Coal ash is the toxic waste that remains after coal is burned. It contains high concentrations of heavy metals, including mercury, arsenic, selenium, chromium, lead, radium and other pollutants which are hazardous to human health, wildlife, and our waterways. In humans, these contaminants can cause developmental defects, cancer, and a large range of other illnesses.
For decades, utilities have stored coal ash in unlined pits next to rivers and lakes that provide drinking water, recreation, and wildlife habitat.
Most power plants and their coal ash pits sit dangerously close to powerful rivers, often in or near groundwater.