Does coal mining destroy the environment?

No, much of the land we mine is actually left better than we found it. Backfilling active surface mining pits is quick and concise, so an open pit that you see this year will be a farmable field by next year. Yes, it's that fast! The areas we occupy are originally unfarmable or unforested waste land, and after mining, we restore that land to either new forests or rolling hills capable of being farmed.

Is coal power a main cause of global warming?

No, modern coal power produces very little carbon on a global scale. We have enrolled hundreds of acres of land into clean and green programs, and pledged land to forest management and carbon offset programs. Cover crops also have the ability to actively draw down carbon in real time. Modern coal mines, like us, use these crops year round to draw carbon out of the air and offset the carbon produced.

Does mining coal harm the surrounding natural water supply?

Not anymore. While Heritage has not created bad water during our mining history, we have inherited some from old mining permits that we purchased. We manage the water treatment very closely, and our efforts are actually producing improvements and favorable conditions in the Casselman River. In addition to water treatment, we are working to permanently improve the inherited water problems by “re-mining”. This may sound counter intuitive, but the “cause” of the bad water is the coal that was improperly left behind by previous miners. The act of removing those remnants and lining the pit floors with limestone is a permanent fix to the bad water. This is a critical concept that many fail to see. It is the ONLY permanent solution to the bad water created from the old mining practices of decades ago. 

Does natural gas and other forms of energy outcompete coal?

Internationally, coal is the main source of fuel for electric power and steel plants. (Yes, even your electric cars depend on coal in one way or another.) Oil, natural gas, and nuclear power actually follow behind, making coal the most reliable, affordable power to date.