Heavy rain has once again brought flash floods to eastern Kentucky, a region still reeling from last summer’s deadly inundations — which social justice advocates say were exacerbated by the environmental destruction wrought by decades of strip mining.
At least one person died in the latest torrents, which followed a storm that dropped more than 3 inches of rain on some communities beginning Thursday. Rising water stranded motorists, prompted road closures, and led to several rescues. It was an eerie reminder of last summer’s deluges, which caused historically high waters, led to the deaths of dozens of residents, and damaged thousands of homes.
Social justice and environmental groups in Kentucky say those impacts were aggravated by the state’s long history of strip mining and lax oversight of an industry with no regard for the damage they’ve wrought or accountability to the communities dealing with the long-term consequences.
Last week, the social justice organization Kentuckians for the Commonwealth sent a let... Read more
