Surface Mine Proposal Puts Nearby Community and Endangered Bats At Risk
By Tarence Ray
Cropped version of applicant permit map for the Big Creek Surface Mine. Yellow and pink portions represent proposed mining area, and extent of mining pictured dates to late 2014. Image by Appalachian Voices
In September a coalition of environmental groups announced that it will sue the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and U.S. Fish and Wildlife for failing to protect a threatened bat species on two mountaintop removal coal mines in West Virginia.
One of these sites, the proposed Jim Justice-owned Big Creek Mine in McDowell County, will sit directly above a church and upstream from an early childhood education center near the community of Bishop.
According to a press release from the Center for Biological Diversity, “[The mine] will also destroy more than five miles of streams, threatening another species that has been proposed for protection, the Big Sandy crayfish.”
The proposed mine will be in addition to two currently existing surface mines within a one-mile radius of Bishop. In April of this year, Appalachian Voices published a study of 50 communities in central Appalachia that are similarly “at risk” of the worst impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining. These impacts include, but are not limited to, increased blasting, negative health, wealth and population trends, and diminished water quality. Bishop is No. 2 on this list of “Communities at Risk.”
Advocates of the Obama administration’s recently proposed Stream Protection Rule say strong federal guidelines could go a long way in reducing many of these impacts, but, as some point out, it still allows for streams to be filled with overburden from mountaintops that have been removed in order to access coal seams.
To view maps and information about other communities at risk from the health and environmental impacts of mountaintop removal, visit: ilovemountains.org/communities-at-risk
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article mistakenly identified the northern long-eared bat as endangered. It is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Related Articles
Latest News
More Stories
‘First Line of Defense’
During Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, rural fire departments and other first responder hubs played critical roles in keeping their communities safe, even without power and cut off from outside support for days or weeks after the storm. Two years later, plenty of work remains to ensure these hubs have the resources they need to operate day to day and be ready when emergencies or natural disasters strike.
The Rocky Road — and Bridge — to Recovery
Hurricane Helene is estimated to have damaged nearly 7,000 private roads and bridges in Western North Carolina. Two years later, many restoration projects are complete, but the journey hasn’t been easy — and isn’t over for others.
After 20 Years, Letcher County Prison Proposal Is Still Alive, Though Obstacles Remain
A $605 million proposal for a federal prison on a former strip mine site in Letcher County, Kentucky, championed by U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, refuses to die, despite local opposition, a lack of support from the executive branch and numerous other obstacles.
The Washout and Rebuild
For nearly two years, residents of Unicoi County, Tennessee, have had to make do without a hospital after Hurricane Helene destroyed the rural hospital. Ballad Health, which owns the hospital, broke ground on a new location — in another floodplain — in August 2026.
The Shenandoah Salamander
The Shenandoah salamander is a woodland salamander, which has adapted to life at higher elevations away from water. This sparkling rarity lives among the dry leaves, cracked logs, and stony hillocks on the highest peaks of Shenandoah National Park.
‘Foraging Is a Way of Connecting’
Foraging has experienced a modern resurgence, partly because of social media, online groups, the pandemic and people wanting to connect with nature. It also builds community, whether in person or online.
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Leave a Comment