Help Prevent More Toxic Coal Ash Spills
On Sunday, February 2nd, thousands of tons of a toxic coal ash (which contains mercury, selenium, arsenic, chromium and other heavy metals) gushed directly into the Dan River near Eden, NC. The massive spill was not caused by a natural disaster but by an antiquated method of storing toxic coal ash waste in unlined ponds. North Carolina is home to more than 30 of these unsafe coal ash ponds.
Coal ash ponds are extremely dangerous and poorly regulated in North Carolina and across the country. The good news is that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is legally required to create new safeguards to protect our waters from toxic coal ash by the end of this year. However, some members of U.S. Congress are trying to keep that from happening.
Massive spills like the one that happened in the Dan River are completely preventable. Tell our U.S. Senators that we need them to stand up for strong, federally enforceable safeguards if we are to avoid another major coal ash spill in North Carolina.
Dear Decision-Makers,
I was extremely disappointed to learn about the massive coal ash spill in the Dan River near Eden, NC. Thousands of tons of toxic coal ash gushed into the river and is threatening water quality and wildlife in North Carolina and Virginia. This spill could've been prevented had Duke Energy been required to implement responsible safeguards for the storage toxic coal ash waste.
The new rules that the EPA is writing for coal ash waste disposal should: prevent the creation of flawed ponds like the one at the retired Dan River Power Plant; ensure that coal ash waste be stored in dry, lined landfills away from rivers and drinking water sources; and require that the regulations are federally enforceable.
[Your comments here]
We cannot allow any more coal ash waste disasters to happen in North Carolina or across the country. Please reject any legislative attempts to prevent the EPA from creating a coal ash rule, and demand strong, federally enforceable safeguards to keep our water clean.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
