West Virginia Mountains Flattened to Retrieve Coal

[Kurmudgeon]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/community-rallies-mountaintop-removal-mining/story?id=13897050

"From the road, West Virginia's mountains look as pristine as ever, but from above, the landscape resembles more of a moonscape. From even higher up in space, entire swathes of countryside appear flattened.

Since the 1970s, 500 peaks and counting have been literally blown up for the coal that's deep underground. It's called mountaintop removal mining, and it's the subject of a new documentary called "The Last Mountain." It now surpasses mining that takes place underground in output. "