Well, it ain't.
Classic valley fill. Explosives are used to pulverize the mountaintop down to the coal seams. The overburden is pushed into adjacent stream valleys. Fish species already adversely affected or threatened include the mottled sculpin, fantail darter, roseyside dace, longnose dace, brook trout, and the blacknose dace.
Threatened and endangered reptiles and amphibians include the green salamander, the Santeetlah dusky salamander, the Junaluska salamander, the Tennessee cave salamander, the Bog turtle, and the hellbender, North America's largest amphibian.
The EPA says the mine operators are legally responsible for restoring MTR sites after operations cease. Here's one example of a 'restored' mountain.
And maybe add this to your Netflix cue: THE LAST MOUNTAIN
These folks are fighting the fight peacefully. This is last year's march on Blair Mountain: