Water quality is a parameter associated with coal mining that is constantly monitored prior to, during, and after mining activities.  There are many misconceptions about water quality and how the health of the water and associated ecosystems are affected by coal mining.  This section addresses those misconceptions to give some perspective on the issue of water quality, as it relates to coal mining and other land disturbance activities.  See the articles on the right, for more in-depth information on this subject.