September 15, 2009 Virginia Cramer, 804-225-9113 x 102 EPA to
Limit Toxic Coal Waste The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced today that it plans to issue new standards to better
protect America’s waters from coal plant pollution. The
announcement comes a day after environmental groups, including
the Sierra Club, Environmental Integrity Project and Defenders
of Wildlife, put the EPA on notice for the agency’s 26-year
delay in updating coal pollution regulations. Pollution from
coal plants is becoming increasingly toxic as more pollutants
are taken out of the air, only to then be transferred to coal
ash and other coal waste discharges. These toxic discharges can
contaminate drinking water and pose serious threats to fish and
other wildlife. In response, Mary Anne Hitt, Deputy Director of
the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign issued the following
statement. "It is heartening to see Lisa Jackson and the EPA
taking a serious interest in the post-burning dangers of coal.
As we saw in Tennessee last yea