How Does Coal Ash Affect The Environment

Coal Combustion Residuals, often referred to as coal ash, are currently considered exempt wastes under an amendment to RCRA, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. They are residues from the combustion of coal in power plants and captured by pollution control technologies, like scrubbers. Potential environmental concerns from coal ash pertain to pollution from impoundment and landfills leaching into ground water and structural failures of impoundments, like that which occurred at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plant in Kingston, Tennessee. The need for national management criteria was emphasized by the December 2008 spill of CCRs from a surface impoundment near

Coal ash is known to contain a number of different toxic metals, the exact content dependent upon the coal it is formed from. Containing this potential pollution hazard is an expensive problem, as approximately 75% of all ash generated is stored in landfills. In these sites, rainwater can leach out toxic metals including mercury, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, molybdenum, lead and selenium. As over 500 million tons of ash are produced each year, there’s an increasing environmental health hazard to the surrounding water systems of these landfills. Pollution can spread to municipal water systems and potentially poison humans. As such, figuring out a better solution to deal with the unused coal ash is of significant importance. Current uses of coal ash primarily include the formation of concrete due the pozzolanic properties of coal

I would have to say that from the reading that it can be very harmful for the coal mining chemicals to seep into the ground into our drinking water.

Coal ash also contains selenium which is already needed in our body, but excess amounts can lead to impaired vision, paralysis, and even death. The ash contains a lot of lead, exposure to lead can cause numerous issues in your brain affecting your nervous system and can cause brain swelling. Arsenic which is found in the ash can be harmful, if ingested it can lead to nervous system damage and cardiovascular issues. If arsenic that is found in the ash is absorbed through the skin can cause skin cancer. Coal ash contain boron also can cause damage to the intestines and even death. The EPA is responsible for protecting the environment from these types of spills, but in the case of properly disposing the ash the EPA ruled that coal ash was classified as a non-hazardous material leaving it up to the companies to dispose of it as they want

This paper will review past practices and policies relating to mountaintop coal mining, evaluate and analyze current research on the impact of coal mining on human health, and provide recommendations for further research guided by logic and in agreement with biblical truth.

It produces a great deal of our electricity; however, we don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the implications. As Goodell notes on the first page, “We love our hamburgers, but we’ve never seen the inside of a slaughterhouse.” Isn’t that the truth? When we fuel up our cars, we don’t think (much) about the ramifications of our oil dependence. When we flip a light switch, we do not associate that with the coal-driven mountaintop removals in West Virginia. In this book, “BIG COAL” Jeff describes Goodell thrusts those associations right in your face. He covers the history of the industry, tells the stories of the people in and around the business, and while most of the book is based on U.S.-happenings, he does spend a chapter in China. We would imagine the coal industry was none too pleased with Big Coal because it paints a really ugly picture of the industry. Goodell contrasts the coal industry with the individuals whose lives have been negatively impacted by coal in one way or another. He details corruption and politics that allowed the industry to delay implementation of pollution control equipment. And on a big picture level, he argues that continued usage of coal poses a serious threat to the earth’s

Things like mining too far into a wall that connects to an older mine, thus increasing the danger of a collapse, is common. Other practices include shoddy dams that contain the slurry, a mixture of water and fine particles of coal, which do not always meet structural regulations that can and have broken and flood nearby communities (Light and Light, 2006). There are other environmental issues that are associated with coal mining. Acid mine drainage is the result of sulfide minerals being exposed to oxygen. This produces sulfuric acid and can dissolve heavy metals from the waste rock, making it bioavailable. Without proper treatment, this will poison the water systems near that mine and will seep into the streams, creeks, and even ground and well water. The water turns orange and is impossible for anything to live off of the water or in it (Kirsch, 2014). Another issue of coal mining is airborne coal dust, which can result in Black Lung disease. This is caused by inhaling too much coal dust and is common in miners, but with surface mining becoming more prevalent, more coal dust is being released into the air and drifting down to the communities. More children and elderly people are having respiratory problems that many believe are because of

Since 1742, West Virginia has provided our nation and the world with the finest coal found anywhere. As of today, West Virginia’s coal miners apply useful and effective mineral removal technology that makes other countries envy their counterparts around the world. West Virginia’s exports more coal than any other state in the country. West Virginia has more longwall mining systems than any other state. This leads the nation in underground coal productions and sets the pace for the rest of the industry in recovery and environment protection. At the same time, West Virginia coal industry displays a sense of responsibility for health, safety and environmental that is incomparable anywhere in the world. Over the years, coal has

Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a response update to assess potential impacts to human and aquatic life (2014). The method the EPA employed was to analyze surface water and sediments for contaminants and compare those results to its screening levels. To assess impact to human health, the EPA compared the sediment data to health risk screening levels and compared drinking water samples to Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) as well as to other indicators. Overall, the EPA found those levels found in sediment data and water samples to not exceed human health screening levels and thus determined that there wasn’t significant risk to human health, although the EPA did recommend that people do not come in direct contact with coal ash as it could still pose health risks. These findings were consistent with that of Dr. Shea.

Western Virginia and the Appalachian Plateau have an abundance of coal in their land. Mostly it is from million year old decomposed plant materials that have created 76 distance coal beds; about half of these are currently being commercially mined. Two fifths of the coal produced in VA is exported out of state. The remaining coal is used to produce energy in local coal burning power plants. Locally sourced coal makes up a little bit over 37% percent of all of Virginia’s power (Sites, 2014).

Jason Hayes, communications director for the American Coal Council says “the industry over the past few decades had invested over $100 billion in cleaning up emissions and it’s already been effective. All of the important noxious pollutants have decreased markedly over the last 30 to 40 years. We’ve been doing all of this on top of dealing with everything else.” Coal may not be green, but it is a source of energy American needs. It is cheap and efficient. Without coal, America wouldn’t be anywhere near where it is today. The coal mined here isn’t just used for energy. America’s

The third largest coal ash spill in United States history has left some citizens in North Carolina fearing their water is not safe to drink. This fear is a result of anywhere between 50,000 and 82,000 tons of coal ash and up to twenty-seven million gallons of contaminated water being dumped into the Dan River in Eden, North Carolina on February 2, 2014. The spill was caused by a busted storm drain pipe that ran under an unlined coal ash pond at Duke Energy’s Dan River Combined Cycle Station (“Duke Energy’s Grievous”). Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal for energy and contains substances such as arsenic, lead, and mercury. These toxic chemicals are not only harmful to the environment but to the human population as well (Christian).

The Coal Ash Rule restricts when new impoundments can be placed and used. For example, if there is a wetland and there are animals that are already endangered, then you aren't allowed to place a coal generated power plant there. Coal ash pollution causes damage to our nervous system and creates cardiovascular issues. Also, coal ash can trigger/worsen urinary tract, lung, and skin cancer. On December 22nd, 2008, the biggest toxic waste spill in U.S. history happened in Kingston, Tennessee. The Kingston Fossil Plant was a coal ash dam that burst and leaked 1,100,000,000 toxic waste across 300 acres. 40 nearby homes were damaged or destroyed and rivers were polluted. To clean up all of the damages and rivers cost three million dollars. After this

After weeks of in-depth research, I feel that I am well educated on the issue of mountaintop removal. I have seen many of the negative side effects of the blasting, harvesting, mining, and reclamation of the mountains and its impact on the environment. The natives of Appalachia, as well as in many nearby regions, are exposed to harmful toxins in the air, water and even the land. The mining business is dangerous and risky. It puts the miners in peril on the job and brings worry to the families waiting for them back home. I realize the danger and costs of mountaintop removal and will begin with a simple question: is coal worth it?

Mountain Top removal mining (MTM), is decimating some of the last pristine environments left in our country, and it needs to stop. The devastation left in the wake of mans’ pursuit to satisfy his insatiable greed for energy, is nothing shy of a brutal crime scene. I feel, like many others, it has got to be stopped, and replaced with a more sensible, and appropriate, appetite for energy. The severe health, and environmental risks are abundant, yet we continue to mask this atrocity behind statistics, and well-orchestrated advertising. As noted by RP Siegel of Triple Pundit Magazine (April 2012), “Coal contains the most CO2 per BTU, the largest contributor to global warming.” Obviously, this should be enough to convince the average, sensible individual that there is no more tolerance for continued MTM practices. However, big mining companies continue to destroy delicate ecosystems, rural family lands, and cause irreversible damage to the geological infrastructure of the land.