People of Faith Speak Out Against Mountaintop Removal
July 31, 2009, Washington, DC – On the thirtieth anniversary of a historic piece of environmental legislation, the National Council of Churches will host a candlelight vigil to remember the destruction caused by mountaintop removal (MTR) mining. The rally will be held on August 3 in Lafayette Park, directly across from the White House, starting at 7 pm.
“The purpose of the rally is to remember the nearly 500 mountains already destroyed by MTR and to have people of faith call upon the federal government to end this destructive practice,” said Jordan Blevins, Assistant Director of the NCC Eco-Justice Office
The vigil will remember the impact of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). On August 3, 1979, President Jimmy Carter signed the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). Designed to curtail the devastation done to the Appalachian mountains during various forms of strip-mining, it left significant loopholes open to allow MTR to occur.
Designed as an alternative to traditional mining, mountaintop removal mining is a cheap and quick form of coal mining practiced in the Appalachian regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. In mountaintop removal mining the tops of mountains are removed, exposing the coal located deep within the mountain, allowing it to be extracted more easily.
However, mountaintop removal mining is not without environmental impact. Blevins said, “Impacts of mountaintop removal have been devastating for the communities and environments of Appalachia. More than 7 percent of Appalachian hardwood forests, nearly 1.2 million acres, have been clear-cut and burned, and more than 1,200 miles of Appalachian headwater streams, which are connected to all major waters in the Southern U.S., have been buried or polluted with toxic mining waste between 1985 and 2001.”
The candlelight vigil will remember the impacts of this practice to both God’s people and God’s Creation, joining national faith leaders with local faith voices directly impacted, praying for the end of mountaintop removal mining.
I agree that mtr is detrimental to our environment, as well as longwall mining which is destroying America’s heartland by destroying flat fertile farmland with subsidence. MTR and longwalll need to be banned!
By: Paula Shelton on August 3, 2009
at 6:46 pm
[...] blocks over to Lafayette Park, located directly across from the White House, for a candlelight prayer vigil being led by religious leaders and organizations calling on the Obama administration to [...]
By: Celebrity Paycut - Encouraging celebrities all over the world to save us from global warming by taking a paycut. on August 3, 2009
at 11:49 pm
[...] The National Council of Churches is the ecumenical voice of America’s Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican, historic African American and traditional peace churches, and represents over 45 million Americans in 100,000 congregations across the country. For more information on today’s event, visit their Eco-Justice site. [...]
By: iLoveMountains.org » Blog Archive - End Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining -- This Little (Coal-Fired) Light of Mine: Will President Heed 45 Million Prayers? on August 4, 2009
at 12:57 pm
[...] in 100,000 congregations across the country. For more information on today’s event, visit their Eco-Justice site. [...]
By: Religious leaders call for end to mountaintop removal « The Dirty Lie on August 4, 2009
at 6:09 pm
[...] signed in 1977 and contained the loophole that allowed for MTR to occur. For more info go to the NCC site or read the Jeff Biggers article which highlights Christians for the Mountains and shows a clip [...]
By: National Council of Churches Holds MTR Candlelight Prayer Vigil « Christians For The Mountains on August 5, 2009
at 2:39 pm