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On Monday September 27, over a thousand Appalachian residents, former coal miners and environmental activists will gather in Washington D.C. to call on the Obama administration to stop mountaintop removal mining. They will also gather to pressure the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to veto the authorization of the Spruce No. 1 mine, the largest surface mining operation ever authorized in Appalachia. The rally, called ‘Appalachia Rising,’ is anticipated to be the largest national demonstration against MTR to date. This type of mining removes millions of tons of rock to reach the thin seams of coal underneath and dumps the debris in nearby valleys—decimating ecosystems, watersheds and the health of those that depend on them. The destructive mining practices have obliterated over 500 mountains and 2,000 miles of streams in West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia, and put the residents of Appalachia at risk for displacement and increased rates of cancer. Despite being praised as a cost-efficient form of mining, five major American banks no longer finance companies practicing mountaintop removal coal mining, calling it a “bad investment” and “unprofitable”.

GUEST: Bo Webb, 6th generation resident of Coal River Valley in West Virginia, a Vietnam vet, and former board president of the Coal River Mountain Watch. He is one of the sponsors of Appalachia Rising.

Find out more at AppalachiaRising.org.