A coalition of environmental groups announced the four most endangered mountains in Appalachia on Monday: Black Mountain, Kentucky; Huckleberry Ridge, Kentucky; Walden’s Ridge, Tennessee; and the mountains of Wise County, Virginia. All of these regions are threatened with increased coal mining and pollution—especially from mountaintop removal mining.
America’s Most Endangered Mountains is published by ilovemountains.org, a coalition of regional environmental groups and over 30,000 citizens focused on ending mountaintop mining.
“Even as the tide of public opinion has turned against mountaintop removal coal mining, Big Coal has been moving forward with plans to rip off the tops of some of the most beautiful mountains in Appalachia,” says Mary Anne Hitt, director of Appalachian Voices and spokesperson for ilovemountains.org.
America’s Most Endangered Mountains includes video clips and maps from each location. Retired miners and local citizens living near each of the most endangered mountains describe the health and environmental impacts that mountaintop mining has wrought upon their communities. The site also includes an interactive map for viewers to find out exactly where the coal comes from that provides their home’s electricity.
More info: <a href=”http://www.ilovemountains.org>ilovemountain.org</a>
