Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) recently came under heavy fire from some in the environmental community and many in Appalachia for choosing to head up the “Coal-to-Liquids Caucus” with Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY). However, Senator Obama, a Democratic Presidential hopeful, has set himself as a leader of the Presidential pack as far as opposing strip mining and mountaintop removal.

When Appalachian Voices asked Senator Obama about MTR, and whether he supported or opposed strip mining, he said:

Strip-mining is an environmental disaster!

The telegenic Presidential hopeful did not stop there. He went on to adress mountatintop removal by saying:

We have to find more environmentally sound ways of mining coal, than simply blowing the tops off mountains.

This is a Senator from a state that contains a LOT of (high-sulfur) coal. The fact that big fish like Obama are trending our way is fantastic.

Lets hope that this leads to some leadership on specific legislative proposals to end mountaintop removal in America by someone in the Senate. A presidential candidate opposing mountaintop removal represents the ideals of the Appalachian people. And the Appalachian people represent a potential of 51 electoral votes. That as much as Florida, Ohio, and New Hampshire combined.

Call and THANK Senator Obama for taking a stand against mountaintop removal by calling him at (202)224-2854. You can also call your US Representative at (202)224-3121 and ask them to co-sponsor the “Clean Water Protection Act” to help stop mountaintop removal coal-mining.