Communities to strip mines have been forced to leave their homes because their operations completely annihilate streams and forests, and they cause extensive blasting damages to homes. The pollution from mining and the toxic chemicals used in the preparation of coal for market have been linked to rising asthma rates and other serious respiratory ailments, particularly among children. Slurry dams thick with heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury and lead routinely overflow into watersheds and contaminate drinking water. Fish in neighboring streams are found dead because of these contaminates.