By ERIK ECKHOLM
Published: July 14, 2010

BLAIR, W.Va. — Federal officials are considering whether to veto mountaintop mining above a little Appalachian valley called Pigeonroost Hollow, a step that could be a turning point for one of the country’s most contentious environmental disputes.

The Army Corps of Engineersapproved a permit in 2007 to blast 400 feet off the hilltops here to expose the rich coal seams, disposing of the debris in the upper reaches of six valleys, including Pigeonroost Hollow.

Read the rest of this excellent article from the New York Times here. You can also read the analysis of the Charleston Gazette’s Ken Ward here.