Coal process worth knowing about

Re “Black-hearted ruling,” editorial, Aug. 31

Mountaintop removal to mine coal is not only stupid, it causes such tremendous erosion and soil runoff that nearby streams and rivers are silted and clogged, thus destroying spawning beds of game fish and the very means for the soil to repair itself with native plant life. The habitat of wildfowl and other animals is destroyed in the process.

All this is done in the name of profit and greed to produce one of the most blatant contributors of greenhouse gases on the planet. This nation has the means and the technology to develop alternative fuel sources that are better than this destructive process can ever hope to deliver.

Gail Rubio

Brea

It would have been a great deal more helpful if The Times had editorialized about this ruling before it happened and had covered the story while it was still possible for the public to bring pressure on the Office of Surface Mining. Now that the deal is done, this editorial does more to discourage public involvement in policy decisions by giving the issue a defeatist ring. As a member of the Fourth Estate, it is The Times’ responsibility to inform the public of pending policy changes that have an effect on their lives and country, not wait until the only thing left to report is a policy obituary.

Joseph Neri

West Covina