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Largest U.S. coal ash pond to close, but future rules still undecided
Largest U.S. coal ash pond to close, but future rules still undecided
Summary: Once a pristine lake with promise of great natural and recreational benefits for nearby communities, Little Blue Run was turned into the nation’s largest coal ash impoundment in 1974, owned and operated by the Ohio-based electricity corporation, FirstEnergy Generation Corp. After decades of pleas and warnings from environmentalists about the hazard of coal ash landfills, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has ordered FirstEnergy to close the pond.
Though environmental groups have long been fighting for better regulations of coal ash, “the U.S. EPA has so far avoided establishing coal-ash-specific regulations,” said Earthjustice attorney Lisa Evans. However, the PA DEP's complaint marks the first time a regulatory agency has taken such stern action on a coal ash pond.
Full Article: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/08/120809-little-blue-run-coal-ash-pond-to-close/"