EPA's done zip about widespread coal-ash threat

The collapse of an earthen dam that was holding back a billion-gallon coal-ash pond in East Tennessee brought the dangers of the waste into the public discourse. The December spill covered 300 acres, destroyed homes, polluted a water supply and a river. "But what happened in the Volunteer State represents just a small slice of the potential threat from coal ash," reports Kristen Lombardi of The Center of Public Integrity. "In many states — at ponds, landfills, and pits where coal ash gets dumped — a slow seepage of the ash’s metals has poisoned water supplies, damaged ecosystems, and jeopardized citizens’ health." (Billings Gazette photo)

In July 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identified 63 “proven or potential damage cases” in 23 states where coal ash has polluted groundwater and damaged local ecosystems. In some cases contamination has resulted in multimillion dollar payouts to local residents whose drinking water had been contaminated by coal ash. Lombardi writes, "Despite the litany of damage, there’s no meaningful federal regulation of coal ash on the books; indeed, oversight of ash disposal — much of it stunningly casual — is largely left to the states."

According to a 2005 Department of Energy report, the latest data available, "there are 194 landfills and 161 ponds containing coal ash in 47 states," adds Lombardi. There are also an unknown number of abandoned coal mines which are used to store coal ash. The amount of coal ash appears to be increasing as the EPA increases emission standards requiring power companies to capture more particulates and metals.

Despite data that shows that there are 180 ponds and pits containing coal ash that are unlined or partially lined the EPA has yet to "designate coal ash 'hazardous' under federal waste laws — a key designation that triggers strict controls for handling, transporting, and dumping waste: power plants, for instance, would have to use expensive protections such as liners at disposal sites, or regularly monitor groundwater for any leaching," writes Lombardi. EPA analysis has concluded that coal ash sites pose a cancer risk from arsenic at 900 times safe levels. (Read more) To view an view an interactive map of coal-ash sites throughout the country click here.