West Virginia Blue
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Mountaintop-removal mining continues to damage the environment long after regulators sign off that mine sites have been properly reclaimed, according to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
GAO investigators found that mountaintop removal damages water quality, reforestation efforts need improvement, and mine operators often do not comply with the approximate original contour reclamation requirement.
And in a 68-page report to Congress, the GAO said federal and state regulators could do more to limit the damage and to ensure mine operators are held financially responsible for cleaning up industry messes.
Of course when we weigh the actual costs of mountaintop removal versus the benefits, we see mountaintop removal is disastrous economically and environmentally to the state. Unfortunately too many politicians can't look beyond the next election and be honest with the people of the state so they focus on only the short-term issues. However, mountaintop destruction is destroying the state's long-term viability.
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