Flora and Fauna
Coal mining destroys vast amounts of land, pollutes our rivers and streams, and has significant environmental effects on local communities and wildlife.
Surface mining causes both direct and indirect damage to wildlife. Deforestation is required to clear areas of land to prepare it for mining, this doesn't just affect trees, it destroys the habitats of many native animals. The next step of excavation and spoil piling is the main concern, as they drive away both prey animals, predators, and birds. Reptiles, burrowing rodents and other small mammals are often killed in the process. The community of microorganisms in the soil are also upset by the movement and redistribution.
The effects of sediment on aquatic wildlife vary with the amount of contamination. High sediment levels can kill fish directly, bury spawning beds, reduce light transmission, alter temperature, and reduce production of aquatic organisms used as food by other species.
The presence of acid-forming materials exposed as a result of surface mining can affect wildlife as well. Acids, dilute concentrations of heavy metals, and high alkalinity can cause severe damage to wildlife in some areas. The duration of acidic-waste pollution can be long; estimates of the time required to leach exposed acidic materials range from 800 to 3,000 years.
A recent disturbance to wildlife was in late 2015, when Environment Minister Greg Hunt gave permission to a project to export over 60 million tonnes of coal per year. The problem with this is that its Abbot Point terminals are located close to the Great Barrier Reef. The mine would also be threatening the yakka skink, the ornamental snake, and the black throated finch would be pushed to extinction. The transporting of coal would also mean more ships through the reef and more carbon emissions.
