alaskan Mental Health Trust Authority (AMHTA) offered up 10,000 acres of coal leases. The Matanuska Valley has ... [read-more]
Chuitna Coal Mine Prospect: A journey to Chuitna ...We began with a mission to look for coal. And we found a little. But as soon as we stepped away from the scattered coal boulders in the Chuitna River, it disappeared – hidden deep beneath ... [read-more]
Coal Combustion Methods: Coal can be used in a wide variety of ways, ranging from direct burning to produce heat and/or steam to newer methods of coal gasification and liquefaction (including coal-to-liquids). The following is a summary of coal combustion methods relevant to ... [read-more]
Coal Combustion Wastes: BackgroundBurning coal produces a variety of solid wastes known as coal combustion waste or coal combustion products. These include coal ash (fly ash and bottom ash), boiler slag, and flue-gas desulphurization products. In 2007 over 120 million tons of these ... [read-more]
Coal Fires: Coal Seam Fires: Coal can burn unchecked, while still in the ground. FULL FIGURE Because coal is so readily combustible, it is possible for coal deposits to catch fire while still in the ground. These coal seam fires are a ... [read-more]
Coal Impacts: Every form of energy development impacts both people and the environment. However, coal creates greater negative impacts than almost any other energy source, whether fossil or renewable. These impacts take place throughout the lifecycle of coal, from mining to post-combustion ... [read-more]
Coal Mine Reclamation: When mining is completed, coal mines are required to be reclaimed to standards defined by the state and federal government. Reclamation can be a major issue in mine proposal controversies (such as Chuitna), where mine opponents argue that valuable habitat ... [read-more]
Coal Mining: Mining for coal can be divided into two major categories, underground mining and strip mining. Underground mining obtains coal by digging downwards to the level of the coal and then horizontally extracting the coal through a variety of methods. In ... [read-more]
Coal Power in Alaska: Your browser does not support iframes. Coal Power in Alaska Existing and proposed coal-fired power plants in Alaska. Less than 10% of Alaska's electricity comes from coal. Most is from gas, hydro, and oil. There are six small coal-fired power ... [read-more]
Coal Terminology: Resource & Reserve: Note: All statistics from the US have been converted from short tons to metric tons.Note: While the exact details may differ, this is basically the same measurement systems used for minerals and petroleum. How much coal is there? Behind the ... [read-more]
Coal to Liquids (CTL): The rising costs of fuel, combined with the fact that the U.S. has larger reserves of coal than it does oil, have prompted an upsurge of interest in the possibility of generating liquid fuels (such as gasoline and diesel) from ... [read-more]
Coalbed Methane: SummaryCoalbed methane (also called coal mine methane) refers to methane gas that is trapped within minuscule fractures in coal seams. Once viewed solely as a hazard of coal mining, this gas has received recent attention for its use as an ... [read-more]
Emma Creek Coal Energy: Coal along Emma Creek Soft sandstone bluffs striped with jet-black coal alongside Emma Creek GET PHOTO The Emma Creek Energy Project was a proposal for a large coal-fired power plant that still remains in the conception process. This 200 megawatt ... [read-more]
Exporting Alaska's Coal: Currently over a million tons of coal is exported from Alaska to the Pacific Rim by Usibelli Coal Mine Inc. This accounts for around half of the coal mined by Usibelli, with the rest being consumed in the state. While ... [read-more]
Fairbanks Coal-to-Liquids (CTL): BackgroundThe Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation (FEDC) has recently proposed a 20,000-40,000 barrels per day combined biomass and coal-to-liquids (CTL) plant to provide jet fuel to nearby military bases (primarily Eielson Air Force Base). The FEDC has commissioned a $550,000 study ... [read-more]
Healy Clean Coal Plant: This experimental coal-fired power plant ran during a brief period from 1998 to 1999, but has been shut down ever since due to a legal dispute. Healy Clean Coal Plant This long idle coal power plant was state of the ... [read-more]
Healy Coal-to-Liquids (CTL): Energy frontier The site of the proposed Emma Creek Power Energy Project and Healy CTL project. GET PHOTO In 2007 a feasibility study(3.6 Mb) was completed regarding a proposed 14,600 barrel (around 7300 tons of coal) per day coal-to-liquids (CTL) ... [read-more]
Jonesville Coal Mine: Background Mine-water settling pond Two ponds alternate in the role of settling sediment carried by a stream coming out of the old Evan Jones coal mine. GET PHOTO The Evans Jones Coal Mine operated between 1920 and 1968 in Sutton, ... [read-more]
Kenai Blue Sky Coal Power: The Kenai Blue Sky Coal Plant was a proposed $1.5-2 billion integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) plant proposed by Agrium Inc. to be located near their existing Kenai fertilizer plant in Cook Inlet, AK. The plant was to provide both power ... [read-more]
Matanuska Coal Plant: Matanuska Electric Association (MEA) began working on a proposal for a 100-megawatt circulating fluid bed coal plant to be located south of Palmer, AK and supplied with coal from Usibelli Coal Mine Inc. From the start, this was strongly opposed ... [read-more]
Mercury from Coal: Mercury is released into the air from the combustion of coal. This mercury accumulates and concentrates in the food chain, where it is ingested by people (often through eating fish). Mercury is a toxic chemical that can affect the nervous ... [read-more]
Mining Taxes and Revenue in Alaska: SummaryAlaska's mineral industry was worth almost $3 billion in 2009, but paid less than 2% to state and local governments, counting all forms of taxes, fees, and royalties. Taxes on other industries are much higher: the oil and gas industry ... [read-more]
Nanushuk Coal Prospect: Nanushuk coal Coal seams outcrop on the Kukpowruk River GET PHOTO SummaryIn 2010, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) began working on approval for preliminary coal prospecting permits within the Nanushuk Group north of the Brooks Range. Covering 116,000 ... [read-more]
Non-Renewable Energy in Alaska: Alaska is famous for oil, which funds much of the state government. Natural gas powers most of the state. Less well known are Alaska's vast coal reserves - largely undeveloped. Other potential non-renewable sources include methane gas hydrates and nuclear ... [read-more]
Opposition to Coal in Alaska: Chuitna Coal Mine Chuitna Citizens Coalition Cook Inletkeeper Trustees for Alaska Wishbone Hill Coal Mine Matanuska Valley Coalition Castle Mountain Coalition Chickaloon Native Village Coal Power in Alaska GVE Ratepayers Alliance HEA Members Forum MEA Ratepayers Alliance Coal to Liquid ... [read-more]
Peak Coal: Closely tied to the issue of coal resources and reserves is the idea of "peak coal" which is the analog to the well-studied and often debated "peak oil" concept. Peak coal is the point at which coal production reaches a ... [read-more]
Quantifying coal: How much is there?: 1/8th of the world's coal? An oft-quoted statistic is that Alaska has 1/8th of the world's coal, around 1/2 of the total from the US. This may well be the best available estimate of Alaska coal resource, but it relies ... [read-more]
Seward Coal Terminal: The Seward Coal Loading Facility, referred to as the Seward Coal Terminal, was built in 1984 to provide for the export of coal from Usibelli Coal Mine Inc. The facility consists of a railroad spur, a variety of coal storage ... [read-more]
The True Cost of Coal: To the electricity customer, coal is relatively cheap. But missing from the sticker price are coal's major impacts on ecosystems, human health, and our economy. People are sickened by pollution from coal fired power plants, shortening their lives and burdening ... [read-more]
Tyonek Coal-to-Liquids (CTL): SummaryIn October 2010, the Tyonek Native Corporation (TNC) announced that they had signed an agreement with a technology company called Accelergy to develop a coal-to-liquids (CTL) plant on Tyonek land. This facility would produce aviation fuel as well as gasoline ... [read-more]
Types and Composition of Coal: Your browser does not support iframes. Coal Geology in Alaska Known coal formations in Alaska While "coal" is often described as a single commodity, in fact coal varies widely in important physical characteristics such as energy content (usually measured in ... [read-more]
Underground Coal Gasification (UCG): Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) involves igniting coal in the ground, then collecting and using the gases that result from its partial combustion. Although the idea dates back over a century, very few UCG plants have ever been built. Underground gasification ... [read-more]
Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) Documents: Underground coal gasification (UCG) is the process of igniting coal in the ground then collecting and using the resulting gases. For more information, see our issue article on underground coal gasification. Several UCG projects are being considered in Alaska, primarily ... [read-more]
Uses of Coal: For much of modern human history, the primary use of coal was combustion in the home or in factories to produce heat. The majority of coal is still burned for electricity production, but usually in centralized power plants. Much of ... [read-more]
Usibelli Coal Mines: Circling Usibelli On a map of Alaska, my eyes are drawn to the glaciers and fjords, coastlines, and dramatic topography. The only thing that stood out about Usibelli was the coal mines. Coal mines? This was a trek to look ... [read-more]
Waste Storage 'In Perpetuity': Perpetual waste storage Toxic waste is an inevitable byproduct of many industries, from mines to power plants, nuclear reactors to municipal landfills. Therefore, we construct facilities to contain or treat these toxic byproducts. In many cases the mandate of these ... [read-more]
Wishbone Hill Coal Mine: BackgroundThe Wishbone Hill Mine is a proposed mine site in the Matanuska Valley approximately 5 miles west of downtown Sutton, AK. The site is on the border of the Sutton/Alpine and Buffalo/Soapstone Community Council boundaries and is less than a ... [read-more]
Alaska Coal: Alaska possesses vast amounts of coal, probably a major portion of the world's remaining coal resource. As a result, the choices that are made in Alaska regarding coal development will have a major local and global impact. Even though small-scale ... [read-more]
Journeys tagged Coal
Alaska Coal Country: 2010 has been our year of coal. Through winter and spring, we wrote articles full of esoteric details on all the coal projects and prospects in Alaska. Alaska might have as much as 10% of the world's coal - most ... [read-more]
Photos tagged Coal
