The Washington Post 127 20100827

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EZ RE

KLMNO THE FEDERAL PAGE Coal ash contaminating water in 21 states, groups say

Report comes as EPA weights federal disposal rules for coal plants

BY RENEE SCHOOF A study released Thursday

said that 39 sites in 21 states where coal-fired power plants dump their coal ash are contami- nating water with toxic metals such as arsenic and other pollut- ants, and that the problem is more extensive than previously estimated. The analysis of state pollution

data by the Environmental Integ- rity Project, the Sierra Club and Earthjustice comes as the Envi- ronmental Protection Agency is considering whether to impose federally enforceable regulations for the first time. An alternative would allow states to retain con- trol of regulation of coal ash disposal. The EPA will hold the first of

seven nationwide hearings about the proposed regulation Monday in Arlington. A public comment period endsNov. 19. The electric power industry is

lobbying to keep regulation up to individual states. Environmental groups say the states have failed to protect the public and that the EPA should set a national stan- dard and enforce it. “This is a huge and very real

public health issue for Ameri- cans,” said the director of the study, Jeff Stant of the Environ- mental Integrity Project. “Coal ash is putting drinking water around these sites at risk.” EIP is a nonpartisan organization that advocates for enforcement of en- vironmental laws. “If people ask, ‘Is there a

problem EPA should address?,’ this report answers ‘yes' with an

MARK GAIL/THE WASHINGTON POST

Melzetta Williams, 102, attended a rally Thursday in front of the WhiteHouse forD.C. congressional voting rights and to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the granting of voting rights to women. Williams voted for the first time in 1923 inHigh Point,N.C., and has been a resident of the District since 1950.The event was sponsored by the League ofWomenVoters of the District of Columbia andDCVote.

Promoting voting rights Thursday's report specified

the amount of arsenic, cadmium, lead, selenium and other pollut- ants found at each site. The pol- lutants are linked to cancer, respi- ratory diseases and other health and developmental problems. Most states don’t require mon-

itoring of drinkingwater near the waste sites. The study found five sites where monitoring figures were available, and all of them had some contamination. In four, tests showed problems at one or more drinking-water wells. In Jo- liet, Ill., where the information was too limited for analysis, at least 18 nearby wells were closed because of boron contamination, the report said. The U.S. burns more than 1

billion tons of coal a year to generate about half of thenation's electricity. It ends up with at least 125 million tons of coal waste, including ash and the sludge left from scrubbers that remove air pollutants. Federal enforcement of coal

ash disposal rules would mean classifying the waste as hazard- ous. Opponents argue that this would add costs and make it harder to recycle some of the waste to help with disposal costs. The report from the environ-

mental groups said that more than a third of the reused coal ash is for structural fill or to fill up empty mines. The report said those uses could result in water contamination. —McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

exclamation mark,” said Lisa Ev- ans, a lawyer for Earthjustice, an environmental lawfirm. Evans said that state regula-

tion hasn’t protected people liv- ing near the waste sites from health problems. Many states have allowed the dumps to be

built without adequate liners or monitoring and have done little when contamination has been discovered, she said. Ofthe39sites analyzed, 35had

groundwater-monitoring wells on the grounds of the waste dis- posal area. All of them showed

The Models Are Breathtaking.

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concentration of heavy metals, such as arsenic and lead, that exceeded federal health stan- dards. The other four had only water- monitoring data from rivers or lakes where the waste sites dis- charged water. Scientists found

contamination that damaged aquatic life. The new report, following a

previous study by the environ- mental groups and the EPA’s tally, brings the number of contami- nated coal waste sites to 137 in 34 states.

Whistleblower bill: Federal Diary: Getting closer to tougher legislation? B3 ICE’s Hot Debate: Immigration and Customs Enforcement struggles with internal divisions. B3

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