Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Forty-four coal ash impoundments similar to the Kingston, Tennessee pond that spilled over and poured 1.1 billion gallons of toxic material on to an east Tennessee community, are located around the country and could cause death or disaster to residents living nearby if a similar spill happened. However the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says it will not disclose where those coal ash impoundment ponds are located.

“If these sites are so hazardous and if the neighborhoods nearby could be harmed irreparably, then I believe it is essential to let people know,” said Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, in a letter to three different executive-branch agencies. “In that way, they can press their local authorities who have responsibility for their safety to act now to make the sites safer.”

The EPA, which is now overseeing coal ash ponds around the country, first refused to reveal the sites after an April House committee hearing. Last week, Boxer held a press conference to say that the EPA had once again to refused publicly identify where those impoundment ponds are located.

Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been linked to serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

More than 125 million tons of coal ash combustion waste is produced in power plants in the United States and most of it is stored in dry landfills or above-ground coal slurry ponds. In 2000, that material was classified by the EPA as non-hazardous and thus was exempt from government regulations. Since then, improved pollution controls have kept toxins from leaving smokestacks but have made the coal ash even more dangerous. Yet, the coal ash plants have evaded regulation. The December coal ash spill at Kingston has shown how serious and disastrous a coal ash spill can be. As a result, the EPA is taking steps to regulate the coal ash industry. But critics, like Boxer, say the EPA should be more forthcoming about the information it obtained.

“The public’s right to know about threats in their communities is critically important,” she said.

Source: West Virginia Gazette

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