Coal Ash | Center for Effective Government

WATCH: Inside A Coal Ash Community That Can't Use Its Tap Water

Jan 26, 2015 by Guest Blogger

When Sherry Gobble gets anxiety, she’s generally not thinking about work or money. She’s thinking about something most Americans rarely consider: her tap water.

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UPDATE: EPA’s New Coal Ash Rule Leaves Communities, Environment at Risk

Jan 8, 2015 by Katie Weatherford

UPDATE (1/8/15): On Dec. 19, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its long-anticipated coal ash rule, addressing the disposal of toxic waste generated by burning coal.

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Another Day, Another Coal Ash Spill

Feb 5, 2014 by Katie Greenhaw

Between 50,000 and 82,000 tons of coal ash have poured into the Dan River from a closed North Carolina coal plant owned by utility company Duke Energy. The spill occurred Sunday afternoon after a stormwater pipe burst beneath a coal ash storage pond.

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Coal Ash Waste Standards Inch Forward, But Industry Opposition Strong

This December will mark the fifth anniversary of a massive spill of coal ash in Tennessee that destroyed three houses and damaged more than 40 others. This event sparked intensified calls for the regulation of coal ash, a waste by-product produced when coal is burned. Federal efforts to deal with the problem of coal ash have progressed slowly, but agency action on the issue may be gaining momentum in light of recent policy developments. Meanwhile, coal industry proponents in Congress are revamping legislative efforts to thwart national protections against coal waste.

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EPA Developing New Standards to Curb Power Plant Water Pollution

Nov 8, 2013 by Justin Santopietro

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently began finalizing a proposed rule to reduce water pollution from coal-fired power plants and their related wastes. These pollutants include lead, mercury, arsenic, selenium, and other dissolved solids, which are harmful to both human health and aquatic life.

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Tennessee Valley Authority Found Responsible for 2008 Coal Ash Disaster

Aug 27, 2012 by Katie Greenhaw

Last week, a federal court held the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the nation's largest public utility, responsible for a massive 2008 coal ash spill near Kingston, TN, that released 5.4 million cubic yards of sludge into the surrounding community. Coal ash can contain arsenic, lead, chromium, and other toxic substances, which many Kingston area residents say contaminated their properties. The decision could provide compensation for many harmed by the spill, but better public protections to prevent these types of spills are still needed.

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Coal Ash Limbo: Groups File Lawsuit to Move EPA While Congress Moves to Restrict Agency Authority

Apr 10, 2012 by Katie Greenhaw

Last week, a coalition of environmental and public health groups filed a lawsuit to compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate the waste created when coal is burned (commonly known as coal ash). Coal ash is disposed of in almost every state, and areas near disposal sites can face increased risks of cancer and other diseases caused by drinking water contamination and exposure to toxins. The suit calls for EPA to set a deadline to adopt federal coal ash protections.

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White House Sidelines the Public in Coal Ash Debate

Apr 2, 2010 by Gary Bass*

On Dec. 22, 2008, an earthen dam holding back a pond of coal ash in Kingston, Tenn., broke, sending 5.4 million cubic yards of toxic goo cascading across the landscape. That's enough to fill the White House from top to bottom 200 times over.

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