Many of us in Northern Campbell County are mourning the loss of some of our hillsides along Memorial Parkway due to the building of a few stores and the expansion of an apartment complex. However, a monumental tragedy is occurring in south eastern Kentucky which makes this development look eco-friendly. Every time we flip an electrical switch, we are a contributing to the appalling tragedy called mountaintop removal.

Do you know where your electricity comes from outside of the electrical outlet or the company that sends you a bill every month? Kentucky, Ohio and many other states generate their electricity from coal fired power plants, since coal is a plentiful and cheap resource in the Appalachian regions of our country. Mining has been an occupation in these areas for numerous years; however, recently it has taken an ugly turn. Some liken it to strip mining on steroids, while others call it environmental rape. Mountaintop removal is exactly what it sounds like, removing the tops of mountains.

To begin this type of coal mining, coal companies bulldoze all trees, shrubs and plants, displacing all wildlife. All those trees and shrubs once gracing a mountain are piled together and burned, without the thought of using this resource in any other way. Explosives are set off repetitively; mountains are blown apart. Massive machinery scrapes out the coal and dumps the waste into the valleys burying and poisoning streams. A naked bereft wasteland covered in exotic grasses stands where mountains green and picturesque once stood - a landscape forever altered.

Over 470 mountains have been lost in West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. In October of 2000, a slurry pond, a coal byproduct waste collector, broke free and dumped 250 million gallons of sludge, polluting 100 miles of Kentucky and West Virginia waterways, including the Big Sandy River and eventually the Ohio. The sludge spill was 36 times larger than the Valdez oil spill, but received very little publicity. Today these numerous slurry ponds are scattered throughout the Appalachian areas above schools and communities.

Like the mountains, Appalachian communities have been altered forever. Due to continuous blasting, house foundations have cracked and rocks have crashed through roofs. Many towns suffer from extensive flooding, because there are no trees or top soil to soak up rain water. Pure mountain water has been transformed to rusty contaminated undrinkable water.  

So, what can you do? First, become more educated about this problem. There are several websites, such as Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, www.ohvec.org, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, www.kftc.org , and I Love Mountains, http://www.ilovemountains.org/. At these websites you can view videos, depicting the devastation more clearly than words ever could. Then tell your friends and family.

Next, do your part to reduce your electricity usage and thereby reducing the need for coal. Each family uses an average of 1100 kWh of electricity per month, equating to 6 tons of coal per household per year. Do your part to reduce your coal consumption.

Finally, take action to stop this type of mining. Contact your representatives at the state and federal level and let them know this type of mining is unacceptable. You can also contact your utility company urging them to stop buying coal mined in this manner.

The Appalachians, a location known for its rich culture and beautiful mountains, needs your help. Our massive electricity usage is part of the problem, but we can be part of the solution. Take action today to help preserve an integral part of Kentucky’s beauty and history by stopping mountaintop removal.