TEXAS COAL ASH - Until recently, a lot of electric power in Texas was generated by coal-fired power plants. But thanks to cheaper and cleaner-burning natural gas, many of these plants have been shut down. But there’s another issue as the groundwater around nearly every coal power plant in Texas is contaminated with dangerous chemicals. That’s the finding of a recent study from a group called the Environmental Integrity Project. It looked at data from groundwater monitoring wells and found that-- not a single coal plant that stores its leftover “coal ash” on site could claim clean groundwater. Abel Russ is an attorney for the group.
“Coal ash concentrates all the toxic metals that are found
in coal including arsenic and other carcinogens, multiple neurotoxins and several pollutants that are toxic to aquatic life,” explained Russ. "When coal ash is exposed to water, all of these toxic pollutants are rinsed out of the coal ash and they migrate into the local groundwater and frequently from there into the surface water."
Right now the report says the contamination doesn’t appear to break any laws. Though new federal coal ash rules started under the Obama administration are expected to strengthen regulation.
