Coal Waste Pollutes Pennsylvania Groundwater, Streams

Waste from coal-fired power plants is contaminating water supplies throughout Pennsylvania and does not provide the environmental benefits the state's Department of Environmental Protection claims it does, according to a new study released today by the Clean Air Task Force and Earthjustice.

The study, "Impacts on Water Quality from Placement of Coal Combustion Waste in Pennsylvania Coal Mines," found that groundwater and streams near 10 of 15 mines where coal ash waste had been disposed had unhealthy levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, selenium and other contaminants.

"Disposing of coal combustion waste in these mines is threatening water supplies all over the state," said Jeff Stant, director of the Pennsylvania Minefill Research Project at the Clean Air Task Force. "If the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection won't act now to stop these dangers, the U.S. EPA should step in to protect the residents of Pennsylvania who live near coal ash mine fills."

Coal ash, or coal combustion waste (CCW), is a mix of heavy metals and other toxic waste produced by the burning of coal at power plants. Over the past 20 years, the Pennsylvania EPA has encouraged the disposal of CCW in about 120 active and abandoned coal mines across the state. The agency claims coal ash reduces acidic water drainage from mines and increases soil fertility.

However, the Clean Air Task Force/Earthjustice study reported the opposite to be true: at six of nine sites where coal ash was placed to reduce acid drainage, acidity levels in the mines actually increased, it found.

The study recommends, among other things, that the Pennsylvania EPA conducts better short- and long-term pollution monitoring at ash disposal sites, isolates ash from water and has operators set aside funds for cleaning up pollution caused by CCW disposal.

One state environmental group is seeking even quicker action.

"Based on the findings of this report, the Mahanoy Creek Watershed Association is petitioning the U.S. EPA today to examine the contamination of massive mine pools under the Ellengowan and BD Mines for cleanup under Superfund," said the association's Robert Krick. Data from both sites, where 16 million tons of coal ash has been dumped, show levels of lead and cadmium that are 30 to 40 times higher than those allowed under federal drinking water standards.

Earthjustice cites U.S.EPA statistics showing that more than 129 million tons of CCW are generated by coal-fired power plants in the U.S. each year. The EPA has reported that groundwater in at least 23 states has been contaminated by such waste, and that cancer risks from exposure to CCW dump sites is 900 times higher than than federal standards recommend. In all, there are about 600 CCW landfills and disposal sites across the country.

Earthjustice, "New Study Reports Pennsylvania Groundwater Contamination from Coal Ash." URL: (http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/007/new-study-reports-pennsylvania-groundwater-contamination-from-coal-ash.html)