Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Coal ash spill in Tennessee
In states where coal is vital to electricity production, resulting in huge quantities of coal ash left to be disposed somewhere, businesses have looked for new ways to get rid of the toxic material. These solutions have included adding coal ash to building materials, public landfills and even farmland—even though the ash contains toxins such as arsenic, chromium and lead.
Use of coal ash in construction has already prompted concerns, thanks to discoveries of the material in Chinese-made drywall sold in the United States. Homes built with this drywall have exposed occupants to noxious chemicals, and prompted the Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate drywall products from China.
Also, the use of coal ash as a substitute for landfill dirt is alarming public health officials and environmentalists because of the potential to contaminate groundwater supplies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering adopting new regulations that might limit the use of coal ash in fills.
In 2008, coal-fired power plants produced 136 million tons of ash, of which 60 million (or 44%) was recycled, according to statistics published the American Coal Ash Association.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Dumpsites in Disguise (by Sue Sturgis, Facing South)
Unlined Landfills (Sierra Club, North Carolina Chapter) (pdf)
2008 Coal Combustion Product (CCP) Production & Use Survey Report (American Coal Ash Association) (pdf)
Did Virginia Company’s Coal Ash Cause Birth Defects in Dominican Republic? (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
TVA Failed to Investigate Practices That Led to Kingston Spill (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
EPA Finally Releases List of Dangerous Coal Ash Sites (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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