This news story originally provided by WV Metro News

7/15/04

Mountaintop Mining Study Released

Staff
Charleston

A new statewide poll shows that the majority of West Virginians are against mountaintop removal mining. According to a poll released Wednesday by the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment two out of three voters is opposed to the practice.

Executive Director of the Center Joe Lovett says this year's findings are different than those in the past. "All the polling I've seen in the past shows West Virginians oppose mountaintop removal mining but the intensity appears to be getting stronger." Lovett says state residents are learning more about the practice and its effects on the environment. He says before now, most people believed the coal industry was doing its best to protect the environment.

Lovett says he hopes the poll spurs the industry to change its practices. "Currently the coal industry gets what it wants from West Virginia politicians. I hope the politicians in the state will, instead of listening to reporters and giving it large contributions, will start listening to the people of the state and make the coal industry clean up its act."

Lovett says the poll's findings also show that many strongly oppose mountaintop removal mining while those who normally support the practice only do so half-heartedly. "People who oppose mountaintop removal mining do so vehemently where as people who support it, do so tepidly and the poll results clearly show that."

Lovett says the center will continue filing lawsuits against the big coal companies but he's hopeful these recent findings will lead to cleaner mining practices within the state.