Mountaintop Removal
Did you know Kentucky is suing EPA to relax regulations on Mountaintop Removal? Another great example of how a state really “looks out” for its people…
Filed under energy, environment, geological hazards, global warming, health, Uncategorized, water pollution | Tags: coal, energy, environment, mountaintop removal, pollution, water pollution | Comment (1)Coal plants are a step in the wrong direction?
Guest Blog by Luke Wilson, Jasmine Woods, and Jaqueline Stogner
The recent drought and influx of people in SC has caused the state-owned utility company, Santee Cooper,
to propose the construction of two 660-megawatt coal-fired power plants in Florence County in order to keep up with SC’s growing electricity demand. Coal burning plants emit carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas and contributor to global warming, nitrogen oxide, a component in smog, sulfur dioxides, a contributor to acid rain, and mercury, a highly toxic metal when converted to methyl mercury. These proposed plants would annually produce over 8 million tons of CO2 and discharge 300 pounds of mercury into the Great Pee Dee River as a byproduct of burning coal. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control has already issued a high mercury level advisory for the consumption of many fatty fish caught in the Great Pee Dee, and adding another coal plant would only exacerbate the problem.
“Toxic Waters”
Here’s some “surprising” news. Your tap water could be unsafe to drink if you live close to a powerful industry that pollutes… 
and US EPA may not intervene on your behalf! Here are some interesting articles that appeared in NY Times about toxic drinking water. Link. Be sure to watch the videos on those pages – very disturbing. Also, there was an interesting documentary on PBS’ Frontline called “Poisoned Waters,” which is very interesting. You can watch that show on their website.
Interestingly, SC DHEC was quoted as saying that protecting business interests was very important for their mission! As an example, here’s a link to articles about the nexus between business interests and DHEC at the expense of public health. Link.
Filed under chemicals, environment, geology, sustainability, water pollution | Tags: chemicals, coal, contamination, environment, environmental management, groundwater, India, pollution, sustainability, water pollution, water resources | Comment (0)Mountaintop Removal
Mountaintop removal is an extremely destructive strip mining technique used in the Appalachia by coal industry. This method is devastating the pristine landscapes of the Appalachia. It is also destroying several communities that call this area home.
“Not since the glaciers pushed toward these ridgelines a million years ago have the Appalachian Mountains been as threatened as they are today.” Link.
“Today, mountaintop removal is booming again, and the practice of dumping mining debris into streambeds is explicitly protected, thanks to a small wording change to federal environmental regulations.” Link. Link.
“The waste rock—the remains of the mountains—is piled into neighboring hollows in towering earthen dams called valley fills. The largest fills can approach 800 feet in height and swallow more than a mile of streambed.” Link.
I’d like to hear from you about your opinion on this issue.
Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: Appalachia, biodiversity, coal, energy, mountaintop removal, water pollution | Comments (18)