Editor's Note: For those fighting mountaintop removal (MTR), this week marks an especially sad note as Massey Energy commences mining operations on Coal River Mountain.  The mountain, the tallest Appalachian mountain ever slated for MTR, has become a rallying point and symbol of hope for activists and regional residents who have lobbied for alternative wind power to be constructed on the mountain in an attempt to save it from the MTR fate of its neighboring ridges.

The Appalachian Mountains are home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world.  The vast mountain chain possesses distinct characteristics, such as its unique elevation and moisture, allowing a high concentration of biodiversity.  As a result of ranging elevation levels and climate change, an array of species are distributed throughout the region.  They include 255 birds, 78 mammals, 58 reptiles, and 76 amphibians.  Unfortunately, crude mining practices are making it impossible for indigenous plants and animals to survive, ultimately leading to the destruction of the Appalachian Mountains.

Mountaintop removal is a highly significant subject discussed by environmentalists and politicians alike.  It involves the removal of mountain tops to expose coal seams and then dumping mountain top waste into neighboring valleys, causing permanent damage to the ecosystem and landscape.  Although federal law requires mine sites to restore the property to the original contour, many coal companies fail to come even close.  Even though attempts to replant vegetation have been made, the mountain is never again returned to a healthy or flourishing state and the land becomes essentially barren.  Coal companies have contributed to the annihilation of our watersheds by burying and destroying more than 2,000 miles of Appalachian streams.  The government predicts that 1.4 million acres of land will be destroyed and the coal sources will be depleted by 2020 if mining practices in Appalachia continue at the current rate.

In addition to disregarding the environment, mining corporations support other practices that are dangerous to the local community as well.  Liquid waste generated by mountaintop removal is stored in huge coal slurry impoundments, carelessly located at the top of the watershed.  Coal impoundments also hold contaminated sludge filled with toxic chemicals created by coal washing, a process done to produce “clean coal.”  Clean coal is a widely advertised concept that coal companies use to market their product.  An extreme instance of coal company negligence occurred in Buffalo Creek, West Virginia in 1972.  A coal impoundment collapsed and approximately 132 million gallons of black waste sludge rushed through Buffalo Creek killing 125, injuring 1,000, and leaving 4,000 homeless.  Pittston Coal Company, owner of the impoundment, referred to the flood as “an act of God.”  This instance was not a natural disaster because it was caused by humans and could have been prevented.  Dust pollution caused by mining is another example of how inconsiderate coal corporations are to local communities because it can cause respiratory problems and contributes to lung disease.

America has a costly addiction to coal, partly because many believe that the progress of our nation depends on energy.  Coal corporations are continually putting pressure on politicians to make sure they get their way.  Even though the Bush administration was well aware of the environmental harm caused by mountaintop removal, they supported the technique because of funding received from the coal companies during Bush's 2000 election campaign.  Many believe that mountaintop removal is in clear violation of the Clean Water Act because the process is polluting the headwaters of rivers that provide drinking water to millions of Americans.  The Clean Water Act is a federal law to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters by preventing pollution sources, providing assistance to publicly owned treatment works for the improvement of wastewater treatment, and maintaining the integrity of wetlands.  In June 2009 the Obama administration announced a plan to protect rivers and streams from mining debris.  Mountaintop removal produces more than 126 million tons of coal a year, providing energy for more than 25 million homes.  Approximately 14,000 Appalachian residents rely on mining as a source of income.  Supporters and advocates of coal fear that new restrictions on mountaintop mining could jeopardize those jobs.  The Obama administration plans to solve the unemployment dilemma by having agencies work together to develop new economic opportunities and create green economy jobs in Appalachia.

If you would like to actively participate in the campaign against mountaintop removal or get further information, visit www.ilovemountains.org.  Informing others about the horrors of coal mining, writing letters to local government officials and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are simple ways you can make a difference.  Getting involved is important in order to unify and strengthen the effort and to stop the destruction of the beautiful Appalachian Mountains.