Kayford Mountain, one of West Virginia's largest
mountaintop removal sites (Vivian Stockman Photo)
8th Grade students at Calhoun Middle-High School submitted editorials about Mountain Top Removal as an assignment in Mr. Wesley Young's Social Studies class.
- I support Mountain Top Removal because West Virginia needs coal.
West Virginia needs coal for jobs. Hundreds of people make money and provide for their family because of Coal Mining. Yes, Coal Mining is a huge hazard, but it provides heat to tons of people. It has killed people, but a lot of people would starve and die without the benefits they receive from coal. Yes, it destroys the mountain; but people destroy the land with sky scrappers and new buildings all the time. There is really no difference between Mountain Top Removal and building a sky scrapper.
Coal helps West Virginia as a state because it funds jobs. We sell coal to other countries which provides us with money. I support Mountain Top Removal!
Makayla Smith
8th Grade Student
Calhoun Middle/High School
- I do not support Mountain Top Removal. The tops of the mountains fall in to streams and pollute the water. The dust from the blasts dirties cars and houses. The runoff from Mountain Top Removal causes floods.
The pollution could cause illnesses for the people would live near the streams. The dust covering the cars and houses take time to clean. Flooding caused by Mountain Top Removal could leave people stuck inside their homes for days.
In the end, Mountain Top Removal causes many problems. The runoff from Mountain Top Removal should be prevented from entering streams and rivers. I suggest that they warn the residents of towns prior to when they blast so that they can prepare for the shake that occurs with the blast.
Hannah Allen
8th Grade Student
Calhoun Middle/High School
- Mountain Top Removal is a big topic in West Virginia. Many people are all for taking the top off a mountain. Others would rather save the environment instead of create jobs for West Virginians. I support it all the way.
Coal is a major resource here in the great state of West Virginia. There are three different techniques to get coal from the earth. There is a controversy over whether or not Mountain Top Removal should be an option. I, myself, believe that it is important to our state. If Mountain Top Removal did not exist there would not nearly be as many jobs in the state of West Virginia. There is no reason to put families in poverty just because you do not want a little dirt in your water. Dirt has never killed anyone when consumed.
In conclusion, I believe Mountain Top Removal is a major necessity for West Virginia. We would be poorer than we already are without it.
Seth Moore
8th Grade Student
Calhoun Middle/High School
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