For hundreds of years, Tennessee has been using mining as a resource to locate iron, copper, zinc, and many other important products, one of the most valuable being coal. Since the Civil War, the production of mining coal has gone up and down. Unfortunately, mining creates more negative effects than positive. Mining has evolved into a term known as strip-mining, which means that coal is extracted from the surface of mountain rather than deep inside. Strip-mining, also known as mountaintop removal, is effecting our local mountains here in Tennessee. Just a few hours north of Chattanooga, mountaintop removal is destroying the mountains we cherish and love. The outcries of upset and anger from our fellow Tennesseans are thankfully being heard, and efforts to end the mountaintop removal are being made. This effort is based out of Nashville and led by J.W. Randolf. He is desperately trying to educate the public about the impacts of strip-mining and mountain top removal.
