"The issue of abandoned mines and their legacy of water pollution is not unique to Colorado. Abandoned mines across Ohio have polluted streams and creeks for decades, turning waterways orange and lacing them with sulfuric acid, dissolved metals and toxic sediments.
Although some polluted waterways have been cleaned up, a lack of funding has made dealing with acid-mine drainage impossible in others.
About 36,000 acres of land across Ohio have been damaged by underground and strip mines, an area equal in size to Pittsburgh, according to a database kept by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources."
Laura Arenschield reports for the Columbus Dispatch August 14, 2015.
SEE ALSO:
"Compared to Colorado Spill, Local Mine Drainage Extensive" (Scranton Times-Tribune)
"National Challenge of Leaking Mines Dwarfs Colorado Spill" (AP)
"Coal's Devastation" (Atlantic/Climate Desk)
"EPA Head Meets With Navajo President Over Colorado Mine Spill" (Reuters)
"Contaminated Water From Colorado Mines An Ongoing Problem" (CNN)
"Navajo Nation Leader Rejects EPA No-Sue Waivers" (Aljazeera America)
"EPA Plans Probes Into Colo. Mine Waste Spill" (The Hill)
"EPA Chief: Colorado River Hit By Mine Waste Back To Pre-Spill Quality" (Reuters)
"EPA Criticized For Slow Response To Wastewater Spill In Colorado" (NPR)
"Trump Blasts EPA Over Mine Waste Spill" (The Hill)
"The Conservative Media's Faux Outrage Over The EPA Mine Spill" (Media Matters)
"Scalise Hammers EPA Over Spilled Mine Waste in Colorado River" (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
"Old Coal Mines Still Taint Ohio Waterways"
Source: Columbus Dispatch, 08/14/2015
