Remote sensing and mountaintop mining

Abstract

Coal mining in Appalachia has undergone dramatic changes in the 1990s. Large‐scale surface mining practices known as mountaintop mining (MTM) and valley fills (VF) are at the center of an environmental and legal controversy that has spawned lawsuits and major environmental investigations. Current MTM/VF operations are a major source of low‐sulfur, less‐air‐polluting coal, which is desired for much of the energy production in the United States. MTM/VF techniques extract multiple coal seams by removing entire tops of mountains through the use of explosives and massive earth‐moving equipment. Overburden rock debris is inevitably deposited in nearby valleys that are often ephemeral headwater streams. These mining practices have drawn criticism from residents and the environmental community, but are supported by unions and the mining industry. Although MTM/VF techniques will continue to be debated from legal and environmental perspectives, one fact is clear to both sides; the long‐term ecological effects are u...