From my hometown* paper (Pikeville hopes mountaintop mining will aid expansion):
The towering mountains that frame this Appalachian town have been a hindrance to growth, forcing homes and businesses to crowd side by side on precious little flat land.
That could change under a plan by Pikeville leaders who have recruited a coal company to flatten two mountaintops to expand with new homes, businesses, athletic fields and factories in the town of 6,300.
Wetlands are a hindrance to the growth of coastal areas. Should we fill them in? Uh, OK, bad example. Some places just weren't meant to grow in certain directions. If growth in Pikeville is so vital, why don't they build 10 story condos? Pikeville is a nice town, but if you've ever driven through it, you might recognize that growth there isn't vital.
And by the way, removing a mountaintop is not a sterile procedure:
However, mountaintop coal mining has come under heavy attack from environmentalists who say the practice takes a large toll on nature.
In the procedure, explosives and heavy equipment are used to expose coal seams. The excess dirt and rock are dumped into hollows, creating additional flat land.
The process requires large-scale blasting and removal of trees, soil and rock, which the environmental group Kentuckians for the Commonwealth says destroys wildlife habitat and contaminates streams with sediment and harmful mine runoff.
...
Ordinarily, coal companies are required under federal law to restore mountains to the original contour, said Tom FitzGerald, head of Kentucky Resources Council. However, an exception in the law allows mining companies to leave the land flat when that better serves post-mining purposes.
FitzGerald, who often provides legal representation to people who suffer from the effects of coal operations, said mining increases the likelihood of flash flooding and has an obvious effect on the views.
*Note: I grew up 25 miles up I-71 from Louisville (aka, Derby City, Loserville).
