Mountaintop Removal is an American Tragedy, the process in which mining companies remove forests and topsoil, then blast the mountain level by level to reach the carbon layer. The explosives are estimated to be equivalent to the Hiroshima bomb. Much of the mining waste is discarded in valleys and streams; the water runoff is rich in silt, ions and sulfur compounds, which in turn pollute the water downstream. Even with chemical treatments, vegetation has difficulty growing in sterile, highly acidic soil. Mountaintop removal occurs in eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, southwestern Virginia, and eastern Tennessee. Virtually 1.2 million acres of land have been surface mined and more than 500 mountains have been ruined by mountaintop removal mining. The Mountain Justice source delves into the phases and effects of this harmful process. First, forests are cleared; topsoil is scraped away, as are timber and herbs such as goldenseal and ginseng. Then explosives are used that can explode up to 800 feet from mountaintops and often damage the foundations and wells of homes. Next, huge shovels dig into the ground and trucks usually push it into adjacent valleys. A machine known as a dragline then digs into the rock to reveal the coal, the machines excavate the coal levels and dump millions of overburden, the former mountain tops. , in nearby narrow valleys, thus producing valley fills. Coal companies have blanketed over 1,200 miles of biologically crucial Appalachian headwater streams. Often, the effects of mountaintop removal are disastrous, wildlife habitat is damaged, and the loss of vegetation usually leads to numerous floods and landslides. When explosives are used, rock flies, ... middle of paper ... Fields are not just circles in the earth; the ground is no longer earth, it is just earth. I find it discouraging; the mountains were their life and it was being stolen from them. I understand that the future of coal depends on change and innovation; I believe America must use clean energy in the future to protect our environment and public health. I think changes to the Clean Water Act have created ambiguity for coal companies by allowing mining waste to be dumped into our nation's waterways. Appalachia needs to rely less on coal mining and focus on diversifying the economy. Appalachia has an abundance of resources that can be urbanized to provide new jobs and clean energy methods, such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, and biomass, that could support rural areas. With political and economic leadership, I believe Appalachia could transition from coal to clean energy.