Coal ash, which contains high levels of lead, arsenic, and mercury, is produced in large quantities by US electricity generation from coal. It should be disposed of in dry, lined containers to avoid health risks, but much of it is deposited in wet ponds, putting surrounding neighborhoods at risk. Nearly half of US electricity in 2010 was produced from coal. The 2008 Kingston, Tennessee ash spill released over 5 million cubic yards of toxic ash, and living near unlined coal ash ponds puts residents at 900 times the normal risk of cancer. Coal ash is more radioactive than nuclear waste.
US electricity generation from coal produces 130 million tons of waste annually. While coal ash isn’t officially labeled as hazardous waste, it has very high concentrations of lead, arsenic and mercury and can cause serious health problems. To avoid health risks, coal ashes should be disposed of in dry, lined containers. Despite this, much coal ash in the United States is deposited in wet ponds, where it puts the surrounding neighborhood at risk.
More coal facts:
Nearly half of the electricity in the United States in 2010 is produced from coal.
The amount of coal ash in the 2008 Kingston, Tennessee ash spill was 100 times greater than the Exxon Valdez oil spill, with more than 5 million cubic yards (nearly 4 million cubic meters) of toxic ash released. (
Reports claim that living near unlined coal ash ponds puts residents at 900 times the normal risk of cancer. A study reported in Scientific American showed that coal ash is more radioactive than nuclear waste.
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