Fight Mountaintop Removal Mining

The Office of Surface Mining is proposing a rule to 'clarify' aspects of mountaintop removal mining. If you're unfamiliar with the practice, it's as bad as it sounds - just look at the picture on the left.

Instead of 'clarifying' anything, the proposed rule hands over all decision making to the coal industry. Where to put the toxic sludge that is a byproduct of this kind of mining, how much waste there can be, and how close all of this can be to streams and waterways would now rest squarely in the hands of the coal industry.

We're submitting 20,000 public comments against this inane proposal. Fill in your info below to add your name, and feel free to add your own comments.

Text of the public comment:

The proposed rule fails to set legitimate limits or boundaries on pollution stemming from surface mining. Instead, it leaves the decision largely up to the mining companies.

What we need is an end to mountaintop removal mining, while your proposed rule as written puts all power in the hands of a vested party, namely the coal industry.

Real change is needed, but cannot simply be handed over to the coal companies.

To read the USM press release on the proposed rule, click here (PDF)