GIRARD BREAKER
STANDARD SIZES OF COAL
RECLAMATION . . . PUTTING BACK THE LAND

Surface Mining (Stripping)

Reading Anthracite mines coal using surface mining, or "stripping" operations. This method is used when the coal seams lie comparatively close to the surface.

Draglines and shovels remove the rock and soil between the coal bed and the surface. The anthracite coal is loosened by light blasting and loaded by mechanical shovels into trucks that transport the run-of-mine coal to the Girard Breaker for cleaning and preparation.

Strip mining permits practically 100% recovery-that is no coal is left in the ground.

In Schuylkill County, Reading Anthracite Company has continued using reclaimed land. Two expamles of the uses of reclaimed land are the Walmart Superstore and Home Depot in St. Clair.