Hank Johnson: “Power companies are closing down old, air-polluting, coal-fired power plants as we move toward cleaner, more sustainable…”

“Power companies are closing down old, air-polluting, coal-fired power plants as we move toward cleaner, more sustainable ways to generate electricity. As these small producing plants close, they leave behind a toxic substance known as coal ash. The coal ash is a public health hazard if it is not disposed of properly. Coal ash is toxic and can cause sickness and death. It is a dangerous substance that must be kept out of our drinking water. Coal ash contains known carcinogens such as arsenic, mercury, and lead. That is why coal ash is being regulated by the EPA. As power companies shut down or upgrade their facilities while closing existing coal ash ponds, where much of this toxic material has been temporarily stored, the need to permanently dispose of this hazardous byproduct is growing. We now know that some waste disposal companies have been quietly exploiting a loophole in the new EPA rules, which allow them to dump toxic coal ash into municipal solid waste landfills. So far, these waste disposal companies have dumped millions of tons of coal ash into unlined municipal solid waste landfills across America. These landfills, which are often located near neighborhoods and schools, are simply not built or constructed or equipped to safely handle this toxic material. EPA rules do not require sufficient commonsense protections for people who live nearby these landfills.…”