Mountaintop removal is a relatively new type of coal mining that began in Appalachia in the 1970s as an extension of conventional strip mining techniques. The process is known to be devastating to fish, wildlife, and bird species and contributes to increased flooding and deforestation in heavily mined areas.
Not only is it bad for the environment, the effects on nearby homes and communities can be devastating. The Environmental Protection Agency says:
“Dynamite blasts needed to splinter rock strata are so strong they crack the foundations and walls of houses. Mining dries up an average of 100 wells a year and contaminates water in others. In many coalfield communities, the purity and availability of drinking water are keen concerns.”
Local, state, and regional organizations across Appalachia are working together to end mountaintop removal through their program iLoveMountains.org. They’re urging people to sign a petition to ask Obama to end mountaintop removal.
In his first 100 days as President, Mr. Obama has the power to stop most current mountaintop removal mining. Here’s how:
- Reverse the Bush Mine Waste Giveaways: In the 11th hour, the Bush administration weakened the
Stream Buffer Zone, allowing companies to dump mine waste into streams and rivers, worsening an earlier Bush ruling that has accelerated the pace of mountaintop removal coal mining. - Enforce the Law: The coal industry has routinely ignored the Clean Water Act and the Stream Buffer Zone Rule. President Obama should demand that these and other rules be enforced, and hold the EPA, the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement, and the Army Corps of Engineers accountable.
- Urge Congress to Pass the Clean Water Protection Act: The Clean Water Protection Act is necessary to both permanently protect clean drinking water for many of our nation’s cities and to protect Appalachian coalfield residents who face frequent catastrophic flooding and pollution as a result of mountaintop removal.
- Prioritize Appalachia in America’s Clean Energy Future: Some mountaintops in Appalachia have huge wind power potential and would be more beneficial in that regard than as flattened landscape. President Obama should make Environmental Impact Assessments and economic analyses mandatory as part of his New Energy for America Plan. With finite and declining coal reserves and jobs, Obama needs to ensure Appalachia receives attention and support in the Administration’s new energy plan that includes $150 billion dollars invested in green, union jobs.
Here’s the story of one mountain community struggling with coal mining praticies in Wilson Creek, KY:
