Expert Says Mountaintop Removal Causes Flooding
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June 8, 2009
Charleston WV – According to the former head of federal mine inspector training, three separate government studies have shown a link between the practice of mountaintop-removal mining and flooding like that in southern West Virginia last month. Jack Spadaro is the former director of the National Mine Health and Safety Academy and a mining engineer with forty years of experience. He says the EPA, the Corps of Engineers and the state government have all found a link between flooding and the huge surface mines.
"These are scientific studies done by teams of scientists, hydrologists and engineers, and they've all shown there is a link between mountaintop-removal mining and flooding."
Spadaro says if you fly over the affected areas, you can clearly see the connection between the flooding and the mountaintop removal.
"If you look at any of the areas where the flood is, you can find direct links, such as erosion gullies on the faces of the valley fills, and landslides and debris flows that go all the way down into the valleys below."
The coalfield counties of West Virginia have been hit by flooding numerous times in the last ten years. May's floods damaged or destroyed an estimated 3,000 buildings in eleven counties and required the allocation of more than 60 million dollars in government assistance.
Governor Joe Manchin, Congressman Nick Rahall and industry spokesmen have all described the flooding as an act of God.
The former director of the academy that trains all federal mine inspectors says Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining contributes to flooding like that which hit southern West Virginia in May. Dan Heyman (HI-men) has more.
Dan Heyman Reporting
Jack Spadaro is available though his website - http://www.jackspadaro.com/