Invasive Mining

on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The movie, The Last Mountain, was an eye-opener to the works and projects of the major coal companies. This movie was a very one-sided documentary of what the coal companies think are acceptable ways to remove about an inch of coal. The people in the valleys of Coal River Mountain showed what hardships they faced. I was very shocked at the magnitude of the destruction these people had to endure. I have secondhand experience of a form of invasive mining. Directly behind my house is the remains of a previous strip mining site. I found this area very devastating to the surrounding land and the only good thing that has resulted is its growth into woods; there is no devastation to the surrounding area and land. To completely understand this issue with the coal companies I need to hear the coal company’s side of the story. I can see where both sides have their merits and weaknesses. Both sides argue for the livelihood of their cause and I cannot make a concrete decision on my opinion. I can say that the way this movie was created, it pitted the community against the companies and state government. I cannot decide on this matter but from what I have seen, I am starting to side with small towns. They are the ones getting destroyed and suffering the consequences of big businesses.
-Todd

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