Mining Away the Hearts of Mountains

 

Mountaintop removal mining is a coal mining practice taking place in the eastern United States. This mining method includes several environmentally devastating steps: removing all vegetation and topsoil in the area to be mined, and blasting off 600 or more feet of elevation. Huge machines are used to dig out the coal, replacing the need for human workers, reducing economic benefits of the practice. Debris is often poured into valleys resting near the mining site, regardless of what ecological features are found there.  Any efforts to restore the mountains to their original pristine state are wasted; once the mountain has been mined, it will always bear the scars.

 For more about the process: http://mountainjustice.org/facts/steps.php

The fight against mountaintop removal has been long and grueling. While no legislation has been put in place to ban the practice, individuals have celebrated small victories. Many states where mountaintop removal occurs have considered introducing bills to ban the use of mountaintop removal mined coal, which may decrease the demand for the mined coal.

For more on the legislative movements: http://ilovemountains.org/state-actions

Mountaintop removal mining is another ugly consequence of the world’s continued demand for coal, the dirtiest of the fossil fuels.