Dr. Michael Hendrix, Director of the West Virginia Rural Health Research Center at West Virginia University’s Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, has spent the last five years studying the impacts of mining on public health.
His extensive, peer-reviewed research has found that residents in mining areas – especially mountaintop removal mining areas – have higher incidents of cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, birth defects, premature mortality and other issues. Hendryx was one of the first scientists to investigate whether some of the many public health problems in Appalachia could be linked to coal mining.
Watch the video below to hear more about Hendryx’s research.
4 Comments
this is great Dan !!!
Thank you for this new video. These health issues have been concerning me for a long time. There are more studies needed, yet at the same time, I question: why do we have to prove that dumping toxins in the environment and the water people drink is hazardous to human health and the ecosystem? This is something we already know. I find it very sad that corporations are allowed to continue these irresponsible practices in the name of profit. I could say so much more.
I will post this video to a webpage I have dedicated to the awareness of the devastating effects of mountaintop removal coal mining and link back to your site. Thank you, again for this video and the research. Everything we can do toward increasing awareness and stopping this practice is a step in the right direction.
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[...] Virginia communities. Another video: 1. The public health impact of mountaintop removal | Appalachian … http://www.appalmad.org/slider/slider-2/Cached Oct 5, 2011 – The public health impact of mountaintop [...]