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Mountaintop Removal in Appalachia

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Submitted By Jycee
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Mountaintop Removal in Appalachia There is nothing more beautiful or peaceful as the Mountains of Appalachia. Whether you are in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia, the mountains are breathtaking…until you see the bare, flattened remains of mountaintop removal. In 1990 the coal industry was given new life by the Clean Air Act, which restricted sulfur dioxide emissions believe to cause acid rain. This increased the demand for low sulfur coal which is abundant in central Appalachia. (McQuaid) Coal mining has always been one of the hardest, nastiest, unhealthiest and most dangerous jobs, but in some form vital. Mountaintop removal is controversial because it is destroying the mountains and polluting the streams in this area, but the other side would argue it is necessary for needed jobs and to keep electricity prices low. I am going to argue that the destruction caused by mountaintop removal by far outweighs the benefits. There are many reasons to be opposed to mountaintop removal. This type of coal removal has changed the shape, altitude, and ecology of large areas of the Appalachian coalfields. The mud and loose debris carried from the runoff through the hollow fills has been a factor in flooding and pollution. This type of mining (MTR) has been one cause for a decrease in mine related employment in Appalachia. One reason mountaintop removal is undesirable is the amount of change and damage it creates. There are six stages to mountaintop removal: clearing, blasting, digging, dumping waste, processing, and reclamation. First the trees and vegetation are clear cut or in some instances bulldozed and pushed into a pile and burned. Then a pad is leveled and a series of holes are drilled where dynamite or ammonia nitrate is placed and section by section the mountain top is blown off. As much as 500 to 800 feet of the top of the mountain is removed.

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