By attending Week in Washington, Mason students will join over a hundred people living in areas impacted by mountaintop removal to urge federal legislators to stop destroying our mountains, streams, and communities. Organized by the Alliance for Appalachia, the fifth annual Week in Washington is an event with one clear message: stop mountaintop removal by passing the Clean Water Protection Act.
Mountaintop removal coal mining blasts the tops of mountains with explosives and dumps waste into nearby valleys, burying and polluting streams. This practice devastates the region’s ecology and communities. Constant blasting, increased flooding, and polluted tap water has driven residents in the coalfields to cry out, ‘enough is enough, this must stop’. Emily Miles and Jason Von Kundra, two students registered to attend, look forward to the opportunity to speak with their legislators alongside other supporters of the Clean Water Protection Act.
Anyone interested in protecting our nation’s mountains and streams is encouraged to read more about the event at www.ilovemountains.org/wiw and contact Jvonkund@gmu.edu to connect with Mason students who are attending the event.
