Coal-fired power plants used to dispose of coal ash by dumping it into ponds, resulting in millions of cubic yards of toxic waste in pits in the ground.
Eli Chen, 漏 2024 外网天堂鈥檚 science reporter, published a two-part investigation into coal ash ponds in Missouri. Read her coverage:
Environmental activists have long expressed concerns that coal ash 鈥� which contains mercury, lead, arsenic and other cancer-causing chemicals 鈥� could contaminate groundwater and pose health risks to rural residents who depend on wells for their drinking water. There is also fear that future floods could cause the nearby Missouri and Mississippi rivers to spill into the ponds and local waterways. Last fall, in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Have a question about coal ash or its impact on the environment? Ask in the box below: What do you want to know about the new state plan to regulate ponds? What should our reporters be asking? We鈥檒l use your questions to inform our reporting, and we鈥檒l share answers as we find them here:
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