For more than a decade, we have worked closely with partner groups and citizens in the region, helping establish and guide Although President Trump and many in his administration and in the current Congress say they can “bring coal back,” most experts agree the market has finally bottomed out. Photo of mountaintop removal mining by Kent Mason For many people living in Appalachia, coal mining is a way of life. This processing creates coal slurry, or sludge, a mix of water, coal dust and clay containing toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury, lead and chromium. In some counties, such as Wise County, Va., surface mining had … (2018) Mapping the yearly extent of surface coal mining in Central Appalachia using Landsat and Google Earth Engine. Appalachian people working to save their communities long dreamed of a way to fly reporters, decision-makers, and thousands of other Americans over the Appalachian coalfields to see this destruction first hand â and then take them to visit their communities to hear the stories of people who endure the consequences of what some have called "cheap energy. The massive amounts of dirt and rubble, what the coal industry calls “overburden,” is dumped into adjacent valleys, burying headwater streams.To meet federal reclamation requirements, the mining sites and “valley fills” are often sprayed with non-native grasses, and gravel ditches are built as so-called restored streams. Coal mined underground would be the most readily available alternative for utilities in the short term. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0197758 Appalachian Voices is an environmental nonprofit organization committed to protecting the land, air, water and communities of the central and southern Appalachian region. PLoS ONE 13(7): e0197758. With Google Earth and Google Maps, Appalachian Voices has drawn together coal-mining communities, shared their stories and made a compelling case for protecting vital resources.
In December 2016, after years of technical review, outreach to states and the industry, and public comments, the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement finalized the The permitting of mountaintop removal mining takes place in a complex regulatory framework that spans federal and state government agencies and differs by state.Using official data provided by the Energy Information Agency, Appalachian Voices has determined that mountaintop removal coal provides roughly only 3% of our nation’s electricity. Blowing up this much mountain is accomplished by using millions of pounds of explosives. Although the coal industry has declined due to market forces, mountains and streams are still being destroyed, and communities are still being harmed. Photo of mountaintop removal mining by Kent Mason For many people living in Appalachia, coal mining is a way of life. Still, federal policy makers could take dangerous actions to weaken environmental and health standards in an attempt to wring out the last corporate profits from the region.In this current political climate, we remain vigilant in our mission to defend the people and natural resources of the Appalachian region, and will raise a hue-and-cry against any regulatory rollbacks.A deeper dive into the human cost and environmental impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining. Mountaintop removal takes place primarily in eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, southwestern Virginia, and eastern Tennessee. The coal slurry is often dumped in open impoundments that are sometimes built with mining debris, making them very unstable. In the absence of strong government oversight of the coal industry, Appalachian Voices and others take action to protect the environment. "With Google Earth, Appalachian Voices created an approximation of that tour, accessible to anyone with a computer and a high-speed internet connection, extending our reach by millions of people.