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Maps of Permits

Explore the permits in question and watch videos about impacted communities

Background Info

Read a timeline of the EPA enhanced permit coordination process

What is Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining?

As much as 600 feet of a mountain has been removed to access a narrow coal seam below

Mountaintop removal coal mining is an extremely destructive form of strip mining found in central and southern Appalachia, with some mines as big as the island of Manhattan.

It tears apart communities, poisons water supplies, pollutes the air and destroys our nation's natural heritage – while only making the climate crisis worse. Learn more here.

The comment period for the EPA has ended, but please consider sending a letter to President Obama.

Take Action Now with the form below

NOTE: This action page is for citizens who want to make specific comments on water quality and health impacts near mountaintop removal sites. CLICK HERE to thank the EPA for their initial decision to further review all pending mountaintop removal valley fill permits

In June of 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies created a plan to review the backlog of pending mountaintop removal permits.

On September 11th, EPA headquarters announced recommendations on 79 of nearly 200 mountaintop removal valley fill permits that have been under review. The EPA recommended that none of the permits be passed through for approval, but the decision is not final.

The release of this short list begins a 14 day countdown in which the EPA regional offices must respond to EPA headquarters' recommendations, and while we applaud the current decision by the EPA, under the timeline process the permits could still be approved.

Each permit approved means more streams buried, more communities devastated, and more mountains literally blasted off the map.

Send a letter to the EPA using the form below. You can also explore a map of the permits, their status and stories of communities who live nearby. With over 500 mountains already blown up & almost 2000 miles of streams buried, we cannot afford to blast more mountains off the map.

FILL OUT THE BELOW FORM TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS.

NOTE: We apologize for any issues you may experience using this web form, but it is the best way for the EPA to receive official public comment. This form will take a few seconds to load. If it fails completely, please clear your browser's cache, then try again. Or, you can visit the original form here.

To submit comments via the US Postal Service, CLICK HERE.

The comment period for the EPA has ended, but please consider sending a letter to President Obama.

Appalachian Citizens Law Center • Appalachian Voices • Appalshop • Coal River Mountain Watch • Heartwood • Keeper of the Mountains

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth • MACED • Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition • Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment

Sierra Club Environmental Justice • Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards • SouthWings • West Virginia Highlands Conservancy