Against Mountaintop Removal
Mountaintop removal coal mining is an
extremely destructive form of mining that is devastating Appalachia. Mountaintop removal takes place primarily
in eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, southwest Virginia, and into east
central Tennessee.
Mountain top removal mining uses explosives to blast up to 400ft off the top of the mountain, exposing the desired seams, and then the desired ores are extracted. Mountain top mining essentially removes the "peak" of the mountain, and its adjacent valleys, leaving a flat contoured plain.
Mountaintop removal has resulted in many negative effects.Over 2,000 miles of streams and
headwaters that provide drinking water have been permanently buried and
destroyed due to mountaintop removal, an area the size of Delaware has been flattened, local coal field communities routinely face devastating floods and adverse health effects, and natural habitats in forests are laid to waste.
Mountaintop removal is no longer neccessary for our energy needs. Mountaintop removal mining now provides
less then 4.5% of our electricity. Preliminary data from 2009 indicates that the
percentage will continue to drop.
So, in conclusion, mountaintop Removal mining is not needed
and serves only to provide short term profits for a few, while causing long
term devastation to the mountain ecosystems and surrounding communities.
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