About a month ago, we started a petition asking EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to go on a flyover of Appalachia and see the devastation wrought by mountaintop removal for herself.
The response has been OVERWHELMING to say the least. Our goal was set at 12,000, but we’ve achieved that and more.
So next week, we’re going to cordially deliver these petitions to Lisa Jackson at EPA headquarters in Washington D.C. and politely ask her to visit Appalachia and see mountaintop removal for herself.
The devastation is out of hand and needs to be stopped.
To date, 500 mountains have been destroyed by this horrible practice. Traditional Appalachian heritage and culture is being degraded and displaced by greedy mining companies seeking greater profit. Local tap water runs black, homes and schools and lungs are being coated by coal dust, and those who speak out against the destruction face threats and retribution. Yet, mountaintop removal coal only accounts for seven percent of the nation’s coal supply. This wholesale destruction is not necessary, and this American tragedy must be stopped.