To the Editor:

As “Measuring Big Coal’s Mountain Devastation” (editorial, Feb. 16) explains, mountaintop removal coal mining continues to devastate Appalachia. More than 500 mountains have been blown up, and more than 2,000 miles of streams have been buried because of inadequate regulations and lax state enforcement.

In fact, mountaintop removal is moving closer to communities as the industry searches out ever-dwindling coal seams, and residents continue to suffer from a multitude of health effects related to mining pollution, not to mention dire economic conditions.

The coal industry is experiencing a permanent decline. As Appalachian communities respond to this reality and work to diversify their economies, we must preserve the region’s water resources and other natural assets essential to that goal. The Interior Department’s proposed Stream Protection Rule to update mining regulations could be a major step in that direction.

But unless the department has the courage to issue a strong rule later this year that reflects the most current science, achieving a prosperous future here will be all but impossible.