On January 8, 2010 the journal Science published an article entitled "Mountaintop Mining Consequences."  This article confirms that the impact of mountaintop removal coal mining is indeed irreversible. 

Based on this research, a group of the nation's leading environmental scientists are calling on the Obama Administration to place a moratorium on the issuance of new MTR coal mining permits.

Related articles:

Grist Magazine: Science Confirms that Blowing Up Mountains Harms Mountains

KentukianaGreen.com: Scientists call for mountaintop mining permit halt

Charleston Gazette Coal Tattoo Blog: Bombshell Study: MTR impacts 'pervasive and irreversible'

The Bellingham Herald: After review of mountaintop mining, scientists urge ending it


From the press release:

Based on a comprehensive analysis of the latest scientific findings and new data, a group of the nation’s leading environmental scientists are calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to stay all new mountaintop mining permits. In the January 8 edition of the journal Science, they argue that peer-reviewed research unequivocally documents irreversible environmental impacts from this form of mining which also exposes local residents to a higher risk of serious health problems. ... Co-author Dr. Emily Bernhardt, of Duke University, explains that “The chemicals released into streams from valley fills contain a variety of ions and trace metals which are toxic or debilitating for many organisms, which explains why biodiversity is reduced below valley fills.” The authors provide evidence that mine reclamation and mitigation practices have not prevented the contaminants from moving into downstream waters.

The authors also describe human health impacts associated with surface mining for coal in the Appalachian region, including elevated rates of mortality, lung cancer, and chronic heart, lung and kidney disease in coal producing communities.  “Over the last 30 years, there has been a global increase in surface mining, and it is now the dominant driver of land-use change in the Central Appalachian region,” says Dr. Keith Eshleman also of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. “We now know that surface mining has extraordinary consequences for both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Notwithstanding recent attempts to improve reclamation, the immense scale of mountaintop mining makes it unrealistic to think that true restoration or mitigation is possible with current techniques.”