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02 Jun 2026, 23:57
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Twenty years ago, Balzania put in place regulations requiring operators of surface mines to pay for the reclamation of mined-out land. Since then, reclamation technology has not improved. Yet, the average reclamation cost for a surface coal mine being reclaimed today is only four dollars per ton of coal that the mine produced, less than half what it cost to reclaim surface mines in the years immediately after the regulations took effect.
Which of the following, if true, most helps to account for the drop in reclamation costs described?
A. Even after Balzania began requiring surface mine operators to pay reclamation costs, coal mines in Balzania continued to be less expensive to operate than coal mines in almost any other country.
B. Even after Balzania began requiring surface mine operators to pay reclamation costs, surface mines continued to produce coal at a lower total cost than underground mines.
C. As compared to 20 years ago, a greater percentage of the coal mined in Balzania today comes from surface mines.
D. Over the last 20 years, mine operators have generally located new surface coal mines in areas with flat terrain that makes reclamation easy.
E. In the 20 years since the regulations took effect, the use of coal as a fuel has declined from the level it was at in the previous 20 years.
Which of the following, if true, most helps to account for the drop in reclamation costs described?
A. Even after Balzania began requiring surface mine operators to pay reclamation costs, coal mines in Balzania continued to be less expensive to operate than coal mines in almost any other country.
B. Even after Balzania began requiring surface mine operators to pay reclamation costs, surface mines continued to produce coal at a lower total cost than underground mines.
C. As compared to 20 years ago, a greater percentage of the coal mined in Balzania today comes from surface mines.
D. Over the last 20 years, mine operators have generally located new surface coal mines in areas with flat terrain that makes reclamation easy.
E. In the 20 years since the regulations took effect, the use of coal as a fuel has declined from the level it was at in the previous 20 years.
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03 Jun 2026, 10:34
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Twenty years ago, Balzania put in place regulations requiring operators of surface mines to pay for the reclamation of mined-out land. Since then, reclamation technology has not improved. Yet, the average reclamation cost for a surface coal mine being reclaimed today is only four dollars per ton of coal that the mine produced, less than half what it cost to reclaim surface mines in the years immediately after the regulations took effect.
Which of the following, if true, most helps to account for the drop in reclamation costs described?
Key to getting a Paradox question correct is correctly identifying exactly what the correct answer has to explain.
So, in this case, we have to be clear that the correct answer must explain why reclamation costs decreased despite the fact that reclamation technology has not improved.
A. Even after Balzania began requiring surface mine operators to pay reclamation costs, coal mines in Balzania continued to be less expensive to operate than coal mines in almost any other country.
This comparison of costs does not explain why costs decreased.
Eliminate.
B. Even after Balzania began requiring surface mine operators to pay reclamation costs, surface mines continued to produce coal at a lower total cost than underground mines.
This choice merely says that costs were relatively low without explaining why they decreased.
Eliminate.
C. As compared to 20 years ago, a greater percentage of the coal mined in Balzania today comes from surface mines.
This choice is tricky because it may seem to indicate that there was some kind of economy of scale that resulted in the cost decrease.
However, we don't have a clear reason to believe that such a dynamic existed. So, this choice doesn't really explain the cost decrease.
Eliminate.
D. Over the last 20 years, mine operators have generally located new surface coal mines in areas with flat terrain that makes reclamation easy.
This choice is interesting.
After all if this is true, the reclamation may have become easier since the regulations were put into place 20 years ago.
What's easier costs less.
So, this choice could explain why reclamation costs have decreased.
Keep.
E. In the 20 years since the regulations took effect, the use of coal as a fuel has declined from the level it was at in the previous 20 years.
The fact that use of coal has declined might explain a decrease in the price of coal, but it wouldn't explain a decrease in costs of reclamation of mined-out land.
Eliminate.
Correct answer: D
Which of the following, if true, most helps to account for the drop in reclamation costs described?
Key to getting a Paradox question correct is correctly identifying exactly what the correct answer has to explain.
So, in this case, we have to be clear that the correct answer must explain why reclamation costs decreased despite the fact that reclamation technology has not improved.
A. Even after Balzania began requiring surface mine operators to pay reclamation costs, coal mines in Balzania continued to be less expensive to operate than coal mines in almost any other country.
This comparison of costs does not explain why costs decreased.
Eliminate.
B. Even after Balzania began requiring surface mine operators to pay reclamation costs, surface mines continued to produce coal at a lower total cost than underground mines.
This choice merely says that costs were relatively low without explaining why they decreased.
Eliminate.
C. As compared to 20 years ago, a greater percentage of the coal mined in Balzania today comes from surface mines.
This choice is tricky because it may seem to indicate that there was some kind of economy of scale that resulted in the cost decrease.
However, we don't have a clear reason to believe that such a dynamic existed. So, this choice doesn't really explain the cost decrease.
Eliminate.
D. Over the last 20 years, mine operators have generally located new surface coal mines in areas with flat terrain that makes reclamation easy.
This choice is interesting.
After all if this is true, the reclamation may have become easier since the regulations were put into place 20 years ago.
What's easier costs less.
So, this choice could explain why reclamation costs have decreased.
Keep.
E. In the 20 years since the regulations took effect, the use of coal as a fuel has declined from the level it was at in the previous 20 years.
The fact that use of coal has declined might explain a decrease in the price of coal, but it wouldn't explain a decrease in costs of reclamation of mined-out land.
Eliminate.
Correct answer: D
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