News
New GAO report documents mountaintop removal damage
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Yesterday, the Government Accountability Office released another report about mountaintop removal coal mining. Naturally Ken Ward Jr. released his own well research article 15 minutes later:
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (the GAO) has released its second major report on mountaintop removal coal mining in the last three months. (See previous post here).
Today’s report, Financial Assurances for, and Long-Term Oversight of, Mines with Valley Fills in Four Appalachian States, is similar to the previous GAO study, in that it provides not a ton of brand new information for anyone familiar with the mountaintop removal issue.
But, the 68-page report, prepared for members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources and Environment and Public Works committees, does again repeat and confirm what should already be well known, but is often ignored by the coal industry and its politician friends. For example, the GAO study found:
– Reforestation efforts at some reclaimed surface coal mine sites needed improvement;
– Surface coal mine sites have contaminated streams and harmed aquatic organisms;
– Valley fills may affect water flow; and
– Mine operators have not always returned mine sites to their approximate original contour when required to do so under SMCRA.
February 18th, 2010 at 8:09 am
FREE Alternative Energy Available NOW : CONSERVATION !
America Wastes over 70% of the Energy it Consumes.
Our hedonist energy waste is pervasive and tragic !
(1) 100’s of millions of lights burn unnecessary during the day and night.
(2) We over heat and over cool our homes, businesses, offices, schools, churches, etc……….
(3) Most Americans do not minimize their driving. Road congestion is horrendous.
(4) America’s obsession with road construction is the ultimate contradiction.
The ONLY way to eliminate over demand and energy waste is by using the economic impact of taxing energy. Only with a substantial and tangible dollar reward/consequence, will Americans care to conserve.
Until the price of gas is $4 to $6 per gallon, Americans will not reduce their over consumption and energy waste. Crude oil needs to be taxed at $200 per barrel(55 gal) and ‘offset’ by making Federal Income Tax begin at $60k.
In the mean time, the USA continues to give away its economic and political wealth to maintain our hedonist energy waste.
Ford and General Motors continue toward bankruptcy. Hence, they must transition to the lucrative business of building solar and wind ‘energy producers’ for the world’s 6.7 BILLION people reason$. The world cannot continue to support all the automakers.
Mass transit must become FREE, SAFE, CLEAN, and CONVENIENT, thereby rewarding those who reduce their driving.
Global warming continues to increase with our persistent waste and overuse of fossil fuels.
The incentives necessary to create sustainable and renewable energy supplies will ONLY occur when we implement the economics of TAXING ENERGY.
Lowell Michalove, Phd Energy Conservation Policy lmmicha@gmail.com 336-467-1293
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:33 am
I tried to get the feed for the RSS for your website but it is not properly displaying in Google Chrome. Does anyone have any suggestions?
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:13 pm
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