In this administrative ruling clears the way for where to put the mountain tops after they are removed. This clearly violates the intent of the Clean Water Act and is certain to be challenged.
As shown in this photo from Pickering Knob West Virginia, mountaintop removal systematically blasts apart and dismantles entire mountaintops to access multiple seams of coal (top left). The remaining rock is dumped into valleys below (bottom right), burying over 1,000 miles of streams to date. The highly automated process employs far fewer people than traditional underground coal mining.
The effects on surface waters is irreversible. For more information see America's Most Endangered Mountains. Romantics.... gotta love them and their lawyers.
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