New Report Highlights Extent of Coal-Plant Water Pollution

By Press Release
Published on November 12, 2020
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Photo by Fotolia/Kletr
The lack of federal standards limiting toxic pollution caused by coal plants profoundly contributes to the water contamination.

A new report released by a coalition of environmental and clean water groups focuses on the environmental impact of the coal industry, highlighting the critical need to clean up power plant water pollution. The report, “Closing the Floodgates: How the Coal Industry Is Poisoning Our Water and How We Can Stop It,” has found that: 

  • In the absence of any effective pollution limit, coal plants have become by far the largest source of toxic water pollution in the country, based on toxicity.
  • Of the 274 coal plants that discharge coal ash and scrubber wastewater into waterways, nearly 70 percent (188) have no limits on the toxics most commonly found in these discharges (arsenic, boron, cadmium, lead, mercury, and selenium) that are dumped directly into rivers, lakes, streams and bays.
  • Of these 274 coal plants, more than one-third (102) have no requirements to monitor or report discharges of these toxic metals to government agencies or the public.
  • A total of 71 coal plants surveyed discharge toxic water pollution into rivers, lakes, streams and bays that have already been declared impaired due to poor water quality. Of these plants that are dumping toxic metals into impaired waterways, more than three out of four coal plants (59) have no permit that limits the amount of toxic metals it can dump.
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