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Living withLies & Coal Ash
The Little Blue Run coal ash impoundment is the largest unlined coal ash pond in the country, spanning two states and bordering a third. Next to the impoundment, residents are living with gushing leaks of contaminated water.
An Ill Wind
"You flip on a light switch.
That power is not coming from that light switch—that power is generated somewhere else. And it impacts people."
The Moapa River Indian Reservation, tribal home of a band of Paiute Indians, sits about 30 miles north of Las Vegas—and about 300 yards from the coal ash landfills of the Reid Gardner Power Station.
Fighting Back Against Coal Ash
On World Water Day in 2012, residents of Asheville, North Carolina came together to protect their waters from coal ash. The toxic stew of pollutants that can cause birth defects, cancer and organ damage, has already polluted many waterways.
Video: 180 Seconds of Coal Ash Problems
Cases: Current Related Litigation
Legal Fight For Long Overdue Coal Ash Protections
Earthjustice is representing 11 environmental and public health groups in a lawsuit to force the U.S. EPA to complete its rulemaking process and finalize public health safeguards against toxic coal ash.
Case Details | Complaint | Press Release | Blog Post
Toxic Coal Ash Problem at Colstrip in Montana
Earthjustice filed an appeal with Montana’s Board of Environmental Review on behalf of conservation groups, claiming that the state is doing little to nothing to address decades of groundwater pollution from Colstrip’s waste tailings ponds. Sludge ponds holding toxic coal ash waste from the Colstrip power plant were first discovered to be leaking nearly a decade ago.
Maps: Is Coal Ash Close to Home?
Coal ash disposal sites may be closer than you realize. Explore fact sheets by state and known cases of contamination and spills.
State Fact Sheets on Coal Ash
In response to FOIA requests, EPA has revealed the existence of more than 1,000 coal ash dump sites across the country. Find out where they are.
Coal Ash-Contaminated Sites
Across the country, there have been nearly 200 documented cases of coal ash pond failures and water contamination. Find out where they've occurred.
Threats to Our Health: Coal Ash is Toxic
Coal ash commonly contains some of the world’s deadliest toxicants that can cause cancer and neurological damage.
Health Impacts of
Coal Ash Contaminants
The toxic pollutants in coal ash have the potential to injure all major organ systems, damage physical health and development—and contribute to mortality.
Toxic Metals in Coal Ash
Current methods of coal ash disposal often lead to contaminated drinking water— and the differences in toxic metal concentration amounts between safe drinking water and coal ash are staggering.
Photo Essays: Living With Coal Ash
Everyday, communities across the United States are bearing the true impacts of toxic coal ash pollution. See some of their stories:
Nevada: Moapa River Indian Reservation
The tribal home of a band of Paiute Indians sits about 30 miles north of Las Vegas—and about 300 yards from the coal ash landfills of the Reid Gardner Power Station.
West Virginia: Chester and Lawrenceville
The Little Blue Run coal ash impoundment is the largest unlined coal ash pond in the country, spanning two states (West Virginia and Pennsylvania) and bordering a third (Ohio).
The Fight For Coal Ash Regulation
No federal standards exist to regulate how coal ash is disposed or recycled. Follow Earthjustice's ongoing work for federally enforceable safeguards in the series, Tr-Ash Talk.
EPA's Proposal for Coal Ash Disposal & Earthjustice's Comments
Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals
In 2010, the EPA proposed the first ever federal regulation of coal ash. The agency proposed two options: one offers a groundbreaking solution to closing and monitoring leaking toxic coal ash dumps, while the other perpetuates the status quo.
EPA has yet to act on the final rule.
Final Comments on EPA's Proposed Rule
In a 230-page comment letter to the EPA, Earthjustice and its partners clearly demonstrated that the EPA must choose the option to regulate coal ash as a "special waste" under subtitle C, with federally enforceable minimum standards applicable in every state.
In Congress: Legislation Against Coal Ash Safeguards
H.R. 2218
Introduced by Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), H.R. 2218 endangers public health and the safety of thousands of communities by subverting the EPA’s ability to set federally enforceable safeguards for coal ash pollution.
Hundreds of coal ash sites have already poisoned waters, yet H.R. 2218 would allow power companies to continue dumping toxic coal ash into unlined and unmonitored landfills and ponds.
- Bill Summary & Status
- Press Release: New Legislation Subverts Protections from Toxic Coal Ash
- Fact Sheet: CRRM Deficiencies in H.R. 2218
S. 3512
This dangerous bill would have permanently prohibited the EPA from ever setting federal coal ash protections, posing a significant threat to communities living near coal ash sites.
S. 3512 is bad for jobs, the economy and recycling. Although the bill purports to support recycling and jobs, it actually hurts both. See how.
- Bill Summary & Status
- Tr-Ash Talk: A Dangerous Trojan Horse
- Fact Sheet: Senate Bill Threatens Public Safety
Analysis: Four Coal Ash Regulatory Schemes
Comparison of Coal Ash Regulation under Four Regulatory Schemes
A comparison chart analyzes the presence or absence of regulatory requirements under four different regulatory schemes:
1. EPA's proposed subtitle C (special waste) rule;
2. EPA's proposed subtitle D (nonhazardous waste) rule;
3. H.R. 2273 / S. 1751; and
4. S. 3512.
Reports on Coal Ash
Analysis from Earthjustice and its partners have documented the growing public health threat from coal ash:
How States Fail To Protect Our Health And Drinking Water From Toxic Coal Ash
An exhaustive review of state regulations in 37 states, which together comprise over 98% of all coal ash generated nationally.
Hexavalent Chromium
in Coal Ash
Leaking coal ash sites across the country are documented sites for hexavalent chromium—a toxic carcinogen— contamination in groundwater.
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