EPA Reveals Dangerous Coal Ash Sites

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The Environmental Protection Agency released on Monday afternoon a list of 44 "high hazard potential" coal ash sites that the federal government had previously insisted be kept secret.

At a June 12 press conference, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said the Department of Homeland Security and the Army Corps of Engineers had placed a "huge muzzle" on her staff regarding the coal ash sites.

A coalition of environmental groups, including Earthjustice and the Sierra Club, had pressed for the release of the information in a Freedom of Information Act request. Earthjustice praised the EPA in a press release for disclosing the sites. But Lisa Evans, an attorney with Earthjustice, isn't totally satisfied.

"It is laudable for the EPA to respond to our FOIA," Evans told the Huffington Post. "But now that we can see the list, it raises questions. Like why some are not on the list."

In addition to the 44 coal sites that have been designated "high hazard," there are hundreds more that could pose environmental and health risks.

Evans noted that there are no Tennessee facilities on the list. Boxer called a recent massive coal ash spill from the Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee 100 times worse than the Exxon-Valdez oil spill.

"There are no [Tennessee Valley Authority] facilities on the list," said Evans. "While I personally knew the TVA Kingston facility would not be there, I expected some of the other TVA sites to be included."

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The EPA said in a release that the agency will "require appropriate action" at any facility that is found to pose a risk.

"The presence of liquid coal ash impoundments near our homes, schools and business could pose a serious risk to life and property in the event of an impoundment rupture" said EPA administrator Lisa Jackson in a statement. "By compiling a list of these facilities, EPA will be better able to identify and reduce potential risks by working with states and local emergency responders."

According to the EPA's fact sheet, "A high hazard potential rating indicates that a failure will probably cause loss of human life. The rating is not an indication of the structural integrity of the unit or the possibility that a failure will occur in the future; it merely allows dam safety and other officials to determine where significant damage or loss of life may occur if there is a structural failure of the unit."

 

 

Ash Coal Sites

 

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Comments

[ErnestineBass]

NONE in Tennessee? LMAO!

I grew up in East Tennessee and I know of at least 6 sites within a half hours drive of one another.

Senator Boxer should confront fellow Senator Lamar Alexander (R - TN) about this.

That SOB knows where they are.

[athenasword]

Horrific looking. Imagine this in our waters.... Imagine the impact on health and wildlife. I cringe to think.

[Daniboy]

Cap and Trade=BTU tax. Obama promised no new taxes---OOPs

[Daniboy]

Wind turbines kill innocent birds and ethanol takes food out of the mouths of hungry people. Solar power costs an arm and a leg. Any energy costs society! Coal built this country-don't knock it too much!

[NWBrunette]

Great, let's put the coal ash in your backyard. Wind and solar do a trivial amount of damage compared to coal, and the cost of solar is coming down fast; look at Germany and Spain - huge solar investments that are paying off handsomely.

[athenasword]

All "green" technology is constantly being upgraded - made cheaper and more effective. There is $$ in the evolution of these product. There is a need for it (environmentally and economically) and there is great interest from the public. I wonder what incredible progress would happen if you wing-nuts stopped pooh-poooing it and decided to move beyond the stone/oil age.

[theubermensch]

Actually buddy, most corn goes to livestock anyway for meat eaten here in America anyway. Solar is fairly cheap when you think about the long term benefits, and wind turbines don't kill as many birds as previously thought. Plus total the amount of wildlife killed by pollution and coal ash spills and you will see that wind turbines are a viable alternative. Going green is cheaper and better. We always think of right now, but if you would think of things over a long term basis, when going green, they turn out to be cheaper and more efficient. Will people stop putting one liners, as well as lacking in their research and post a comment that makes sense and is actually thought out.

[Sumocat]

Slaves, indentured servants, and other cheap foreign labor working stolen lands built this country. On behalf of my forebearers, you're welcome.

[jsgaetano]

Oh look, it's the "clean coal"!

[olmossy]

It must be clean, they say it on TV.

[quidam56]

See what the new and improved, clean, geen, hybrid coal industry is doing to Wise County, Virginia.
http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=138

[fcsakes]

Aren't we all so glad the "clean" coal people got everything they wanted in our limp energy bill?

Pretty wonderful what a lot of lobby money spread around to the right pockets will do.

Thanks for destroying our world "clean" coal. And I hear the oil companies got off pretty well too.

Sickening.