Dear
Tell Senators Casey and Toomey to Protect our Health against Dangerous Coal Ash Pollution! |
Living near a coal ash pond is more dangerous than smoking more than a pack of cigarettes a day1, and Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the nation for dangerous coal ash generation.2 Now, there is a new threat to protections from coal ash pollution that harms Pennsylvanian families and communities.
The EPA is working to implement protections against dangerous coal ash pollution, but a bill in the Senate -- The Coal Ash Recycling and Oversight Act of 2012 -- threatens to weakens the EPA's ability to protect our health and safety. Unfortunately, Senators Toomey and Casey have expressed support for the Senate bill weakening the EPA's ability to protect Pennsylvania families from dangerous coal ash pollution.
Coal ash contains mercury, arsenic, selenium, and other toxins left behind when coal is burned for electricity. Left in uncovered "ponds," it's swept up by wind or seeps into the groundwater, poisoning both the air and the water. It's believed to cause asthma attacks, cancer, and heart disease. There are more than 1,100 coal ash sites nationwide!
Pennsylvania deserves better from our Senators. Thank you for sending them a message in support of coal ash protections.
Thanks for all you do to protect the environment,
Randy Francisco
Pennsylvania Beyond Coal
Sierra Club
P.S. After you take action, be sure to forward this alert to your friends and colleagues!
1) Human and Ecological Risk Assessment of Coal Combustion Wastes, 4/2010 EPA
2) Coal Combustion Waste Management at Landfills and Surface Impoundments, 1994-2004, EPA