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Regulate Harmful Coal Ash Waste

Target: Stephen L. Johnson, EPA Administrator
Sponsored by: Care2

A coal ash waste dumping pond in Tennessee ruptured in December, unleashing toxic substances known to cause cancer, birth defects and other health problems. But the EPA is not doing anything to regulate it! As a result of the spill, 1 billion gallons of sludge containing the heavy metals arsenic, lead, mercury and selenium were leaked into the Emory River.

Coal ash waste isn't just detrimental to people. It is also responsible for diminishing populations of birds and frogs near dumping areas. The remaining animals are at risk of developmental problems, like tadpoles without teeth and fish with deformed spines.

What's more, coal ash is recyclable. It can act as cement for concrete or as a base for roads, making it useful and non-harmful. But the recycling process would need to be closely monitored to ensure no harm to humans or the environment.

Tell the EPA to regulate coal ash waste that threatens water supplies and human health. It's their job.

deadline: 1-7-2010
goal: 10,000

12,970
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Dear EPA Administrator,

Coal ash waste is full of toxic substances and heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and selenium that are known to cause cancer and birth defects as well as other health problems. And in light of Tennessee's recent rupture of a coal ash waste pond, I ask that you immediately begin regulating coal ash waste.

From December's toxic spill, 1 billion gallons of sludge containing harmful byproducts of burning coal were unleashed into the Emory River. People are not the only ones affected by coal ash waste; bird and frog populations in range coal waste dumping areas are diminishing and suffering from developmental problems.

It is your job to regulate chemicals and protect human health by safeguarding the natural environment. And even though coal ash is proven harmful to people and the environment, it still goes unregulated. There are more than 1,300 dump sites similar to the one that failed in Tennessee, putting innumerable areas in danger.

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Sincerely,
[Your name here]

We took action on “Regulate Harmful Coal Ash Waste”!

# 12,975:

8:13 pm PST, Jan 7, Jennifer Lay, Canada
Furthermore, spreading the ash on agricultural fields, and letting it reach waterways, may pose as-yet-unknown dangers to our health, as the toxic substances and heavy metals contaminate the foods we eat and the water whose purity we depend on.

# 12,974:

7:55 pm PST, Jan 6, Ashley Hay, New York

# 12,973:

7:13 pm PST, Jan 6, Judy Black, California

# 12,972:

4:20 pm PST, Jan 6, Melanie Abrams, Massachusetts

# 12,971:

2:56 pm PST, Jan 6, RuthAnne Dayton, California

# 12,970:

6:51 am PST, Jan 6, Judy Frank, Pennsylvania

# 12,969:

5:09 am PST, Jan 6, William Ridgeway, Pennsylvania

# 12,968:

8:59 am PST, Jan 5, Helen Chieco, Texas

# 12,967:

8:54 am PST, Jan 5, Name not displayed, Pennsylvania

# 12,966:

7:37 am PST, Jan 5, Name not displayed, Texas

# 12,965:

2:54 am PST, Jan 5, Georgia Karagianni, Florida

# 12,964:

6:41 pm PST, Jan 4, Mandy Beltz, Texas

# 12,963:

8:07 am PST, Jan 4, Frank Baker, New Jersey

# 12,962:

7:48 am PST, Jan 4, VINCENT ZABALY, California

# 12,961:

5:01 am PST, Jan 4, Barbara Tse, Arizona

# 12,960:

10:59 pm PST, Jan 3, Gabriel Michael Orrico, New Jersey

# 12,959:

12:53 pm PST, Jan 3, Ruth Martin, Spain

# 12,958:

11:55 am PST, Jan 3, Karen Campbell, California

# 12,957:

9:54 am PST, Jan 3, Yudhish Attanayake, Sri Lanka

# 12,956:

8:28 pm PST, Jan 2, Isis MorningStar, California

# 12,955:

6:41 pm PST, Jan 2, Aiken O'Riley, Tennessee

# 12,954:

5:34 pm PST, Jan 2, William Swinney, New Mexico

# 12,953:

12:04 pm PST, Jan 2, Karin Rettig, California

# 12,952:

11:15 am PST, Jan 2, Clayton Ellis, Georgia

# 12,951:

5:13 am PST, Jan 2, Brie Bourn, New Hampshire

# 12,950:

2:38 am PST, Jan 2, Sara Young, West Virginia

# 12,949:

12:19 am PST, Jan 2, Carla Gibb, California

# 12,948:

11:42 pm PST, Jan 1, Aliyah San andres, California

# 12,947:

5:56 pm PST, Jan 1, Jim Nguyen, California

# 12,946:

3:43 pm PST, Jan 1, Alison Ridgeway, Washington

# 12,945:

2:58 pm PST, Jan 1, Faithann Ortlieb, Tennessee

# 12,944:

2:13 pm PST, Jan 1, Patricia Miceli, New York

# 12,943:

1:24 pm PST, Jan 1, Nancy Alexander, Virginia

# 12,942:

12:14 pm PST, Jan 1, Amanda Benson, Iowa

# 12,941:

2:33 am PST, Jan 1, Robert & Carmen Santaigo, Washington

# 12,940:

8:52 pm PST, Dec 31, Lynda Pope, Florida

# 12,939:

8:51 pm PST, Dec 31, Christien Cardona, Massachusetts

# 12,938:

8:47 pm PST, Dec 31, Name not displayed, Philippines

# 12,937:

4:41 pm PST, Dec 31, Barbara Marquart, Wisconsin

# 12,936:

12:31 pm PST, Dec 31, Erin Devine, Pennsylvania

# 12,935:

12:24 pm PST, Dec 31, Courtney Lewis, Alaska

# 12,934:

11:57 am PST, Dec 31, CaroleNoEmails NO EMAILS, United Kingdom

# 12,933:

10:11 am PST, Dec 31, Sally Tinkham, New Hampshire

# 12,932:

7:41 am PST, Dec 31, Nancy Davis, Ohio
Talk to the residents of Carroll County Ohio, if you question the adverse health impact and long term residual effects.

# 12,931:

7:38 am PST, Dec 31, Christopher Lee, Illinois

# 12,930:

7:14 am PST, Dec 31, Kim Chaudoir, Illinois

# 12,929:

6:04 am PST, Dec 31, Sheila Behounek, Maine

# 12,928:

5:21 am PST, Dec 31, Lauren Verruni, Pennsylvania

# 12,927:

6:42 pm PST, Dec 30, Katherine Bradley, Rhode Island

# 12,926:

6:01 pm PST, Dec 30, Ceci M M, Florida

# 12,925:

3:43 pm PST, Dec 30, Peter Scott, Indiana

# 12,924:

3:07 pm PST, Dec 30, Name not displayed, Illinois

# 12,923:

1:57 pm PST, Dec 30, Barbara Beck, California

# 12,922:

12:25 pm PST, Dec 30, Kathy Orten, Illinois

# 12,921:

11:56 am PST, Dec 30, Georgia Dodsworth, United Kingdom

# 12,920:

8:25 am PST, Dec 30, Matteo Boldreghini, Italy

# 12,919:

6:20 am PST, Dec 30, James Facette, Ohio
Yes, by all means, regulate the coal ash waste, but stop the electricity generation at the coal-fired plants too (first?).

# 12,918:

11:07 pm PST, Dec 29, Susan Yeske, Mississippi
EPA do your job! Protect the ENVIRONMENT not the coal companies' profits!

# 12,917:

7:01 pm PST, Dec 29, Whitney Minner, Pennsylvania

# 12,916:

6:21 pm PST, Dec 29, Deirdre Brownell, California

# 12,915:

3:20 pm PST, Dec 29, Stephanie Perdew, Florida

# 12,914:

11:20 am PST, Dec 29, Jessica Wheeler, California
Keep heavy metals out of our environment and out of cement for foundations. These leach out and are detrimental to human health.

# 12,913:

11:19 am PST, Dec 29, Martha Stopa, Illinois

# 12,912:

10:03 am PST, Dec 29, Name not displayed, Canada

# 12,911:

9:21 am PST, Dec 29, Cassandra Church, Vermont
HELP!!!!!!

# 12,910:

9:09 am PST, Dec 29, Marge Mccleary, Pennsylvania

# 12,909:

8:39 am PST, Dec 29, Carlotta Fried, Virginia

# 12,908:

6:12 am PST, Dec 29, Jory Froggatt, North Carolina

# 12,907:

5:04 am PST, Dec 29, Korrine Allen, South Carolina

# 12,906:

3:42 am PST, Dec 29, Rosalyn Hamblett, United Kingdom

# 12,905:

10:07 pm PST, Dec 28, Christine Park, Tennessee

# 12,904:

9:00 pm PST, Dec 28, Amy Burns, Arizona

# 12,903:

8:22 pm PST, Dec 28, Tammy Minion, California

# 12,902:

6:44 pm PST, Dec 28, Lori Mastriani, Indiana

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Regulate Harmful Coal Ash Waste

This petition has been closed.