Coal is an environmentally destructive alternative to oil. Its extraction and processing presents consequences that pollute air quality, destroy habitat, compromise biodiversity and turn aesthetically pleasing landscapes to open pits and chopped off mountain tops.
A relatively new method used by mining companies to remove coal is mountain top removal, because it allows for maximum yields. The process involves clear cutting the mountain, using explosives to blast away the top and finally dumping the waste material into nearby valleys.
In the words of LCV legislative associate Hasan Nazar, “I don’t know why they call it mountain top removal, they should call it mountain top destruction.”
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