To: Rep. McKell, M.,
Subject: We Can't Risk Another Coal Ash Spill
Date: 2014-10-05T13:58:13Z
Body:
Oct 5, 2014 Representative Mike McKell State Capitol, Suite 350 350 North State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84114 Dear Representative McKell, As your constituent, I urge you to sign a letter being circulated from Delegate Jim Hubbard (MD) and Representative Pricey Harrison (NC) and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL) calling for a strong federal coal ash rule by the end of this year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Coal ash is one of the largest waste streams in the country, with nearly 140 million tons produced each year. This toxic waste, which contains dangerous chemicals like arsenic, mercury, chromium, selenium, lead, and boron, is stored in more than 400 landfills and 1,070 wet impoundments across the country. Despite the magnitude and hazardous nature of this waste, there are no federal safeguards to protect communities and waterways from coal ash pollution. Please sign-on to the dear colleague letter currently circulating in support of strong federal standards for coal ash. Six months ago, approximately 140,000 tons of coal ash and contaminated waste water spilled from a wet impoundment at a retired Duke Energy power plant into the Dan River in North Carolina. This was the third largest coal ash spill in nearly 50 years and contaminated the Dan River with dangerous levels of arsenic and other hazardous toxics, threatening the drinking water for eight counties downstream in Virginia. Coal ash coated the river bottom for 70 miles. The Dan River spill came only 6 years after the largest toxic waste spill in history in December 2008, when a dike holding back decades of accumulated coal ash failed at the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee. Without strong and enforceable federal coal ash protections, another Dan River or Kingston disaster could occur at nearly any of the over 1,400 known coal ash waste sites in 45 states. The public health hazards and environmental threats to nearby communities from coal ash pollution have been known for many years, and include increased risk of cancer, learning disabilities, neurological disorders, birth defects, reproductive failure, and asthma. Strong coal ash protections from the US EPA are critical to protecting communities across our country from more toxic pollution and deadly disasters. Please sign on to the NCEL letter from Delegate Hubbard and Representative Harrison calling on the EPA to finalize a strong coal ash rule by contacting JR Tolbert at jrtolbert@ncel.net to show your support by October 10th! Sincerely, Mr. Joel Hal Anderson 945 E Sterling Dr Spanish Fork, UT 84660-2538 (801) 798-6922