Alabama Environmental Groups Agree…

ABOUT COAL ASH
Coal ash is the toxic waste that remains after coal is burned. It contains high concentrations of heavy metals, including mercury, arsenic, selenium, chromium, and lead which are hazardous to human health, wildlife, and waterways near coal ash pits.
Across Alabama, there are more than 117 million tons of toxic coal ash in unlined pits next to our waterways at nine different sites with more than 50 groundwater violations. Alabama Power, TVA and PowerSouth own these unlined pits, and they are polluting our rivers and reservoirs.

The utilities’ own data shows that heavy metals are leaking into ground and surface waters. These contaminants, such as arsenic, radium, mercury, chromium and others, threaten water quality and wildlife, and constitute illegal contamination of state waters.

Across Alabama, utilities have made plans to leave these pits in place. Their plans consist of “capping” the coal ash in unlined pits, often in or very near groundwater. Leaving ash in place does not stop or clean up pollution. For example, Alabama Power has already capped their Plant Gadsden coal ash pit, but the pit continues to pollute groundwater.

These coal ash pits threaten our waters, and we should not continually live with a threat created by the utilities when there is already a proven solution.

Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee utilities are removing a quarter of a million tons of coal ash to upland, lined landfills. We need Alabama to do the same.

Click here to take action NOW.

Click play below to watch a short film about coal ash throughout Alabama.

 

Read more about coal ash on a watershed near you:

Black Warrior River | Coosa River | Mobile Bay | Tennessee River

 

Read more about coal ash throughout Alabama:

Alabama Rivers AllianceSouthern Environmental Law Center

 

Alabama Environmental Groups Agree…

Coal ash should be dug up and moved because it is polluting Alabama’s waters. As much as possible should be recycled into concrete and the rest should be moved to upland, lined landfills using the best available technology standards, ensuring all people, communities and businesses of Alabama are out of harm’s way.

 

Signed,

Alabama Rivers Alliance
Alabama Environmental Council
Alabama Interfaith Power and Light
Black Warrior Riverkeeper
Cahaba Riverkeeper
Cahaba River Society
Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
Choctawhatchee Riverkeeper
Coosa River Basin Initiative
Coosa Riverkeeper
Clean, Healthy, Educated, Safe & Sustainable Community, Inc. (CHESS)
Environmental Defense Alliance
Friends of Big Canoe Creek
Friends of the Locust Fork River
Friends of the Magnolia River
Friends of Turkey Creek Nature Preserve
Gasp
Hurricane Creekkeeper
Little River Waterkeeper
Mike Freeman Fishing
Mobile Baykeeper
Mobile Environmental Justice Action Coalition
The People’s Justice Council
Shoals Environmental Alliance
Sierra Club Alabama Chapter
Sierra Club Mobile Bay Group
Southern Environmental Law Center
Tennessee Riverkeeper
Waterkeepers Alabama
Wild South
Does your organization agree? Click here to add your group to this list!

MORE ABOUT COAL ASH
Coal ash is the toxic waste that remains after coal is burned. It contains high concentrations of heavy metals, including mercury, arsenic, selenium, chromium, and lead which are hazardous to human health, wildlife, and waterways near coal ash pits.