Fresno Bee - National Study Of Coal Ash Sites Finds Water Contamination Far Worse Than Thought

[hatrack]

EDIT

EIP is a nonpartisan organization that advocates for enforcement of environmental laws. "If people ask, is there a problem EPA should address, this report answers 'yes' with an exclamation mark," said Lisa Evans, an attorney for Earthjustice, an environmental law firm. Evans said that state regulation hasn't protected people living near the waste sites from health problems. Many states have allowed the dumps to be built without adequate liners or monitoring and have done little when contamination was discovered, she said.

Of the 39 sites analyzed, 35 had groundwater monitoring wells on the grounds of the waste disposal area. All of them showed concentration of heavy metals such as arsenic and lead that exceeded federal health standards. The other four had only water monitoring data from rivers or lakes where the waste sites discharged water. Scientists found contamination that damaged aquatic life.

The new report, following a previous study by the environmental groups and EPA's own tally, brings the number of contaminated coal waste sites to 137 in 34 states. Thursday's report specified the amount of arsenic, cadmium, lead, selenium and other pollutants found at each site. The pollutants are linked to cancer, respiratory diseases and other health and developmental problems.

Most states don't require monitoring of drinking water near the waste sites. The study found five sites where monitoring figures were available, and all of them had some contamination. In four, tests showed problems at one or more drinking-water wells. In Joliet, Ill., where the information was too limited for analysis, at least 18 nearby wells were closed because of boron contamination, the report said.

EDIT

http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/26/2055140/study-of-coal-ash-sites-finds.html

[depakid]

1. Unfortunately, none of this is surprising.

[earth mom]

2. There is NO such thing as "clean coal".

Thanks for posting! K & R! :kick:

[TheWraith]

3. Coal is probably the biggest environmental threat to the world today.

Forget oil. It's squeaky-clean in comparison to coal. Everything about coal produces pure filth and toxins, from the mercury runoff to the uranium and thorium released into the air with the smoke, to the acid rain.

[XemaSab]

4. From the Bee of all places

iQue interesante!