Hobet (Corridor G) Mine Complex, Lincoln County, WV 

You're so right. It's because of these wonderful strip mines that WV is one of the healthiest and wealthiest states in the country. We're just swimming in money, especially in southern WV where this mine is. What would we ever do without the kind and generous coal barons. Just think, without strip mines like this, we might have ended up like other rural mountainous areas such as New Hampshire, northern New York, or Western North Carolina - areas well known for their deep poverty, polluted water, rampant unemployment, and workforce diseases. Thank god we had the wisdom to strip mine tens of thousands of acres of worthless mountains and bury thousands of miles of worthless clean water streams so we in southern WV could have the bountiful wealth, long prosperous lives, thriving communities, and gold-paved streets that coal mining has given us. For real though, get out of here with your clown show coal propaganda. Coal has given us nothing but pollution, poverty, and disease while coal owners got rich off our backs exploiting our land and labor. You don't have to believe me, just take a trip to any coal mining area in WV and see for yourself.

As poor as the area is they didn't get much return for such an investment.

@@kanawhaforestcoalition Freedom of speech, you tree hugging nazi

This is in the stage of active mining .it is reclined to very high-level .you might want to look at a reclaimed mine before you claim West Virginia is getting played

And the people wonder why they are so poor.

I can tell you're a deep thinker, Andrew. Keep it up

so you can keep your lights on

Yep, I sure am glad they got rid of those mountains that provided clean water, edible and medicinal plants, rich appalachian forest ecosystems, sustainable timber, and a beautiful place for people to live and replaced all that with polluted streams and flat wasteland that can't even be built on because it's unstable. What a wonderful addition to our state. The businesses have just flocked to all that wonderful flat land and now our economy is booming and everyone has jobs.... wait.... hmmm.....

West Virginia, mountain momma, wild and wonderful, now ugly and flat

Lot of ignorant comments here. The streams are still there. There wasn't mountains there. Just steep short rock faces with sand and swamp in between. The land is stable and trees grow just like before. Only now it's safer to harvest. These old mines are actually the cleanest part of west Virginia. The rest of the states filled with trash and run down homes. 51% welfare state. I explore these old mines every week. They're absolutely amazing. These "green" coalitions do absolutely nothing to recover this land. They raise money and make a fuss to line their pockets with donated money.

what