Forum Post: Action Alert: - Coal Ash and Possible Senate Action
Posted 12 years ago on Aug. 30, 2012, 3:51 p.m. EST by ZenDogTroll
(13032)
from South Burlington, VT
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2273, a bill that would block the EPA's attempt to adopt the first ever federal regulation for coal ash disposal. Now, the newest threat is in the U.S. Senate.
The dirty secret of coal-fired power plants continues to poison waters and threaten communities. At nearly 200 sites, coal ash has contaminated nearby streams, lakes, rivers and aquifers with dangerous levels of arsenic, selenium, lead and mercury. Nearby communities drink these waters, increasing chances for cancer and other disease.
Despite the danger, some senators recently introduced legislation that would prohibit the EPA from ever setting federal protections against coal ash. This toxic pollution will continue to flow into our waters, and a problem that already threatens our health and environment will only get worse.
Please take a moment to tell your senators that coal ash is a toxic threat! Passing legislation that limits the EPA's ability to clean up these sites and protects polluter profits over public health is not what Americans deserve. The coal industry is a powerful force in Washington. But our senators are elected to represent our best interests, not to bow to the demands of big polluters.
Tell your senator to get coal ash out of our drinking waters and protect our communities!
You can also:
- View our film, An Ill Wind, about the Moapa Band of Paiutes.
- See if you live near a contaminated site on our In Harm's Way map.
- For more information on our work, visit our Coal Ash Contaminates Our Lives campaign page.
EPA caves. WE must pressure them to act against coal ash.!!
http://www.nationofchange.org/epa-delays-new-coal-ash-rules-residents-turn-courts-relief-1361551371
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This is the year that increased, growing pressure on the EPA could get some action against polluters.
Good post
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I know. Pure info, effects the 99%. Good post.
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Burning coal is a highly toxic practice, so is every other form of energy production besides dams. More dams however mean permanent scarring of the landscape and many unforeseeable ecological consequences, study or no study. We have energy but we still act as cavemen in it's production.
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http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/solar-panel-toxic-manufacturing-byproducts-product-disposal-needs-greater-oversight-report-urges.html
I like windmills.
I'm all for windmills too. Australia has several new installations coming. The downside being the use of rare-earth magnets in the low-speed power generators. The history of production of these magnets in China has been atrocious from the standpoint of long-term destruction of farming land and aquifers.
There's a new start-up for rare-earth minerals in California, the sound of which is very good. Here's the first few paragraphs of their website release.
Mountain Pass, Calif.
BusinessWire · Aug. 27, 2012 | Last Updated: Aug. 27, 2012 4:01 PM ET
Molycorp, Inc. (NYSE:MCP) today announced the start-up of its new Project Phoenix heavy rare earth concentrate facilities at Mountain Pass, California, which will produce heavy rare earth concentrate from freshly mined Mountain Pass ore that will then be processed into high-purity, custom-engineered heavy rare earth products in Molycorp’s globally integrated production facilities.
Molycorp also announced that its on-site Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant will begin feeding low-cost, high efficiency electrical power and steam this week to its Mountain Pass facilities. Molycorp's CHP plant is fueled by clean-burning natural gas fed to the facility by a recently completed natural gas lateral supply line that connects the facility to a nearby interstate natural gas pipeline operated by Kern River Gas Transmission Company.
“We have launched operations of Project Phoenix’s heavy rare earth concentrate facilities on schedule, our combined heat and power plant is set to begin powering our new facilities this week, and we remain on track to achieve full Phase 1 production rates at Mountain Pass in the fourth quarter of this year,” said Mark A. Smith, Molycorp’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "The heavy rare earth concentrate we will produce at Mountain Pass will support our production of a full range of high-purity, custom-engineered materials from light, medium, and heavy rare earths. Such vertical integration strongly positions Molycorp to compete successfully across multiple markets.”
The last part of this press release is a little more disturbing, with proviso this, and maybe thats, or what ifs scattered through it. Suffice to say, this operation warrants closer inspection, and regular monitoring, because no-where do they discuss waste disposal methods, in what is a known toxic disaster industry.
Molycorp Inc. supplies the hydraulic fracking industry with chemicals, so I don't think this company has too many scruples when it comes to the environment.
Signed the petition and tweeted. Thanks ZenDog.
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Thank you for sharing the info and getting the petition started in circulation here. Fossil fuel has got to be done away with.
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Could be awesome as a hydrogen electric hybrid. {:-])