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The Coal Ash Problem. Presented by Earthjustice.
Hundreds of coal power plants burn over a billion tons of coal every year. Coal ash is the toxic byproduct.
Coal ash is filled with toxic levels of multiple pollutants—which can poison drinking water sources.
110 million tons of coal ash generated each year.
Enough to fill train cars stretching from the North Pole to the South Pole.
1,425 coal ash sites in 37 states.
70% of coal ash dumps are located in low-income communities.
Contaminated Sites
Interactive Map
State-by-State
Fact Sheets
More than 200 coal ash sites have contaminated nearby waters. Local communities use these waterways as sources of drinking water.
Living with coal ash
West Virginia (Photos)
Living with coal ash
Nevada (Video)
Coal Ash Pollutants & Health Impacts.Coal Ash Pollutants & Health Impacts.The Biggest Toxic Waste Spill in U.S. History.The Biggest Toxic Waste Spill in U.S. History.
What did the toxic spill look like? (Video)
What's happening to the sludge?
There are 309 High and Significant Hazard Coal Ash Dams.
Download Infographic (PDF)

Related Features

July 23, 2015

Clean Up Coal Ash

Coal ash is the hazardous waste that remains after coal is burned. Dumped into unlined ponds or mines, the toxins from coal ash readily leach into drinking water supplies.

March 6, 2014

A Toxic Inheritance

The nation’s worst coal ash spill was scooped up from a prosperous community and dumped across state lines into the lives of a low-income community. But Alabama's Perry County is fighting back.