New report shows higher health problems for folks living near coal ash dumps

A new report released today reports higher rates of cancer and non-cancer risks for Americans living near landfills and coal ash dumps.  Unfortunately, this new report will shed light on one of the problems with East Kentucky Power Cooperative's proposed new coal-burning power plant, Smith 1.  EKPC is proposing to dump coal ash from Smith 1 using the same methods criticized in this report.  They plan to dump the ash in wetlands and streams near the plant, burying nearly 7 miles of streams, impacting 7 more, and filling 5 acres of wetlands.  Learn more about the Smith 1 plans and how you can get involved to protect Kentuckians health and the environment by clicking here.

About the report:

On Thursday the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) and Earthjustice will release government files withheld by the Bush Administration for more than seven years showing dramatically higher than previously reported cancer and non-cancer risks to Americans living near landfills and wet ponds used to dispose of ash and scrubber sludge from coal-fired power plants.  Each year, coal-fired power plants dispose of nearly 100 million tons of toxic fly ash, bottom ash, and scrubber sludge in landfills and wet ponds, such as the one that burst in Kingston, TN in December 2008.

The major new analysis by the EIP and Earthjustice of the long-sought EPA data on 210 coal-ash dump sites across the United States will show extremely high cancer and non-cancer illness risks to Americans as a result of arsenic, boron, cadmium, cobalt and lead and other toxics in drinking water contaminated by coal-ash dump sites. The new data to be reported by EIP/Earthjustice are based on information that the Bush Administration refused for years to disclose.  For example, a 2002 EPA screening study was not made public until March 4, 2009 -- seven years after its publication. Freedom of Information Act requests to EPA during the Bush Administration were denied or resulted in the production of documents with the cancer and noncancer risk estimates blacked out. The new EIP/Earthjustice report will show exactly what was being withheld by the Bush Administration and what it means in terms of health risks for Americans.

Five or more high-risk sites were found in 20 states: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.