Coal Mining : Mine Coal

In recent years surface mining in Wyoming has mushroomed, making that state the leading coal producer at almost 300,000 tons per year. West Virginia and Kentucky, the traditional leaders, with both underground and surface mines, each produce around 170,000 tons. There are two primary methods of mining coal, surface mining and underground mining. There are over 1,000 surface mines and more than 1,000 underground mines in the US. Underground mining is more difficult and requires more miners, but much of our best coal is underground. Mining has become much safer and more efficient over the years. In 1980 there were over 220,000 coal miners in the country. Today there are fewer than 100,000. But while 1980 production was about 800,000 tons, today we produce over 1 billion tons with fewer than half the number of miners.