[Old School]

100% for coal! Strip mining requires less workers than deep mining. It may be safer but it causes more damage than good. though it seems hazard was made from strip mining.

Surface mining is also very dangerous, if you look at MSHA's records you will see that in 4 of the past 5 years the number of fatalities in underground mining and surface mining are very similar, the exception being in 2006 when 3 separate accidents in a 5 month period killed 19 men.
2005 fatalities 11 underground and 7 surface.
2006 fatalities 36 underground and 9 surface.
2007 fatalities 17 underground and 13 surface.
2008 fatalities 15 underground and 12 surface.
2009 fatalities to date 5 underground and 9 surface.