Coal-thirsty

I was born and raised (for the most part) in rural western Pennsylvania. We lived in the coal mining boss's house in a worn out coal village. Though the coal mines have been closed for decades and workers have fled to cities for work, I grew up reminded of coal. After floods, our creek would be a swirling flood of orange - from iron oxide leaks in the mines. Unintended consequences.

Coal mining takes a different face today, as coal bosses have moved to new hills and developed new methods to extract Appalachian gold. This article reports on one facet of unintended human consequences from mountaintop removal coal mining - one of the most violent and destructive methods of extracting coal. The Science Daily report explains findings published in the journal Environmental Research which "contribute to the growing evidence that mountaintop mining is done at substantial expense to the environment, to local economies and to human health."