Strip-mining is a devastating activity;nearly all environmental components, both living and non-living, are severely disturbed. With a single operation the entire biota of an area is eliminated, and the substrate tumbled into an un¬structured mass. The results may be:loss of vegetation, loss of animals and animal habitat, erosion, siltation of streams, water table changes, loss of soil productivity, and ugliness.nModern technology supported by an environmental awareness can mitigate many of these effects. For primarily monetary reasons, however, such technology has, until recently, rarely been employed.
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