Colorado Interfaith Power and Light is working with Sierra

Club and other organizations to influence the EPA to adopt mandatory measures to control the disposal of coal ash, what’s left after coal is burned to generate electricity. A long list of toxins, mostly heavy metals, are found in coal ash. As pollution control techniques improve, the concentrations of these toxins increase because less is escaping up the smokestack—good news except for those living near ash storage facilities!

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering reclassifying coal ash so that storage can be regulated—meet guidelines in registered, monitored sites that can be inspected.
Box with stats on lbs and # of facilities
Currently, most coal ash is handled in one of three ways. 1) storage in containment ponds (like the one that failed in XXXXXXXXXXXXxx in Dec. 2008; 2) stored in dedicated landfill or 3) put to “beneficial use,” which include missing with concrete or asphalt (encapsulated, low risk) or as fill for structures such as golf courses or as “ash” to provide traction on highways on stormy days (unencapsulated, higher risk).
Box with Coltrip story
Box with XXXXXXXXXXXX story
Box with # of leakages
Large numbers of wet and dry storage locations do not use liners to prevent leakage into the underlying aquifers, which can then contaminate wells and other water supplies. In many cases, no monitoring or testing takes place. That’s because coal ash disposal is essentially unregulated.
Stimulated in large part by the XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX disaster, the EPA is re-examining whether storage practices need to be regulated. Denver has been picked as one of seven sites holding hearings for public comment, and is also accepting written public comments until September XX. The EPA has “co-proposed” two different options: regulation under “Subpart C” with requirements for how the coal-combustion wastes registration, monitoring and

A thoughtful, green gift for the holidays!