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More Infomation
Take ActionSend a message to the EPA and President Obama |
Maps of PermitsExplore the permits in question and watch videos about impacted communities |
Background InfoRead a timeline of the EPA enhanced permit coordination process |
Map Legend
Mountain saved because one or more valley fill permits were rejected or withdrawn.
Mountains slated for destruction because one or more valley fill permits were approved.
Pending review by federal agencies.
Under review by federal agencies.
Proposed valley fill locations. Some pending permits contain 10 or more valley fills. (click permit markers on the map to access).
Videos from the "America's Most Endangered Mountains" series featuring communities that are standing up for their mountains and their rights.
Photos and stories of 22 communities on the "other side" of your light switch who were devastated by mountaintop removal coal mining.
Take Action
Now!
In September 2009, EPA headquarters announced that 79 mountaintop removal valley fill permits that were under review should not be passed through for approval as they were written.
While this stay-of-execution is exciting news, the permits could still be approved at a later date. The decision is part of a new coordination procedure between the EPA, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Interior. To understand the timeline, next steps, and how the permits were selected for review, read our Background Info.
To better demonstrate what's at stake, we used available government data to map the pending valley fill permits listed on the administration's coordination procedure. We also added videos and stories of communities that have been and will be affected by by mountaintop removal coal mining.
For a more detailed view, use the search options below the map to narrow your focus. You can also learn more about each permit by clicking the icons on the map.
DATA tables
We collected data from a variety of sources to produce the map above. For your convenience, we've posted some of the data in the window below. More information about each permit is also available from the following sources:
EPA complete permit data (XLS) - includes estimates of human and environmental impacts, current environmental conditions, and information about the decision making process
iLoveMountains.org complete permit data (CSV-ZIP) - includes more columns than the window below, collected from a variety of sources
Produced by the Alliance for Appalachia and Appalachian Voices.
Appalachian Voices • Coal River Mountain Watch • Heartwood • Keeper of the Mountains • Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition • Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment • Sierra Club Environmental Justice
Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards • SouthWings • West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
Site produced by Appalachian Voices 171 Grand Blvd, Boone, NC 28607 ~ 1-877-APP-VOICE (277-8642) ~ ilm-webmaster@ilovemountains.org