Coal and Coal-Ash Pollution (scary)

[Nikki]

I stumbled across this today, thought I would share. An excerpt:
"The pollution is so toxic, so dangerous, that an enemy of the United States -- or a storm or some other disrupting event -- could easily cause them to spill out and lay waste to any area nearby."

[Emett]

Whoa, and they keep green-washing "clean coal!" Even Obama keeps talking about it. Coal is so bad that it's hard to even quickly explain some of the issues with it. It's horrible to mine it. It's insane to just keep burning it, unless we master CO2 sequestering and implement it 100% soon. And check out this article from Huffington Post about the some of risks of the waste product known as coal ash. It's pollution all the way through. From smog to global heating to heavy metals and particles in the air, ground water, and streams...

Coal Ash Spills Too Dangerous to Reveal to Public, Says DHS. by Ryan Grim. This might be the article Nikki found... I didn't find anything about this issue on the DHS.gov site. Thanks Nikki!

[Nikki]

Yes thats the correct article, sorry I thought I had included a link... must not have worked, sorry Emett o_0
There was a pretty bad spill in Tennessee in late 2008, the "scope of which is almost 50 times greater than that of the Exxon-Valdez..." And I don't remember hearing anything about it! (then again I did have a baby in late 2008, maybe I just missed it?) And now we won't be hearing about these spills because apparently its a threat to homeland security? The coal itself is a bigger threat to our safety and well being. I think people have the right to know that groundwater in their area is being contaminated. That knowledge will help prevent unnecessary exposure.

[Emett]

Dear AEP and other Coal Burning power companies around the world:

 

Be smart and invest more in fixing your business for the future, not wasting time and money fighting the change that is coming to the US and the world.  Polluting is against the law for many good reasons.  Fighting good laws makes you look weak and afraid. 
    Instead, think about being strong and leading us all towards that zero emissions future!  Do it right and your R&D will make you rich, you'll be ready to rake in the $ in the Carbon Offsets/Credits Markets, you'll avoid law suits and bad press, and your board and shareholders could be both proud and prosperous. 
Be good and powerful, not just greedy.  

(R&D ideas for you:  look into ways to extract energy from coal other than burning it, find a way to use solar and wind to clean and detoxify air pollution and other wastes, design a better scrubber and sell them or rights, work on the "smart grid" perhaps looking into new form of energy and electricity storage to lower your fuel use and costs for reaching peak supply demands.)

signed, emett stasiuk

 

 

34k premature deaths from @AEPnews's dirty air bill. How many deaths are ok? #WhatsYourNumber #CleanAir http://goo.gl/34syA Tweet this!

@AEPnews's Dirty Air Bill = 240k asthma attacks and 34k premature deaths. Acceptable? #WhatsYourNumber http://goo.gl/34syA Tweet this!

No advanced pollution controls on 40% of @AEPnews's plants. How many lives is that costing? #WhatsYourNumber http://goo.gl/34syA Tweet this!

@AEPnews #1 polluter spends 0.5% on #energy efficiency. Their legislation would cost 34k lives #WhatsYourNumber http://goo.gl/34syA Tweet this!

@AEPnews #1 polluter dirty air bill = more mercury, more asthma, 34k early deaths. #WhatsYourNumber http://goo.gl/34syA Tweet this!

@AEPnews $1.2 billion in profits and their bill would cause 34k premature deaths. #WhatsYourNumber http://goo.gl/34syA Tweet this!

@AEPnews's Dirty Air Bill = More kids exposed to toxic mercury, more worry for moms. #WhatsYourNumber http://goo.gl/34syA Tweet this!

[Emett]

I must share recent a letter to me:

Dear Emett, Coal is toxic. It pollutes our air and water, harms our health, snarls our traffic, hurts our local economy, and worsens the climate crisis. But Big Polluters don't seem to care. And they want to export coal from our beautiful Oregon coast -- up to 8.8 million tons each year. Ambre Energy's Morrow Pacific coal export project would do just this - and the decision on whether or not it happens lies with the governor. Which means you have a say -- and that's why we need your support today to make sure it doesn't happen. Call Governor Kitzhaber's office right now and tell him to stand up for clean energy and deny the Department of State Lands permit that is crucial for Ambre Energy to move forward with this destructive project. Call Governor John Kitzhaber now at [phone]. Governor Kitzhaber and his agencies have until April 30 to decide whether or not to let coal companies start building an export terminal on the Columbia River -- and may decide as early as April 1. Already three permits have been granted. Let's not make it four. If this export terminal is built, Big Polluters will barge coal down the Columbia River from the Port of Morrow to Port Westward, near Portland, where it would be loaded onto enormous ships bound for China, India, and other countries. That would mean more than 5,000 barges full of coal choking up the Columbia River Gorge every year, putting our clean water, salmon, recreation, and local jobs that depend on a healthy river at risk. Tell Governor Kitzhaber to stand up and protect the Columbia and Oregon from Big Coal --[phone]. Thank you for all you're doing to power past coal and help build a clean-energy future. Sincerely, The Climate Reality Team