Article: Flatlands: At the rate mountaintop removal is going, West Virginia will look more like Indiana every day

WEST VIRGINIA is the Mountain State, but less so with every passing day. That's because companies are slicing off the tops of its mountains to extract coal. Where do the mountaintops go? Why, the dirt and debris get dumped into nearby streams and valleys. This handy disposal method just got a thumbs-up from the Bush administration.

It boggles the mind to see a modern society wipe out gorgeous landscapes in the name of economic development. All those choice coal- mining jobs, you know.

At a meeting of economic officials in Indiana, someone with a sense of humor held up a picture of what the state needed to compete for good jobs. It was a picture of a mountain.

In the world of economic ...

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