Today, Representatives Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), and 11 Democratic cosponsors are introducing the Appalachian Community Health Emergency Act into the 112th Congress. The bill seeks to help end mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia by highlighting the health impacts associated with the practice.

We applaud this effort to bring the daily tragedy that is mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia to the attention of the American people and their Representatives in the U.S. Congress. We are also grateful for the continued leadership demonstrated by Reps. Kucinich and Slaughter, both cosponsors of the Clean Water Protection Act (H.R.1375), and longtime champions of Appalachia.