Final Speech :')

In our society, we seem to place more value on stimulating the economy than upholding our communities. We place income over preservation, dangerous jobs over sustainable ones, and profits over people. We settle for destructive practices like Mountaintop removal to obtain energy. Now, with a world population exceeding 7 billion, how we find energy is increasingly becoming a crucial issue in our everyday lives. Not only do we hear about it on the news or feel our wallets wane at the gas station, but some of us experience other dire consequences. Our backyards destroyed, our surroundings left damaged, and our waterways polluted. When we study the detrimental effects left by Mountaintop Removal it becomes apparent how far the United States will go to grasp that extra bit of energy and how imperative it is for us to put an end to it. First, we’ll discuss the basics of Mountaintop Removal, ranging from what it is, where it occurs, and who’s affected. Next, we’ll examine the effects, not only on the environment, but also on human health and communities. Finally, we’ll observe numerous recommendations on how you can have your voice heard to ameliorate this issue.

According to montainjustice.org, mountaintop removal is defined as a type of coal mining where dynamite is used to destroy the mountaintop to reach a seam of coal for mining. Many mining companies point out that this method is the most profitable technique available. They argue that coal extraction is not only necessary to feed local energy consumption, but also essential to our nation. While their arguments are just, evidence shows that the consequences are certainly not slim. Researcher Shilipi Chhotray and I share the perspective that when explosives are used to blow up mountains, prosperous ecosystems are left in ruins. Water resources are filled with chemicals and pollutants, the air becomes contaminated by coal dust, and most importantly, a deeply rooted American culture becomes demolished all for the sake of profit. The procedure occurs in the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. To begin the process, layers of rock and dirt are removed; next, draglines excavate the lower layers. And finally, after the coal removal is complete, the area is revegetated. Many of us look at the last step and ask, “How is this so bad when they revegetate the area?” This is a valid question, until we research what they revegetate it with. All too often, the land surrounding the mountain is in rubbles. Reforestation issues are not properly addressed, and companies purposefully plant the cheapest non-native grasses they can find. According to JD Phillips in the Environmental Geology Encyclopedia, the state of Tennessee has spent $27 million to deal with the needs of non-native revegetation and abandoned mine sites. Even more troubling than this monumental number is the fact that these costs only cover a few dozen cases, while hundreds are left without reconstruction. Therefore, it’s quite evident that the minimal efforts in place to abet the environmental concerns are one, being abandoned and simply ignored, and two, pushing the states to pay for the expenses caused by reckless companies.

According to an article published by the EPA, mountaintop removal has damaged approximately 1200 miles of streams, destroyed forests on around 300 square miles of land, disrupted drinking water supplies, flooded communities, and ruined wildlife habitat. Surface and ground water pollution, sediment-clogged streams, mine fires, and burning coal refuse are all just a few other after-effects caused by this method of mining. Moreover, the wildlife that lives in American Appalachia is left without homes. Most of the animals are endemic species, meaning they are naturally found nowhere else on the planet; these animals gradually grow endangered or even extinct when companies greedily destroy their homes and deteriorate biodiversity.

When it comes to human health, the residents of the Appalachian region are at great risk. You see, much of the mining waste includes harmful toxins and heavy metals like cadmium, nickel, fluorine, and mercury. In fact, Balkan Endemic nephropathy, which is an irreversible kidney disease, has been shown to relate back to the leaking of these toxic compounds in groundwater. In addition, a study by Erik Reece of Orion Magazine found that children in Letcher County, Kentucky, suffer from an alarmingly high rate of blue babe syndrome. Other long term health effects include failure of multiple organs, birth defects, and cancer.

So, are all these detrimental effects to human life, human health, our natural environment, and our indigenous wildlife, worth the profit that doesn’t even stay in Appalachia?

In reality, traditional mining jobs are disappearing. Because dynamite is a cheaper source compared to actual miners, mountaintop removal is actually destroying jobs instead of creating them. In West Virginia alone, coal employment has decreased from 150,000 to 15,000 in less than 50 years. The mining industry extracts billions of dollars of coal every year, but the wealth does not aid the area that is most damaged by it. According to the United States Census Bureau, the top 15 coal producing counties in West Virginia suffer from some of the worst poverty levels in the nation, even though they produce 15% of the nation’s coal. This shows that local communities do not benefit from mountaintop removal as they should; instead, they are left with the negative outcomes that these irresponsible mining companies unfairly impose on them.

Thankfully, there are a number of non-profit organizations seeking to abolish mountaintop removal; these include The Sierra Club, I love Mountains, Mountain Justice, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, and Appalachian Voices. Donating to these organizations fund sustainable projects that preserve mountains, provide jobs that do not threaten health, and keep profit within the community. Another recommendation is to support legislation such as the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act and the Clean Water Act. Although they both have their flaws, they both strive to ensure that coal mining operations are conducted as responsibly as possible. In addition, public awareness is a huge step toward finding the solution to Mountain Top removal. When a region is educated on the consequences, it is more likely to be aware of mining companies and their practices. Things like these will help us gradually wane off of the destructive practices and move towards other sustainable forms of energy.

Supporters of mountaintop removal point to the economic benefits; they claim that coal extraction is cheap and a viable source. However, they are naive to the overwhelming losses the local communities face and disregard the unspeakable environmental damage that is long-term, all for a short-term economic industry. Thus, let us raise awareness on Mountaintop removal and strive to obtain energy that is not harmful to our natural world, our personal health, or any other negative implication that may come from this overdone coal extraction process.