Why are mountains being blown up in West Virginia?
Beheaded mountaintops and towering metal-processing centers dripping hundreds of tons of black dust—these have become the norm in West Virginia, as mining companies blow off the peaks of the Appalachians to get at the underlying coal.
How many mountains in West Virginia have been removed to extract coal?
Mountaintop removal, a form of surface mining, has already leveled or severely impacted 500 mountaintops in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee, according to Appalachian Voices, an activist group opposed to mountaintop removal.
How many mountains have been destroyed by mountaintop removal?
500 mountains
Tragically, mountaintop removal mining has already destroyed more than 500 mountains encompassing more than 1 million acres of Central and Southern Appalachia.
Is mountaintop removal still legal?
Disposal of excess overburden associated with mountaintop removal mining has generally been permitted under Nationwide Permit 21 (NWP 21), which authorizes discharges from surface coal mining activities that result in no more than minimal impacts (site-specifically and cumulatively) to the aquatic environment.
How does mountaintop removal work?
Coal companies first raze an entire mountainside, ripping trees from the ground and clearing brush with huge tractors. This debris is then set ablaze as deep holes are dug for explosives. An explosive is poured into these holes and mountaintops are literally blown apart.
Where is mountaintop removal most common?
Mountaintop removal takes place primarily in eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, southwestern Virginia, and eastern Tennessee. A study in 2009 showed that nearly 1.2 million acres to date had been surface mined for coal, and more than 500 mountains destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining.
Is coal strip mining legal?
Legislation in the United States. In the United States, MTR is allowed by section 515(c)(1) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. Although most coal mining sites must be reclaimed to the land’s pre-mining contour and use, regulatory agencies can issue waivers to allow MTR.
What is mountaintop removal used for?
Michael Hendryx: Mountaintop removal is a form of surface coal mining. As the name suggests, it literally removes up to 800 feet off the tops of mountains to try to reach coal seams that are not accessible by other mining techniques because the terrain is too steep or the veins are too thin.
How can we stop mountaintop mining?
Top 3 Ways to Rid U.S. Need for Mountaintop Removal Coal
- 1 Be Energy Efficient. One answer is that opportunities for energy efficiency in the US are huge.
- 2 Invest in Renewable Energy.
- 3 Stop Exporting Coal.
Is strip mining the same as mountaintop removal?
Mountaintop removal coal mining, often described as “strip mining on steroids,” is an extremely destructive form of mining that is devastating Appalachia. In the past few decades, over 2,000 miles of streams and headwaters that provide drinking water for millions of Americans have been permanently buried and destroyed.
Why do coal companies use mountaintop removal?
Primarily, mountaintop removal is occurring in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. Coal companies in Appalachia are increasingly using this method because it allows for almost complete recovery of coal seams while reducing the number of workers required to a fraction of what conventional methods require.
What loophole legalized mountaintop removal?
Back in 2002, the Bush administration created a loophole by adopting a regulation defining mining spoil from surface mines (and other similar wastes) as “fill material” to be regulated by the Corps—essentially legalizing mountaintop removal by allowing the dumping of mining waste into waterways.
How did mountaintop removal affect West Virginia?
West of Lindytown, a mountaintop removal mine caused the population of Blair to fall from 700 people in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today, according to the Blair Mountain Heritage Alliance. Below are images and descriptions of those affected by mountaintop removal in West Virginia.
Where does mountaintop removal take place?
Mountaintop removal takes place primarily in eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, southwestern Virginia, and eastern Tennessee. Appalachian Voices commissioned a study in 2009 that showed nearly 1.2 million acres had been surface mined for coal and more than 500 mountains destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining.
What is mountaintop removal in coal mining?
Mountaintop removal is any method of surface coal mining that destroys a mountaintop or ridgeline, whether or not the mined area will be returned to what is legally described as the “approximate original contour.”