Mountaintop Mining: Background on Current Controversies
http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/crs/RS21421.pdf
Describes the nature and prevalence of mountaintop mining, the environmental damage caused by this type of mining, the arguments in its defense by mining companies, and the legal challenges and government administrative actions which act as constraints. Virginia is one of six Appalachian states in which mountaintop mining occurs. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by National Agricultural Law Center
