{"id":{"repo_id":"baylor","oai_identifier":"oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/13543"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/baylor/oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/13543","repository":{"repo_id":"baylor","name":"Baylor University","base_url":"https://baylor-ir.tdl.org/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"An analysis of the development, the problems and proposed statutory regulations for strip coal mining.","abstract":"The days of the coal miner going deep into the ground with his pick and shovel are rapidly being replaced by the claimed safer practices of strip mining. National attention was focused on strip coal mining in the 1960's with emphasis on the Appalachian Region. Rapidly increasing electrical demands from coal-fired generators have recently propelled strip mining into the western states where 77 percent of our known coal reserves are located. Resource development through environmental exploitation by the coal operators in the past has become an issue that presently affects 50 percent of the total coal production. Controversy has developed because of the various state regulations or lack of regulations in an attempt to control the devastating effects of stripping. Coal operators have been able to manipulate the enforcement procedures on the state level and in many cases have been supported by the courts. For over thirty years Congress has had before it legislative proposals dealing with the extraction of minerals through surface mining techniques. However, with the passage of the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, strip mining became an explicit concern of the federal government for the first time. This federal concern has great potential for generating national land and resource development policies that will be the basis for future environmentally safe programs. Congressional committee hearings dealt with the environmental dereliction and economic prosperity for the few that accompanies most of the present strip-mining practices. In addition, proposed legislation has ranged from minimum regulation to complete prohibition of all strip-mining activities. Proposals and opinions of such a divergent nature have caused the practices of strip mining to become one of the most emotional issues to come before the members of Capital Hill. Hopefully, the members of the 93d Congress will enact federal legislation that will regulate severe environmental damage caused from surface mining. This thesis explores the history of strip mining, the effects of state litigation and legislation, the problems of future energy sources, and also examines the political power struggle currently going on at the national level concerning the question of reclamation.","abstract_html":"The days of the coal miner going deep into the ground with his pick and shovel are rapidly being replaced by the claimed safer practices of strip mining. National attention was focused on strip coal mining in the 1960's with emphasis on the Appalachian Region. Rapidly increasing electrical demands from coal-fired generators have recently propelled strip mining into the western states where 77 percent of our known coal reserves are located. Resource development through environmental exploitation by the coal operators in the past has become an issue that presently affects 50 percent of the total coal production. Controversy has developed because of the various state regulations or lack of regulations in an attempt to control the devastating effects of stripping. Coal operators have been able to manipulate the enforcement procedures on the state level and in many cases have been supported by the courts. For over thirty years Congress has had before it legislative proposals dealing with the extraction of minerals through surface mining techniques. However, with the passage of the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, strip mining became an explicit concern of the federal government for the first time. This federal concern has great potential for generating national land and resource development policies that will be the basis for future environmentally safe programs. Congressional committee hearings dealt with the environmental dereliction and economic prosperity for the few that accompanies most of the present strip-mining practices. In addition, proposed legislation has ranged from minimum regulation to complete prohibition of all strip-mining activities. Proposals and opinions of such a divergent nature have caused the practices of strip mining to become one of the most emotional issues to come before the members of Capital Hill. Hopefully, the members of the 93d Congress will enact federal legislation that will regulate severe environmental damage caused from surface mining. This thesis explores the history of strip mining, the effects of state litigation and legislation, the problems of future energy sources, and also examines the political power struggle currently going on at the national level concerning the question of reclamation.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Olson, Thomas K., 1949-"],"institution":"Baylor University.","degree_name":"M.A.","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Edwards, Charles S., 1928-"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1973,"date_issued":"1973-08","date_published":"1973-08","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:08:13Z","subjects":["Strip mining -- Law and legislation -- United States."],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/2104/13543","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Edwards, Charles S., 1928-"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Olson, Thomas K., 1949-"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-07-02T19:32:45Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-07-02T19:32:45Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1973-08"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.A."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Baylor University."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Strip mining -- Law and legislation -- United States."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/2104/13543"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The days of the coal miner going deep into the ground with his pick and shovel are rapidly being replaced by the claimed safer practices of strip mining. National attention was focused on strip coal mining in the 1960's with emphasis on the Appalachian Region. Rapidly increasing electrical demands from coal-fired generators have recently propelled strip mining into the western states where 77 percent of our known coal reserves are located. Resource development through environmental exploitation by the coal operators in the past has become an issue that presently affects 50 percent of the total coal production. Controversy has developed because of the various state regulations or lack of regulations in an attempt to control the devastating effects of stripping. Coal operators have been able to manipulate the enforcement procedures on the state level and in many cases have been supported by the courts. For over thirty years Congress has had before it legislative proposals dealing with the extraction of minerals through surface mining techniques. However, with the passage of the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, strip mining became an explicit concern of the federal government for the first time. This federal concern has great potential for generating national land and resource development policies that will be the basis for future environmentally safe programs. Congressional committee hearings dealt with the environmental dereliction and economic prosperity for the few that accompanies most of the present strip-mining practices. In addition, proposed legislation has ranged from minimum regulation to complete prohibition of all strip-mining activities. Proposals and opinions of such a divergent nature have caused the practices of strip mining to become one of the most emotional issues to come before the members of Capital Hill. Hopefully, the members of the 93d Congress will enact federal legislation that will regulate severe environmental damage caused from surface mining. This thesis explores the history of strip mining, the effects of state litigation and legislation, the problems of future energy sources, and also examines the political power struggle currently going on at the national level concerning the question of reclamation."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An analysis of the development, the problems and proposed statutory regulations for strip coal mining."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Edwards, Charles S., 1928-"],"dc:creator":["Olson, Thomas K., 1949-"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-07-02T19:32:45Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-07-02T19:32:45Z"],"dc:date.issued":["1973-08"],"dc:description.abstract":["The days of the coal miner going deep into the ground with his pick and shovel are rapidly being replaced by the claimed safer practices of strip mining. National attention was focused on strip coal mining in the 1960's with emphasis on the Appalachian Region. Rapidly increasing electrical demands from coal-fired generators have recently propelled strip mining into the western states where 77 percent of our known coal reserves are located. Resource development through environmental exploitation by the coal operators in the past has become an issue that presently affects 50 percent of the total coal production. Controversy has developed because of the various state regulations or lack of regulations in an attempt to control the devastating effects of stripping. Coal operators have been able to manipulate the enforcement procedures on the state level and in many cases have been supported by the courts. For over thirty years Congress has had before it legislative proposals dealing with the extraction of minerals through surface mining techniques. However, with the passage of the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, strip mining became an explicit concern of the federal government for the first time. This federal concern has great potential for generating national land and resource development policies that will be the basis for future environmentally safe programs. Congressional committee hearings dealt with the environmental dereliction and economic prosperity for the few that accompanies most of the present strip-mining practices. In addition, proposed legislation has ranged from minimum regulation to complete prohibition of all strip-mining activities. Proposals and opinions of such a divergent nature have caused the practices of strip mining to become one of the most emotional issues to come before the members of Capital Hill. Hopefully, the members of the 93d Congress will enact federal legislation that will regulate severe environmental damage caused from surface mining. This thesis explores the history of strip mining, the effects of state litigation and legislation, the problems of future energy sources, and also examines the political power struggle currently going on at the national level concerning the question of reclamation."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/2104/13543"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:rights":["Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission."],"dc:subject":["Strip mining -- Law and legislation -- United States."],"dc:title":["An analysis of the development, the problems and proposed statutory regulations for strip coal mining."],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.A."],"thesis:institution_name":["Baylor University."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:08:13Z"}