EPA, Call Coal Ash Waste What it is - HAZARDOUS
- av: Susan V
- mottagare: US Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA has just sold out the American people on coal ash waste. It ruled, in effect, that it’s no more hazardous than garbage.
Coal ash is a toxic byproduct of burning coal that contains mercury, lead, arsenic and chromium and there is just no excuse for the EPA to treat it like it is simply household garbage, say critics of the new rule.
Even though the new rule, the first one ever issued by EPA on coal ash, says all new coal ash pits must be lined to prevent leakage into drinking water, the hundreds of old unlined pits don’t have to be cleaned up unless they are connected to active power plants and are actively polluting groundwater.
Way to go, EPA, for not even trying to demand anything, that if in effect last year, could have prevented some of the worst chemical spills in US history - like the 82,000 tons of coal ash spilled into North Carolina’s Dan River - at an inactive power plant.
Tell EPA it has to do better than this pitiful, even embarrassing attempt to regulate Coal ash spills - and call coal ash waste what it is - Hazardous!
We, the undersigned are astounded by the irresponsibility of EPA’s new ruling on Coal Ash.
Not only has the EPA refused to label it as the hazardous waste it is - because it doesn’ t get much more poisonous than lead and mercury - EPA is not even requiring that all coal pits be lined or allowing the federal government to have any power to enforce the new regulations, such as they are.
Even though companies that create this hazardous waste will be required to perform regular safety inspections of their coal ash ponds and monitor surrounding groundwater, it will be up to the companies to share the results of its own inspections with the public. And as history with Duke Energy has shown us recently, this regulation amounts to the fox guarding the henhouse. As in the past, testing by independent watchdog groups has shown the coal fire industry has repeatedly misled the public about spills‘ water contamination.. Since the new EPA rule rules out federal enforcement of the new regulations, citizens and environmentalist groups are still left with the expensive and overwhelming responsibility of filing lawsuits to ensure that companies meet the new requirements.
In effect the new EPA rule allows the electric companies to continue on with business as usual, leaving the public at the mercy of another toxic spill just waiting to happen.
EPA, there is no excuse for this lame response to the recent spills at Duke Energy plants in North Carolina and other locations. We demand that you come up with a rule that more accurately portrays the hazardous quality of coal ash, regulations that ensure all ponds are secured and strict regulations that not only prevent further spills from any location, but also insist that companies properly clean up all contaminated sites immediately - and with US Government enforcement to back it all up.
Thanks for your time.
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