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APES Unit 5 FRQ's

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(A) Describe the steps that should be taken to restore the land after the overburden has been replaced. (3 points)
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(A) Describe the steps that should be taken to restore the land after the overburden has been replaced. (3 points)
a. Recontouring/ Regrading the land to its original topography
b. Replacing and/or adding topsoil and/or nutrients as needed to improve soil quality or structure
c. Replanting with native vegetation/fast growing species/early successional species
(B) Explain why the restoration of the land would likely be more difficult in an arid climate (one with less than 10 inches of precipitation per year). (2 points)
a. It may be difficult to re-establish vegetation due to
i. Low precipitation
b. As a consequence of the slow growth of vegetation the reclamation may be prolonged because of
i. Runoff
(C) Describe one environmental impact that the sulfur content of the remaining coal and the tailings would have on the reclamation process and suggest a possible remedy. (2 points)
a. Impacts: Sulfur in the coal and tailings may dissolve in water that percolates through them to form sulfuric acid which results in
i. Acidification of the surrounding soil
b. Remedy: Bioremediation by sulfur-removing bacteria
(D) Other than mining and reclamation, describe TWO environmental impacts of using coal for energy. (2 points)
a. Thermal pollution
b. Global climate change (global warming) as a result of the increased release of greenhouse gases from combustion into the atmosphere
(E) Explain why per capita coal consumption in the United States is likely to increase (2 points)
a. Lower overall cost compared to other energy sources
b. One point is earned for connecting an increased per capita demand for energy due to increased affluence of the U.S. population