Back to Coal
Mountaintop mining is an effective but controversial extraction method. Its devastating effect on the environment has provoked a 'war on coal' between ecologists and the miners who've lived on it for generations.
"This water used to have fish in it, salamanders, frogs. They're all dead", says Rick, walking beside his old home in the Appalachians. Poisoning caused his fingernails to peel off and sickness forced him to move out from the area. Heavy metals leaking into the bio-system from the exposed mining areas are the source of the contamination. Yet for families who have mined for generations, new environmental policies threaten their livelihood. "We don't believe in crazy tree hug-er policy", insists Kentucky Senator, Keith Hall. The industry has helped many Appalachian families to rise up out of poverty, creating "an emotional tie that's really hard to sever".
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