Utility companies are dumping more coal ash than ever into impoundments, with plants in the South dumping the highest amount, according to an Environmental Integrity Project analysis published last week, Sue Sturgis of The Institute for Southern Studies reports. Researchers said they based their findings on the most recent data from the Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory.
Impoundments are often located in rural areas and the ash they contain is laced with toxic materials. EIP found 9 percent more ash was put into impoundments in 2010 than in 2007, despite the recession, and 20 plants were responsible for more than half of it. Of those, 10 are in the South. An impoundment at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston plant in East Tennessee blew in 2008, sending billions of gallons of ash into a nearby subdivision and rivers. (Knoxville News-Sentinel photo by Clay Owen) EPA considered designated coal ash a hazardous waste, but backed off after lobbying by electric companies. (Read more)
No comments:
Post a Comment