00:00 Mountain top removal mining is a type of strip mining that involves blowing off the top of a mountain to expose the coal seam.

04:53 Mountaintop removal mining involves clearing the forest, scraping away top soil and vegetation, blowing up the top of the mountain, and using big shovels and draglines to dig into the soil and haul away the overburden, resulting in the destruction of wildlife habitat and the filling of narrow valleys with the overburden, burying streams and rivers.

09:47 Mountaintop removal mining has devastating economic, environmental, and human impacts, including poverty, unemployment, environmental disasters such as dam breaks and sludge spills, and the destruction of wildlife habitats.

15:05 Over 6,700 Valley Fill permits have been issued in the United States since 1985, resulting in the burial of streams, and a study found that 73 out of 78 streams sampled had deformed fish carrying toxic levels of selenium.

19:59 Mountaintop removal mining involves using explosives to blow up mountains, which can result in dangerous conditions such as fly rock that can cause harm or death to people living in the area, and there have been numerous deaths and injuries related to the coal mining industry in Appalachia, including drownings, floods, mudslides, and accidents with coal trucks, as well as potential health hazards and disasters such as the Buffalo Creek slurry dam break and the presence of a coal slurry pond and silo near Marsh Fork Elementary School.

25:12 Mountaintop removal mining is a problem that affects poor, rural people who don't have the same voice as others, and the coal lobby and political donations contribute to the lack of regulation and attention to the issue.

29:57 Mountaintop removal mining should be completely outlawed, as it involves blowing the top of a mountain and pushing it into the valley below, covering up streams and introducing coal slurry to the local environment.

34:48 There are several organizations and websites, such as I Love Mountains.org, Mountain Justice Summer, and Appalachian Voices, where you can find more information and pictures about mountaintop removal mining and potentially join protests against it.

39:20 The desire to raise awareness about mountaintop removal mining came from reading a story by author Silas House and doing more research on the topic, leading to the creation of the album "Dear Companion" in collaboration with Daniel Martin Moore and Jim James, which aimed to bring attention to the issue and spark conversation.

44:01 Mountaintop removal mining affects everyone and it's important to appreciate and thank the people living in these communities who make it possible, as well as recognize the loss of American heritage that comes with the destruction caused by this practice.

48:16 This section does not contain any relevant information about mountaintop removal mining.