Center for Public Integrity / by Kristen Lombardi
http://www.publicintegrity.org/articles/entry/1144/
The dangers of coal ash were largely hidden from public view until December, when a dam holding a billion gallons of the waste collapsed in Eastern Tennessee. But what happened there represents just a small slice of the potential threat from coal ash, according to a new Center for Public Integrity report, Coal Ash: The Hidden Story.
Across the country — at ponds, landfills, and pits where coal ash gets dumped — a slow seepage of metals in the ash has poisoned water supplies, damaged ecosystems, and jeopardized citizens’ health. Contamination cases have surfaced in states as diverse as Maryland, New Mexico, Indiana, Virginia, and Montana. An interactive map on the project web site is searchable by ZIP code and shows the location of 446 landfills and disposal ponds, and the quantity of coal ash produced nearby, enabling users to identify coal ash sites near their communities.
Coal Ash: The Hidden Story features an extensive review and analysis of public documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests and archived agency documents; incorporates the perspectives of industry representatives, policymakers, environmental experts, and advocates; and includes video documenting the environmental and public health impact of the Tennessee coal ash disaster.[Docuticker]
