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ItisobviousthatmountaintopremovalminingdeterioratesAppalachianenvironmentsandlooksdreadful.However,theimpactmountaintopremovalhasonthecommunitiessurroundingthosemountainscanbeasdevastatingastheremovalitself.
Astheproductionofcoalusingthemountaintop-removalmethodincreases,thenumberofjobssharplydecreasescorrespondingly.Andit'snotjustjobsthattheseKentuckiansarelosing.
Appalachiancommunitiesarelosingmoney,too.Asstrip-miningcompaniescomeintotheirneighborhoods,thepriceoftheirpropertyplummetsbecauseoftheintensepollutioncausedbythemountaintopblasts.Rocksoftenfallfromtheblastsintotownandalsocontaminatewatersupplies.
Runofffromthestripmininghasalsobeenknowntoinfiltratecleanwatersupplies.Toxinsfromtheminingruinthesoilandleaveagriculturalcommunitiessurroundingminingsitesbarren.Roadsaredestroyedbytheweightoftheminingequipment,andcalmingmountainsoundsareblastedawaybytheminingmachinery…
