Mountaintop removal (MTR) is a relatively new form of coal mining that involves the mass restructuring of earth in order to reach sediment as deep as 1,000 feet below the surface. MTR requires that the targeted land be first clear-cut and then leveled by dynamite. The debris created is typically scraped into a valley fill - a practice that has twice been ruled illegal by a federal judge in accordance with the Clean Water Act. [1]

Criticism

Critics contend that mountaintop removal is a disastrous practice which benefits a small number of corporations at the expense of local communities and the environment. The Economist recently labeled the coal industry "Environmental Enemy No. 1."

Additionally, high-profile disasters have called into question the safety of MTR. Most famously, in 1972, a valley fill outside of Logan County , West Virginia burst. The resulting rush of 130 million gallons of toxic water killed 125 people and caused 50 million dollars in damages. Despite evidence of negligence, the Pittston Company , which owned the compromised dam, called the event an "Act of God".

In 2002, a 900 ft high 2,000 ft long fill in Lyburn , West Virginia burst, generating a tidal wave of sediment that destroyed several cars and houses. [2]

See also

• Coal mining

External links

• Mountain Justice Summer Campaign
• Friends of Coal
• The Cost of Coal, by NOW with Bill Moyers
• West Virginia photo gallery