Dive Into Democracy: Help Protect Communities and Waterways From Toxic Coal Ash
By: Thomas Hynes
In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its proposed federal coal ash rollback rule. Coal ash is toxic waste that poisons our water, air, and communities. This reckless proposal would dismantle current coal ash safeguards, needlessly endanger people, and be a gift to polluters.
Tell EPA to put our health above the profits of polluters!
Coal ash, also known as coal combustion residuals (CCR), is the toxic sludge left behind when coal is burned for electricity. Coal plants in the U.S. still produce around 70 million tons of coal ash annually. This waste contains a dangerous mix of heavy metals, carcinogens, and neurotoxins that threaten human health and the environment, including arsenic, boron, and mercury.
The EPA’s proposed rollback would be a major step backwards as it would:
- Exempt hundreds of toxic coal ash dumps from regulation;
- Grant state agencies and regional EPA offices the authority to deviate from established monitoring and cleanup requirements at the request of the coal industry;
- Increase the amount of cobalt, lithium and lead permitted in coal ash-contaminated water above federal safety standards;
- Permit companies to leave coal ash in dumps even when it is known to be in contact with groundwater;
- Delay the closure and cleanup of more than a hundred legacy coal ash ponds by removing deadlines and allowing permitting authorities to wait years before establishing standards;
- Remove all safety standards for “piles” of coal ash waste no matter how large they are or where they are located; and
- Eliminate restrictions on the use of coal ash as a substitute for clean soil, even in places such as parks, playgrounds, and residential developments, even though heavy metals and radioactive materials in coal ash can pose serious health and environmental harm, particularly for infants and children who are at an increased risk of exposure.
This rollback reverses hardfought progress and endangers public health, particularly for working class families. We must not go backwards on this issue, by allowing the coal industry to contaminate our drinking water with impunity.
Join us in urging EPA to do its job by protecting our communities from toxic coal ash!