Health, Social and Economic Impacts
Among the most controversial issues related to coal mining in Appalachia are the alleged impacts on community health in the context of both economic and human health. In terms of the economy, allegations have long existed regarding the “resource curse” that accompanies mining, which states that mining perpetuates poverty. For human health, mining operations have recently been identified as possible causes for a range of diseases from birth defects to cancer. To address these concerns, ARIES researchers evaluated the impacts of coal mining on the Appalachian community. A variety of research approaches were applied including standard epidemiologic, pathway analysis, and factor association techniques to determine specific causes, if any, for these issues. A copy of the executive summary detailing key findings in this research area can be found at the following link:
More Information: Human, Social and Economic Impacts Journal and Conference Papers