There are over 1,300 ash dumps across the U.S. which remain unregulated despite the sites having toxic materials like arsenic, lead, mercury, selenium and other byproducts of burning coal.
While these heavy metals were recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as threats to water supply and human health, there is hardly any tracking done on the effects of the ash dumps on the environment.
Coal ash is even used as construction materials and for mine reclamation. In 2007 50 tons of fly ash was used to improve soil's ability to absorb water even if the EPA, in 1999, warned about the high levels of arsenic in fly ash. The recycling of coal byproducts is partly due to its growing production, placed at 131 million tons in 2007 from less than 90 million tons in 1990.
Ash could leach toxic elements that cause cancer, birth defect and other health problems in humans and other creatures near ash dumps. In 2007, the EPA said 63 ash dump sites in 26 states had contaminated the water supply.
The growing menace of ash sites was highlighted last week after a judge approved a $54 million class-action settlement against Constellation Power Generation which used a sand and gravel put near Gambrills in Maryland as ash dump for over 10 years.
Meanwhile, the EPA is expected to issue soon a final national report on cruise ship discharges after the agency had gone over five waste streams from cruise ships. These are from its sewage, graywater, oily bilge water, solid waste and hazardous waste. Among the places where the EPA report will first be tested is Alaska's discharge standards for sewage and greywater for cruise vessels that dock in Alaska's ports.
0 comments:
Post a Comment