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Effects of Mountaintop Removal

The Appalachian Mountains stretch from Georgia to Maine and have some of the richest coal deposits in the country. In southeastern Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as other states along the mountainous chain, coal-mining companies have abandoned deep-mining to more cost-effective surface mining, also known as strip mining. This process of mountaintop removal involves using explosives to blow up peaks and removing exposed mineral deposits. In the process, these companies have damaged the Appalachian landscape, as well as the environment and ecosystems in these areas.

  1. Effects on Streams

    • Chemical and debris runoff from mountaintop removal sites negatively impact the fish and ecosystems in spring water. More minerals flow into the streams and create unhealthy water supplies. Minerals include selenium, zinc and sodium. Pollutants flow into the water and kill amphibians, fish and reptiles that come in contact with the water. Human health is also affected by the intake of contaminated water. The EPA states that 1,200 miles of streams were polluted or buried between 1985 and 2001, with about another 1,000 miles of streams expected to be buried in the next decade.

    Effects on Forests

    • Mountaintop removal displaces trees and creates fragmented forests with trees growing in clumps, rather than thick hardwood forests. When reclaimed, or replanted, by mining companies, grasslands replace the once-vibrant forests. This increases the carbon dioxide in the air. West Virginia University scientists project this will equate to 138 million tons of additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The EPA projected in 2004 that 1.4 million acres of forests will have been lost by the end of the following decade.

    Effects on Valleys

    • Mountaintop removal damages valleys, which become the receptacle for the rock and dirt blasted from the coal seam. This also increases the amount of minerals and poisons in stream water, due to the dust from discharged explosives, as well as changes the natural flow of streams. The increase of loose rock and debris in valleys can cause landslides and hazardous situations for nearby residents.

    Effects on Grasslands

    • Grasslands often replace areas where forests and mountaintops once existed. Since regrowth of trees and bushes is slow, grasslands become prevalent and tend to appeal to ecosystem-specific birds and snakes.

    Effects on Landscape

    • The most visible effect of mountaintop removal is the elimination of natural peaks and valleys along the Appalachian range. This mining literally decapitates the mountains and forever changes the landscape, since mountain peaks can never be replaced once removed.

    Effects on Humans

    • Residents in areas where mountaintop removal mining occurs suffer health complications from contaminated water and dust and toxins in the air. These effects make take years or generations to surface or be diagnosed, especially when exposure is on a long-term basis.

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