Posts Tagged ‘Coal Ash’
New Studies Reveal Another Toxic Page in the Coal Ash Chronicles
The latest independent study of water quality among 11 North Carolina lakes and rivers downstream from coal-fired power plants’ coal ash ponds revealed “high levels of contaminants that in several cases exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s guidelines for drinking water and ecological effects.” Coal ash, the toxic byproduct of burning coal for electricity, is…
Read MoreGo Tell It on Mountain Island Lake
Last Sunday, the Charlotte Observer asked the question, “Are we doing enough on coal ash?” Two people stepped in to answer. The column in the negative was written by Sam Perkins, Director of Technical Programs for the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation; the column in the affirmative was written by Mitch Griggs, vice president of environmental services…
Read MoreUpdate: House Passes Dirty Coal Package
UPDATE: Last Friday, the House passed the Dirty Coal package, H.R. 3409, by a vote of 233-175. Thirteen Republicans, led by Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-8), crossed party lines to oppose the bill and stand up for Appalachian communities and public health. The three parts of the bill not related to mountaintop removal mining had received…
Read MoreThe Senate and the L’awful’ Coal Ash Bill
To put it mildly, the supposed coal ash regulation bill S. 3512 falls short of our expectations. The bill — proposed last July by Sens. Hoeven (R-SD), Conrad (D-SD), and Baucus (D-MT) — shields utilities from their obligations to upgrade their unsafe ash dumps in a timely fashion, clean up sites that they have contaminated,…
Read MoreMoving Our Energy Policy Forward
Appalachian Voices’ Director of Programs Matt Wasson addresses a live and online audience about mountaintop removal and coal waste. Tennessee Director JW Randolph and D.C. Director Kate Rooth greet EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson at the DNC. Last night, it was great to see our Director of Programs Matt Wasson, our good friend from Tennessee, Ann…
Read MoreTen Years In, the Clean Smokestacks Act Continues to Benefit Us All
Right now, members of Congress are at home hearing from their constituents about the issues they most care about. In this spirit, we joined residents of North Carolina working on water issues to visit the Charlotte office Sen. Kay Hagan. It was exciting to be in the Queen City, as it gears up for the…
Read MoreA One-Two Punch in the Fight for Clean Water
It has been a week of good news in the fight for stronger protections against coal ash pollution. A court settlement in South Carolina and a major decision regarding the 2008 TVA Kingston coal ash spill make for a one-two punch against the poorly regulated toxic waste. This morning, a federal court ruled that the…
Read MoreHalf-Baked Coal Ash Bill: A Dangerous Proposition for Our Air and Water
Air and Water Protections are as American As Apple Pie — and they are under attack. Most people talk about creating legislation in terms of sausage-making. It can be downright dirty work. But I prefer to think of it as pie-baking, requiring the combination of concentrated efforts while keeping the final product in mind. Though…
Read MoreDid A Steamed Bun Ask the White House To Label Coal Ash As Non-Hazardous?
Last week, we escaped another harrowing attempt by Rep. David McKinley (WV) and company to allow coal-fired utilities to keep getting away with polluting our water (and sometimes air) with coal ash, the toxic byproduct of burning coal for electricity. While a rider to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from issuing federal standards on…
Read MoreDirty Congressional Coal Ash Proposal Smothered in Negotiations
Congressional Research Service Report Shows Little Change in State Programs if Congress Had Its Way By Erin Burks Red, White and Water intern, Summer 2012 Transportation bill negotiations between the House and Senate came to a close on June 29 and an amendment blocking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to finalize coal ash storage…
Read More