Stop Mountaintop Removal Mining

  • 'I worked for 50 years in order to have at least that for a hobby or a something I could do to sit and reflect on things, but that is gone now...' (Click to hear Sid Moye's story.)
  • 'To me, nothing is worth the loss of our mountains and streams. Without drinkable water, there is no life...' (Click to hear James Tawney's story.)
  • 'It's like you're in a war zone when you live close to mountaintop removal mining sites...' (Click to hear Karen Woodrum's story.)
  • 'I am going to do all I can to try to help, to save people's lives, and help them so that they won't have to go through this with their water...' (Click to hear Donetta Blankenship's story.)
  • 'I've been talking about protecting the mountains, but what I really mean is protecting the people...' (Click to hear Ken Hechler's story.)
  • People around the world who want to save the mountains and waters in Appalachia have created their own image stories. Join them today! (Click to view photo petition.)

Mountain Heroes:Stories of People Fighting to Stop Mountaintop Removal

Sid Moye. James Tawney. Karen Woodrum. Donetta Blankenship. Ken Hechler.

They are just a few of the people who live near mountaintop removal mining and who have watched it threaten or destroy their homes, properties, streams, mountains, and in some cases, their health too. They are sharing their stories with you. Read and listen to these five stories, in their own words.

And join the fight by creating your own image story. Upload your photo to the story gallery photo petition with a short message about why you want to save the mountains. We'll present the photos to the Obama Administration and to the EPA as a powerful public petition to stop the destruction once and for all.

Read Mountain Heroes Stories View Your Stories Create My Story
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Blog Spotlight

For Some in Congress, It's Easier To Censor Than...
Here are the videos and statements they don't want you to see by Liz Judge

Recent Blog Posts

Lump of Coal (Make That a Clump of Oil) In Your...
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Birth Defects Linked to Mountaintop Removal
Study critics refuse to accept obvious connections by Wendy Lau
Appalachian Coal Jobs Reach 14-Year High
So this is what you mean by EPA's "War on coal" and EPA's "job-killing regulations"? by Liz Judge

Featured Stories

What Is Mountaintop Removal Mining?
Learn about this destructive process and how it affects communities throughout Coal Country, and see what Earthjustice and its allies are doing to stop mountaintop removal mining and protect the countryside and its waters.
Read more.
Stand With These Three Appalachian Communities And Help Stop Mountaintop Removal Mining
Take Action! Coal companies and their lobbyists are pushing for more than 100 new mountaintop removal mining permits, seeking permission to blow more mountains up and destroy more mountain streams in even more communities. It’s not too late to stop more harmful mining permits from going forward. Please tell the Obama administration to stop these mines!
Read more.
Poll: Strong Opposition To MTR
A poll conducted in July 2011 found that voters oppose mountaintop removal coal mining by wide margins in all four Appalachian states of Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee. This opposition to mountaintop removal—and for politicians who defend it—exists across party lines.
Read more.
Down to Earth: Victory at Spruce No. 1 Mine
The EPA's decision to veto the water pollution permit for the Spruce No. 1 Mine project in West Virginia was historic and significant. Listen to how our partners in Appalachia will be impacted, and their thoughts on the mischaracterizations about this decision from politicians and coal industry lobbyists.
Read more.
We Need Clean Water: No More Dumping Mining Waste Into Our Waters!
Take Action! For nearly a decade, mining corporations have used a loophole in Clean Water Act regulations to dump mining waste into the waters we all rely on, turning some of our most pristine lakes and streams into industrial waste dumps. To protect our waters—and us—President Obama must make closing this loophole a priority.
Read more.
Online Chat: Stop MTR
Earthjustice Campaign Manager Liz Judge talked about our work on ending mountaintop removal coal mining, and took questions from Earthjustice members in an online chat.
Read more.
Images of Mountaintop Removal Mining
Mountaintop removal coal mining, often described as "strip mining on steroids," is an extremely destructive form of mining that is devastating Appalachia.
Read more.