Surface mining, also called strip mining, removes coal from the surface instead of underground and poses more potential damage to the land. It started in West Virginia in 1916 and grew during the world wars with better machines and roads. By 1947, it produced 18.4 million tons of coal a year. Concerns about damage led to laws to protect the environment.

In the 1990s, mountaintop removal became common, flattening mountains to reach coal but causing more destruction.

Some activists and politicians, such as Jay Rockefeller, wanted to ban it, but opinions were divided. By 2021, surface mining production had dropped annually to 10.3 million tons, mostly in southern West Virginia.