We All Heart Mountains

By scott parkin

It’s time to celebrate the official “I Love Mountains” Day today.

Today in the capitols of Kentucky and Virginia, coalfield residents, coal miners and people from all over Appalachia will be joining environmentalists for historic rallies calling for an end to mountaintop removal (MTR.) Kentucky, home to almost a third of all MTR permits will have their annual “I Love Mountains” Day in Frankfurt. Organized by long time community group, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, hundreds will rally and march for the mountains.

The focus is to encourage the legislature to pass similar Stream Saver Bills (Senate Bill 139 and House Bill 396) to prohibit the dumping of toxic mining wastes in any stream. Country music star Kathy Mattea will join KFTC activists and coal miners at the rally.

More than 1,400 miles of streams in Kentucky were buried or significantly damaged by coal mining valley fills between 1981 and 2005, and more destruction continues every day. These headwaters are the source of major rivers that provide drinking water for more than 1 million Kentuckians.

Watch these videos of Kentucky coal miners telling us why they oppose mountaintop removal.

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