Large scale mining companies and therefore mining company stockholders/owners are contaminating local ground water by injecting waste water from operations back into the ground. This practice is contaminating the ground water that local residents consume. Consumption of ground water contaminated by this practice by these principal shareholders is having detrimental health affects on local residents.

These enviornmental and social costs associated with large scale, complete-extraction (mountain top removal) methods are completely disregarded by the mining companies (shareholders).

Should wealthy shareholders be allowed to totally ignore these enviornmental/social costs that are being paid by the local residents of these mining operations?

Also, should wealthy shareholders of these coprorations continue to be exempt from personal liability as our current corporate legal code allows?

All corporations are owned by real people. Should the shareholders of a corporation involved in irresponsible methods of production which is causing this scale of disruption for it's neighbors be allowed complete immunity, forever???

This link is a good indication of why enviornmental and social issues can be left out of the equation when corporations comtemplate the cost of doing business.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/us/15judge.html?ref=us

According to the Office of Surface Mining, Congress considered the issue in 1977 and expressed the nation's policy then by enacting the Surface Mining Act.

The Office of Surface Mining is charged by Congress through Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act section 102 with overseeing state regulation of surface mining and reclamation to balance environmental protection with providing coal for the nation's energy needs.

Don't forget, mountaintop mining provides invaluable jobs to many rural parts of this nation!