Mountaintop removal (MTR) “…is any method of surface coal mining that destroys a mountaintop or ridgeline” ("Mountaintop Removal 101."). This environmentally destructive practice continues in the Central Appalachian Mountains. Environmental impacts of this type of coal mining “results in deforestation, flooding, mudslides, and the fouling of headwater streams” ("Orion Magazine | Moving Mountains."). “Central Appalachia provides much of the country’s coal… and over the last twenty years, an increasing amount [has come] from mountaintop removal sites.” ("Orion Magazine | Moving Mountains.). Socially, the effects of MTR impacts the health of the mine workers and those who live in areas where this form of mining is occurring. These locals pay
