Legal Fight For Long Overdue Coal Ash Protections

A cloud of highly toxic coal ash is seen blowing like a sandstorm straight at the homes on the Moapa River Reservation. (Photo by Moapa Band of Paiutes)

A cloud of highly toxic coal ash is seen blowing like a sandstorm straight at the homes on the Moapa River Reservation. (Photo by Moapa Band of Paiutes)

Every day, power plants generate over 400,000 tons of toxic coal ash. Most of this waste, which is filled with arsenic, mercury, lead, selenium, cadmium and other pollutants that cause cancer and more, is simply dumped into unlined and unmonitored landfills and ponds.

There are more than 600 unregulated coal ash dumps across America; 186 of these sites have had proven contamination at nearby aquifers, rivers, lakes, streams and creeks. Despite the dangers to local communities that drink this contaminated water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has still not adopted any federal safeguards to protect human health and the environment.

On behalf of 11 national and local environmental and public health groups, Earthjustice is suing the federal government to set a deadline to adopt federal coal ash protections.