Humane Society Honors Champion of Destructive Mountaintop Removal Mining

by Tara Lohan · 2010-03-04 15:11:00 UTC
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mountaintop removal miningJust to be clear, I'm a big fan of a lot of the work done by the Humane Society, which is why I found it particularly troubling when I read that the group decided to give its "2009 Humane Legislator of the Year" award to House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall, (D-W.Va.): Rahall is a huge proponent of the destructive practice of mountaintop removal mining.

Mountaintop removal mining wreaks havoc on Appalachian communities: According to Jeff Biggers, 5 billion pounds of explosives have been detonated in Rahall's home state since 2004. These explosives are used to blow the tops off of mountains, destroying all the animals and vegetation. The rubble is then dumped into streams, destroying them as well.

The practice has taken its toll on the ecosystem, obliterating an estimated 500 mountains, 1.2 million acres of forest, and 1,200 miles of streams in the region. It's also a nightmare for the people who live nearby who are at risk of mud slides from unstable, deforested hillsides and fear contaminated drinking water from mining waste. Not to mention the noise from blasting. Biggers writes that 3.5 million pounds of explosives are used in West Virginia every day; parts of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee face the same fate.

The Humane Society says it chose to honor Rahall "for his work to protect wild horses, among other things." Indeed the protection of wild horses is a noble cause (and important issue that Change.org Animals blogger Stephanie Feldstein has written about extensively) but I'm guessing the "other things" doesn't involve the Congressman's blatant disregard for the animals that live in Appalachia. Apparently the bears, bobcats, owls, hawks, and others that have either been killed or forced to flee from MTR mining sites aren't a consideration.

Biggers has documented Rahall's long record of championing MTR mining, which is no secret. The Register-Herald in Rahall's home state recently reported, "Rahall remains a defender of mountaintop mining, a practice he acknowledged has attracted growing opposition on Capitol Hill from both sides of the aisle." When legislation was introduced to ban MTR mining, Rahall proudly declared that he was instrumental in blocking it and even stifled a hearing on it.

As Biggers concludes, the "'Humane Legislator of the Year Award' is nothing less than an insult to besieged animals, and American citizens, in Appalachia and across the nation."

Photo credit: Silvia Alba

Tara Lohan is a senior editor at AlterNet.org where she heads up the environment, water, and food sections. Her work has appeared on the websites of The Nation, Mother Jones, the Huffington Post and in Yes! Magazine.
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