hat we do: We work to protect local communities and environments from irresponsible mining practices.

Clean Water & Mountaintop Removal Mining The Dirty Truth About Coal Environmental Justice: Central Appalachia Sierra Club Productions: The Appalachians Stopping the Coal Rush Factsheets & Resources Get Involved!

Environmental news, green living tips, and ways to take action: Subscribe to the Sierra Club Insider!

Mountaintop Removal Mining: An Overview
In places like Appalachia, mining companies blow the tops off mountains to reach a thin seam of coal and then, to minimize waste disposal costs, dump millions of tons of waste rock into the valleys below, causing permanent damage to the ecosystem and landscape.

This destructive practice, known as mountaintop removal mining, has damaged or destroyed approximately 1,200 miles of streams, destroyed forests on some 300 square miles of land, disrupted drinking water supplies, flooded communities, and destroyed wildlife habitat.

Feature: Rule to Expand Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining

A new rule proposed by the federal government would remove one of the last remaining protections for the waters of Appalachia, opening the way for more devastating mining practices. Under the new rule mining companies could legally dump harmful waste directly into rivers and streams regardless of the damage caused to stream health or drinking water sources.

Find out how you can help protect Appalachia's streams.

Feature: Massey Energy Faces $2 Billion in Fines for Contaminating Water

The Sierra Club has joined federal prosecutors and other environmental groups in a lawsuit to hold Massey Energy accountable for damaging streams and drinking water sources in Appalachia. There are over 4,600 documented cases of pollution being illegally dumped into local waters by Massey and its subsidiaries, which operate dozens of mountaintop removal mines in Appalachia.

Learn more about Massey's flagrant disregard for the law.