What environmental impact can coal mining have?

• A. Destruction of vast areas of land
• B. Increased biodiversity
• C. Improved soil quality
• D. Reduced erosion

Answer: (A)

Coal mining, especially surface mining and mountaintop removal, physically removes vegetation and topsoil to access the coal, creating large scars on the landscape. This destroys vast areas of land, disrupts habitats, alters drainage, and generates waste piles. Exposed soils erode easily and sediment spreads into nearby water bodies, further degrading ecosystems. While reclamation can stabilize sites over time, the original land form and ecological function are rarely fully restored, so the lasting impact is substantial land destruction.

Other options don’t fit because mining behavior tends to reduce biodiversity, not increase it; soil quality is typically worsened by losing fertile topsoil and introducing mine waste; erosion is usually increased, not reduced, due to exposed, disturbed ground.