North Carolina just over rode a veto to cut it's EPA to a couple of people and a rubber stamp to protect mining. Mechanized mining lays off people every year as they adopt and buy new methods and machinery, as they lay off they claim it's the EPA forcing it. Truth is, it's bigger faster stronger machines, 90 men can remove a mountain top, a few years ago it took 400, in the mines it took a thousand. But blame EPA and cripple it so they can dump more chemicals and plug more streams, kill more with pollution.
If you are a poor person it's time you understood something. You are surplus to the needs of the rich and modern business. Mountain top removal is government sanctioned in your area. Shut up, and stay out of Aspen.
I wrote you that I know western Kentucky and yes, I have been to Central City in the Muhlenburg County that the late John Denver sang of. SW Indiana is cratered with lakes made from the strip mines. Years ago - the State established the Land Reclaimation Division of the Department Of Natural Resources here in Indiana. They started off by making Peabody Coal Company stock the lakes. They did. And, now there is a insurance liability thing keeping people from fishing or hunting on Peabody land - I think a kid on a three-wheeler broke his neck after hitting old mining metal.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow , the land is posted.
The DNR then made Peabody fill in the holes and level out the ground. And, just last year a mining company started excavation on the largest open pit mine east of the Mississippi River in Sullivan County (south-west of Indianapolis).
It is all about money; the environment be damned.
Sarge
Sarge,
ReplyDeleteThanks. I think the John Denver song predates him, it goes back a ways further. Love that song.
I was in Silver City New Mexico, there is a huge open pit mine there, for silver I believe, the company has a sign at an overlook station. I shit you not, it was an in your face statement something like..... The law says we have to plant grass seed when we finish, the ridge to the south was restored in 1995. It is in compliance, that is our only requirement. Really it was something like that, very blunt. So we looked to the ridge. It looked like everything else, just a landscape of gravel and dust. Clearly, they scattered grass seed in the rocks and walked off.