A group of scientists says dozens of studies on mountaintop removal mining point to one conclusion: The practice must be stopped. In today’s issue of the journal Science, 12 scientists from Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia argue the ecological impacts are pervasive and irreversible. Margaret Palmer, of the University of Maryland, says there is no evidence that reclamation works. Rather, she says, mountaintop mining destroys forests and streams that can never be replaced, threatening both aqua tic life and human health. Duke University’s Emily Bernhardt says federal regulators should view the body of scientific evidence collectively and adopt a holistic approach to mining, rather than focusing on individual contaminants.