PSR briefs Senate on dangers from coal ash

PSR briefs Senate on dangers from coal ash; petition signed by 850 health professionals PSR doctors, flying in to Washington from six states, presented the Obama Administration with a petition signed by 850 health professionals voicing their concern about the toxic dangers posed by unregulated coal ash disposal.

Petition signers urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to release a health-protective coal ash rule as soon as possible.  After introducing a draft rule almost two years ago, the EPA is still working on a rule to determine safe disposal practices based on the best available science and the comments of more than 450,000 Americans.

Coal ash, the waste that remains when coal is burned, contains dangerous quantities of arsenic, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium and other toxic metals. Improper coal ash disposal has resulted in catastrophic disasters like the Tennessee Valley Authority spill in December 2008 and has been linked to 189 cases of water contamination in 35 states.

April 26, 2012

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