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Coal Ash is Hazardous Waste and Must Be Regulated Now
Target: President Barack Obama
Sponsored by: Earthjustice
Sponsored by: Earthjustice
Coal ash is one of our nation's most common waste products. Nearly 600 coal ash ponds in 35 states and hundreds of landfills hold enough coal ash to flow continuously over Niagara Falls for more than three days straight.
Last year, a coal ash pond in Tennessee burst through a poorly constructed dam, sending 1 billion gallons of toxic ash over 300 acres. The spill damaged homes and poisoned rivers and water supplies. Yet right now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says they are at least 48 other coal ash sites that could pose a similar threat of catastrophic collapse!
Despite the known threat to our health and environment, coal ash dumps remain unregulated by the EPA -- and coal and power industry lobbyists are using all their might to misinform and misguide federal regulators.
Fortunately, we have the opportunity to finally regulate one of our nation's biggest toxic threats. Urge President Obama to regulate coal ash as a hazardous waste and use the full extent of the law to protect our health and environment.
Last year, a coal ash pond in Tennessee burst through a poorly constructed dam, sending 1 billion gallons of toxic ash over 300 acres. The spill damaged homes and poisoned rivers and water supplies. Yet right now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says they are at least 48 other coal ash sites that could pose a similar threat of catastrophic collapse!
Despite the known threat to our health and environment, coal ash dumps remain unregulated by the EPA -- and coal and power industry lobbyists are using all their might to misinform and misguide federal regulators.
Fortunately, we have the opportunity to finally regulate one of our nation's biggest toxic threats. Urge President Obama to regulate coal ash as a hazardous waste and use the full extent of the law to protect our health and environment.
Send Letter see who signed this
We took action on “Coal Ash is Hazardous Waste and Must Be Regulated Now”!
# 9,437:
5:23 pm PDT, Mar 21,
Florence Bradford, California
# 9,436:
1:38 am PDT, Mar 20,
Patricia Fugate, Kentucky
# 9,435:
6:54 am PDT, Mar 19,
B. Gottlieb, Maryland
Because it contains arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, vanadium. Because storage systems are inadequate -- these toxic wastes leach into communities' water systems. Because it IS toxic. And the volume of the problem is huge.
Because it contains arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, vanadium. Because storage systems are inadequate -- these toxic wastes leach into communities' water systems. Because it IS toxic. And the volume of the problem is huge.
# 9,434:
5:38 am PDT, Mar 19,
Jeanette Steffi Gahid, Philippines
# 9,433:
9:10 pm PDT, Mar 18,
Cindy Andersen, Illinois
# 9,432:
5:07 pm PDT, Mar 18,
Toni Stein, California
Coal Ash has heavy metals in it and it is presently not being tested for the concentrations and is not properly regulated to protect public health. It is being used without checking the toxicity in schools where there are developing children. This is irresponsible of you not to regulate it properly like all other generated wastes. What about it justifies it being exempt?? Is it the BIG COAL funding that gives it this justification. This is counter to children's health protection. keep it out of our schools and homes unless it has been tested batch by batch. it needs to be safe for use if you are going to allow it to be considered non-hazardous. You need to be accountable for the damage you bring to our children and our citizens that are not able to to the testing that the generators should do if they want it to enter the marketplace.
Coal Ash has heavy metals in it and it is presently not being tested for the concentrations and is not properly regulated to protect public health. It is being used without checking the toxicity in schools where there are developing children. This is irresponsible of you not to regulate it properly like all other generated wastes. What about it justifies it being exempt?? Is it the BIG COAL funding that gives it this justification. This is counter to children's health protection. keep it out of our schools and homes unless it has been tested batch by batch. it needs to be safe for use if you are going to allow it to be considered non-hazardous. You need to be accountable for the damage you bring to our children and our citizens that are not able to to the testing that the generators should do if they want it to enter the marketplace.
# 9,431:
10:31 am PDT, Mar 18,
Olga Astapova, Russian Federation
# 9,430:
6:44 pm PDT, Mar 17,
Jean Teach, Washington
# 9,429:
2:10 pm PDT, Mar 17,
Name not displayed, Illinois
Do NOT put business interests ahead of the safety and health of citizens and children. Everyone is watching... show this country that you care about the health of its citizens more than the bottom line of certain industrial interests.
Do NOT put business interests ahead of the safety and health of citizens and children. Everyone is watching... show this country that you care about the health of its citizens more than the bottom line of certain industrial interests.
# 9,428:
11:26 am PDT, Mar 17,
Tiffany Von Higgins, New York
# 9,427:
11:03 am PDT, Mar 17,
Maho Masuda, Sweden
# 9,426:
7:06 am PDT, Mar 17,
BRANDON GUERRERO, Washington
# 9,425:
6:05 am PDT, Mar 17,
Teri Blanton, Kentucky
Studies have shown that exposure to coal ash runoff is hazardous to peoples health. The power industry has externalized their cost for too long on to the tax payers of this Nation. They must pay the true cost of coal before renewable s have a chance to compete.
Studies have shown that exposure to coal ash runoff is hazardous to peoples health. The power industry has externalized their cost for too long on to the tax payers of this Nation. They must pay the true cost of coal before renewable s have a chance to compete.
# 9,424:
9:10 pm PDT, Mar 16,
Name not displayed, Texas
# 9,423:
7:03 pm PDT, Mar 16,
Luz Rivera, Oklahoma
# 9,422:
2:41 pm PDT, Mar 15,
James Berk, New York
# 9,421:
11:27 am PDT, Mar 15,
Sam Flenner, Indiana
Dear President Obama, Indiana has a CCW Superfund site dating back 10 years with little solace for th residents in the town of Pines (pop. 800). Along with not being able to drink or bathe in their water, there here are "hotspots of radioactivity well above normal limits where CCW was dumped landscape-filled as so-clled "beneficial use". Industry advertises that CCW is no more rdioactive than dirt. Plase visit the Pines and see for yourself. Indiana also is tied for the national lead for the number of "proven damage cases from CCW with 9. There is nothing in Indiana's laws that will prevent this scenario from being repeated time and again. These voluntary Subtitle D standards (or lack thereof) are what Sen. Bayh has written to you claiming that all is ok and Subtitle C are not needed. We are glad Sen. Bayh is retiring so he is no longer around to perpetuate these lies about CCW>.
Dear President Obama, Indiana has a CCW Superfund site dating back 10 years with little solace for th residents in the town of Pines (pop. 800). Along with not being able to drink or bathe in their water, there here are "hotspots of radioactivity well above normal limits where CCW was dumped landscape-filled as so-clled "beneficial use". Industry advertises that CCW is no more rdioactive than dirt. Plase visit the Pines and see for yourself. Indiana also is tied for the national lead for the number of "proven damage cases from CCW with 9. There is nothing in Indiana's laws that will prevent this scenario from being repeated time and again. These voluntary Subtitle D standards (or lack thereof) are what Sen. Bayh has written to you claiming that all is ok and Subtitle C are not needed. We are glad Sen. Bayh is retiring so he is no longer around to perpetuate these lies about CCW>.
# 9,420:
11:23 am PDT, Mar 15,
Gloria Griffith, Tennessee
# 9,418:
10:06 am PDT, Mar 14,
Mary Birch, California
# 9,417:
9:22 am PDT, Mar 14,
Michael Moros, Massachusetts
My family has a home in eastern Massachusetts -- on Cape Cod. Often we find ash -- large black particles -- that I believe are coming from a coal-fired power plant to our west, perhaps in Plymouth, Mass. I do not know if the ash has mercury in it, but is very likely. I think we need tougher regulations on burning coal. At the minimum, we need to regulate the emissions. Coal ash affects many people in this country; the more we burn, the worse the problem. As the prevailing winds are from west to east (or often the south-southwest given the huge anthropomorphic influence) the northeast is most affected. This is a huge population and it is a huge problem. Mercury is extremely toxic. I don't eat fish. For one reason mercury bio-accumulates in fish, especially in fish that eat other fish such as swordfish. But I do not want it contaminating my drinking water. On Cape Cod, drinking-water is generally derived from groundwater because there are no large rivers to speak of. Often water is supplied locally by a town well. If the black ash that I find on my picnic table is being carried by the wind from a coal fired-plant, it also falling on the recharge area for the town's well. I favor regulations that require filters to prevent mercury laden ash traveling down wind and reducing the use of coal. Perhaps the coal ash is being allowed into the atmosphere – instead of being captured with filters -- because it is believed that it will blow east out over the Atlantic. I wish this were the case, but a good deal is falling on the lands of Cape Cod! Removing the coal ash from the airborne emissions is essential. Then to prevent a disaster like that which occurred in Tennessee, a productive use must be found to put this waste to beneficial use. I suggest that the mercury – probably the most toxic substance in the coal ash – be recovered and used to make consumer goods such as thermometers. Many people are opposed to distributing products containing mercury to the general public and want to see them outlawed. But as intelligent beings we must do what we can to control our environment. Leaving mercury laden ash in lagoons is irresponsible. We need to educate the public on proper disposal of hazardous wastes, such as broken thermometers. This may sound like I am going in many directions with my argument, but the basic problem is that burning coal produces toxic ash. If we burn a lot of coal, we get a lot of ash. If we capture the ash at the site of the burning we prevent it from going into the atmosphere and thus prevent the toxins from scattering over the land and contaminating it. The question then becomes: “What to do with the ash?” I propose that chemists analyze the ash and then find ways to separate the various elements and/or compounds and put them to beneficial economic use. Thermometers was just one of many possibilities. We need to filter ash from coal emissions, but we can’t just allow piles of toxic ash to accumulate. We must produce things – perhaps consumer goods or goods used by the government or business – that put the otherwise toxic elements and compounds to beneficial use in a responsible way. Finally, when we see all the additional steps required, burning coal may not seem so cheap. But when the profits from the new uses of the byproducts are figured into the equation, perhaps the bottom line can be balanced. Thank you
My family has a home in eastern Massachusetts -- on Cape Cod. Often we find ash -- large black particles -- that I believe are coming from a coal-fired power plant to our west, perhaps in Plymouth, Mass. I do not know if the ash has mercury in it, but is very likely. I think we need tougher regulations on burning coal. At the minimum, we need to regulate the emissions. Coal ash affects many people in this country; the more we burn, the worse the problem. As the prevailing winds are from west to east (or often the south-southwest given the huge anthropomorphic influence) the northeast is most affected. This is a huge population and it is a huge problem. Mercury is extremely toxic. I don't eat fish. For one reason mercury bio-accumulates in fish, especially in fish that eat other fish such as swordfish. But I do not want it contaminating my drinking water. On Cape Cod, drinking-water is generally derived from groundwater because there are no large rivers to speak of. Often water is supplied locally by a town well. If the black ash that I find on my picnic table is being carried by the wind from a coal fired-plant, it also falling on the recharge area for the town's well. I favor regulations that require filters to prevent mercury laden ash traveling down wind and reducing the use of coal. Perhaps the coal ash is being allowed into the atmosphere – instead of being captured with filters -- because it is believed that it will blow east out over the Atlantic. I wish this were the case, but a good deal is falling on the lands of Cape Cod! Removing the coal ash from the airborne emissions is essential. Then to prevent a disaster like that which occurred in Tennessee, a productive use must be found to put this waste to beneficial use. I suggest that the mercury – probably the most toxic substance in the coal ash – be recovered and used to make consumer goods such as thermometers. Many people are opposed to distributing products containing mercury to the general public and want to see them outlawed. But as intelligent beings we must do what we can to control our environment. Leaving mercury laden ash in lagoons is irresponsible. We need to educate the public on proper disposal of hazardous wastes, such as broken thermometers. This may sound like I am going in many directions with my argument, but the basic problem is that burning coal produces toxic ash. If we burn a lot of coal, we get a lot of ash. If we capture the ash at the site of the burning we prevent it from going into the atmosphere and thus prevent the toxins from scattering over the land and contaminating it. The question then becomes: “What to do with the ash?” I propose that chemists analyze the ash and then find ways to separate the various elements and/or compounds and put them to beneficial economic use. Thermometers was just one of many possibilities. We need to filter ash from coal emissions, but we can’t just allow piles of toxic ash to accumulate. We must produce things – perhaps consumer goods or goods used by the government or business – that put the otherwise toxic elements and compounds to beneficial use in a responsible way. Finally, when we see all the additional steps required, burning coal may not seem so cheap. But when the profits from the new uses of the byproducts are figured into the equation, perhaps the bottom line can be balanced. Thank you
# 9,416:
6:14 am PDT, Mar 14,
Victoria Orlova, Russian Federation
# 9,415:
8:49 pm PST, Mar 12,
Karin Rettig, California
# 9,414:
12:03 pm PST, Mar 12,
Carmen Armillas, Illinois
# 9,413:
8:23 pm PST, Mar 11,
Anita Gratton, Connecticut
# 9,412:
4:26 pm PST, Mar 11,
Lawrence Walker, Massachusetts
# 9,411:
3:23 pm PST, Mar 11,
Jacqueline Robinson, Georgia
# 9,410:
3:11 pm PST, Mar 11,
Chelsea Saada, New Jersey
# 9,409:
11:26 pm PST, Mar 10,
Pat Kennedy, California
# 9,408:
5:27 am PST, Mar 10,
VIER E va, France
# 9,407:
3:36 am PST, Mar 10,
Laurel Watson, Arizona
# 9,406:
3:31 am PST, Mar 10,
Lizza Reed, California
# 9,405:
10:12 pm PST, Mar 9,
Kris Sieger, Colorado
Forcing upon these big polluters more strong regulations will not only save lives but eventually save huge amounts of money by, among many other results, stimulating growth of cheaper, renewable energy generation. The technology is with us now, Don't let Earth or the human race suffer because of greedy business literally blocking science for more profit and security. These centuries old business practices are designed to exploit Earth and kill the opposition (people). There are many examples, some are even called "accidents".
Forcing upon these big polluters more strong regulations will not only save lives but eventually save huge amounts of money by, among many other results, stimulating growth of cheaper, renewable energy generation. The technology is with us now, Don't let Earth or the human race suffer because of greedy business literally blocking science for more profit and security. These centuries old business practices are designed to exploit Earth and kill the opposition (people). There are many examples, some are even called "accidents".
# 9,404:
9:20 pm PST, Mar 9,
Kenneth Molinkiewicz, Arizona
# 9,403:
11:20 am PST, Mar 9,
Teressa Penney, Massachusetts
# 9,402:
6:03 pm PST, Mar 8,
Thomas Policastro, New Jersey
# 9,401:
12:24 pm PST, Mar 8,
Kathy Fletcher, Washington
