EPA Coal Ash Hearings: Come Speak Up!

Right now, communities across the nation are being poisoned as coal companies dump hazardous waste in their backyards. The images show just a sampling of the 588 waste sites across the US and the 12 "high hazard" waste sites in North Carolina. This toxic material is known as coal ash and is the left over waste from burning coal.  Many of these coal ash sites are known to be leaking dangerous materials like arsenic, lead and mercury into our drinking water. As a result, communities near these sites are facing an increased risk of cancer, learning disabilities, birth defects and other illnesses.

There are no national regulations and little to no state regulations for storing this hazardous material. This needs to change. We know coal ash is toxic, we know it is poisoning families, communities, and our environment, but it has not yet been classified as hazardous. Until it is, companies can keep dumping it without any of these important safety guards.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency just released proposals for the first ever national regulations for coal ash. One of these proposals would create strong standards for classifying coal ash as hazardous waste. In order to hear from the public, the EPA is holding public hearings across the country. Two are in our neck of the woods: Charlotte, NC and Louisville, KY.

I'm working with Restoring Eden to get as many people at the hearings as possible. Will you show you support by attending the public hearing? If so, contact me (taylor@restoringeden.org) and I'd be happy to talk to you more and send helpful information. You don't have to register to attend the hearing, but if you want to speak, register with the EPA HERE. Tell your friends, family, neighbors, pastors, everyone--the government wants to hear from us about this issue. This is momentous.

The Charlotte hearing is on Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 at the Holiday Inn (2707 Little Rock Road, Charlotte, NC 28214).

The Louisville hearing is on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at the Seelbach Hilton (500 Fourth Street, Louisville, KY 40202).

Let's take a stand and not allow another Kingston, TN disaster happen again.