there's no cell signal here - its kayford mountain - and we're meeting a formal federal regulator jack spadaro. for decades, jack's remit was to inspect mines and coal dams. during that time, he helped write many of the laws that govern surface mining in the us - including the surface mining act of 1977. now he's a whistleblower. he claims that the coal industry has cultivated a culture of lax environmental regulation and enforcement over the past few decades. >> we're finding tens of thousands of adverse discharges that are not in compliance with the clean water act yet the state of west virginia issued the permit and then fails to enforce the law after the permit has begun. they could comply with the law it's still quite possible to make a substantial profit and stay in compliance with the law. what they're doing is ignoring the law because they can increase their profits >> you're making the argument that the laws are on the books to make it safer but they're not enforced... why aren't they enforced? >> they aren't enforced because of the enormous power of the mining industry in a state lik