Super Eco

Photo credit: gemarijo, stock.xchng

Save the Appalachian springs! Everyone knows we need to save the seals, and you may have even heard the latest spin on breast cancer, Save the Tatas—but seriously, when did we start worrying about mountainside creeks?

As it turns out, more than 1,000 sparkling Appalachian streams have already been buried beneath mining waste from mountaintop mining operations. Now, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is scrutinizing mountaintop coal mining, slapping a hold on 200 proposed projects in order to focus on how the mining affects Appalachian streams and wetlands.

The controversial coal mining practice, which expanded under the Bush administration, blasts away entire mountaintops and sends debris tumbling into waterways downstream. MSNBC reports that the EPA has letters noting that the mining projects "would likely cause water quality problems in streams below the mines, would cause significant degradation to streams buried by mining activities, and that proposed steps to offset these impacts are inadequate."

Coal companies have proposed roughly 200 new mountaintop removal projects, which would bury another 200 miles of streams. The EPA indicated it would be actively involved in reviewing the long list of permits awaiting approval by the Corps of Engineers, signaling a more active course under the Obama administration. Although the EPA already had the authority to review and veto permits issued by the Corps under the Clean Water Act, it rarely did so during the Bush administration.

While Appalachian miners are anxious about the economic impact of a tighter review process, West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin said he is working with the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency to achieve a balance between conservation and the economy. As long as the Appalachian springs are able to keep running clear, we think that sounds like a sparkling alternative.