In the coalfields of Appalachia, individuals, families and entire communities are being driven off their land by flooding, landslides and blasting resulting from mountaintop removal coal mining, a type of mining that involves clear-cutting native hardwood forests, using dynamite to blast away mountaintops, and dumping the waste into nearby valleys, often burying streams. While the environmental devastation caused by this practice is obvious, those living nearby must contend with continual blasting that can take place up to 300 feet from their homes 24 hours a day. They also suffer from dust and debris, floods, and contamination of drinking water.
Appalachian Voices is working to end mountaintop removal coal mining. On March 5, 7 PM, at the Padilla Bay Interpretive Center, they will present APPALACHIAN TREASURES, a multi-media slide show that depicts the dire situation and encourages Americans to help protect Appalachian communities and some of our nation’s oldest mountains.