Mountaintop removal mining opponents say they're planning to take their demonstrations to the nation's capital.

Organizers says the aim of planned September 27 activities in Washington, D.C. is to prod the Obama administration into banning mountaintop mining. They intend to announce the event at a press conference Tuesday at the West Virginia Capitol in Charleston.

The highly efficient practice uses explosives and massive equipment to blast and scrape away mountaintops to expose multiple layers of coal. While operators are supposed to rebuild the mountain, not all the material fits and excess rock is used to fill valleys.

Mine operators say that supports thousands of high-paying jobs in Appalachia. Opponents say it's simply too destructive to the environment and Appalachian lifestyle.

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