"The Filthy Fifteen" States With Most Dangerous Coal Ash

In the wake of the December 22 disastrous spill of toxic coal ash into a Tennessee River -- into and over houses, leaving sludge behind that the Tennessee Valley Authority simultaneously said wasn't dangerous and that should be avoided at all costs, we wondered where else we should be worried about coal ash sitting around, waiting to be dumped on neighbors.

The Natural Resource Defense Council is thinking further ahead, coming up with a state-by-state threat report, based on where new coal plants and coal ash storage is planned. It features what they call "The Filthy Fifteen:"

1. Texas
2. South Dakota
3. Florida
4. Nevada
5. Montana
6. Illinois
7. South Carolina
8. Ohio
9. Wyoming
10. Michigan
11. Kentucky
12. Missouri
13. Wisconsin
14. Georgia
15. West Virginia

See all of the stats and details for these states and more at the NRDC's site. As they put it:

More than 80 new coal-fired power plants have been proposed around the country. If built, the plants would produce 18 million tons of coal waste per year, contaminated by over 18 thousand tons of toxic metals. Over the course of their operating lives, these new power plants would produce approximately a billion tons of coal waste containing a million tons of toxic metals.

Comments

[FormerReaganite]

Here is a good analysis of how much coal we burn in the U.S.
http://burningissues.org/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=6658#6658

[Judyisacutie]

No wonder the full moon looks brown down south.

[MJinCanada]

6000 homes in Seville, Spain, are powered by a solar generating tower. It's kind of pretty, in a futuristic functional kind of way.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6616651.stm

[mick7191]

Very, very cool.

[katekid]

yep

[SonofLiberty1]

Yes coal is dirty but we get 1/2 of our power from it. Solar and Wind can be generated but it's going to take something called TIME to develop it.

One good step in that direction is to make sure that we don't try to put up wind turbines on every hill in the nation....

Rather, put them in the very windiest part of the nation....­in the plains states where it is flat and conducive to great power generation.

Solar panels can be put anywhere but let's not forget some of the desert regions.

Putting them on every roof doesn't hurt either.

Small wind turbines can be used too.

But we are going to have to clean up the coal...bec­ause right now, that's what we have.

CONSERVATION IS KEY TO...LET'S QUIT LIGHTING THE NIGHT SKY UP..SUCH A WASTE OF ELECTRICITY!

[Ghostzapper]

Please list the quantitative breakdown of the toxic metals. In other words, the percentage breakdown of the metals in the 18,000 tons. What is the definition of a toxic metal? Also, while you are at it. Please quantitatively define climate change. Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.

[McFlipFlop]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attribution_of_recent_climate_change

[plantguy]

80 plants on hold, quite a few jobs thats being held back. Thats the way to boost the economy!

[HappyRabbit]

We need an integrated energy policy. Eighty more coal fired plants polluting the environment is NOT a step down the correct path. Energy, environment and economy must all pull together and toward the same goal or it is just plain stupid and completely counter-productive.

[thundermummy]

We can put millions to work right now if we switch back to gaslight, doofus.

[windchimes]

I saw an interesting documentary, if America were to be wiped out by some force let's say, the only thing that would remain in existence is the statue of 4 white men on Mt. Rushmore.

I wonder if the next civilization would come to regard the symbol as Gods and keep hoping and praying for white man's arrival.

[Dystopic]

no one prays for white men to return, anywhere.

[Zyzzygowski]

What is exactly wrong with putting the coal ash back where the coal came from? Why send the trains that deliver the coal back empty? There are plenty of empty or closed mines that do not affect the water table that can be used for dumping this stuff.

Don't know about the expense, but don't we need metal? Use the ash as a source of metal. What am I missing?

[joebaggadonuts]

A job in the executive suite.

[danielsadicario]

seriously. That was such good thinking.