NC Sierra Club report on "beneficial fill."

Today the NC Sierra Club released a report detailing the dangers associated with "beneficial" coal ash. Here's the rundown:

Each year North Carolina dumps 800,000 tons of coal ash into unregulated,unlined structural fills. Coal ash contains toxic metals like, mercury, selenium, cadmium, and arsenic, all of which can cause cancer and serious damage to the nervous system. Even with these risks known, federal oversight is non-existent and state regulations are weak. With over 20 counties in NC hosting these structural fill sites this is a little known problem, that could have serious consequences.

The report also details a number of sites throughout the state which have been linked to groundwater contamination. In Northhampton County, state inspectors discovered high levels of arsenic, selenium and lead near Arthurs Creek. Since no permitting process is in place and inspections are only conducted after complaints are filed, hundreds of thousands of tons of coal ash have already contaminated this 21 acre site. It should also be noted that the stated beneficial use at this site was "pasture."

Pending EPA's announcement of regulatory changes for the management of coal ash, the Sierra Club believes that Gov. Perdue should take a number of steps to protect the health and welfare of our citizens and environment. The first is that the state should prohibit the practice of using coal ash in land development sites and instead mandate that all coal ash be disposed of in lined, landfills. Requiring regular groundwater inspections that are open to the public is also critical. By requiring developers to also clean up sites that are deemed contaminated and permanently recording affected areas on land deeds we will be able to further protect the general public.

Last year Rep. Pricey Harrison introduced legislation to strengthen and expand the requirements for permitting of coal ash land fill and structural fill sites. With her hard work, state inspections of coal ash ponds are now required every two years. There is still much work to be done, hopefully now that our leaders are aware of the dangers they can further act to protect the public against "beneficial" fill.