CLOSING THE FLOODGATES: HOW THE COAL INDUSTRY IS POISONING OUR WATER AND HOW WE CAN STOP IT

Coal-fired power plants are identified as the largest source of toxic water pollution in the United States, discharging billions of pounds of heavy metals into waterways annually. A review of 386 plants reveals that nearly 70% of those discharging coal ash and scrubber wastewater have no effluent limits on key toxins like arsenic and mercury, often operating under expired permits. The report highlights severe ecological damage, including massive fish kills in North Carolina and groundwater contamination in Missouri and Illinois, and notes that these plants are frequently located in marginalized communities. While the EPA proposed updated standards, the report argues that political interference from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) weakened these options. It advocates for 'Option 5,' a zero-discharge standard utilizing dry ash handling and vapor compression evaporation, asserting that such controls are cost-effective and would significantly reduce pollution.

• Coal-fired power plants are the most significant source of toxic water pollution in the U.S., releasing more toxins than the next nine largest polluting industries combined.
• A survey of 386 coal plants found that approximately 69% of those discharging coal ash or scrubber wastewater are permitted to dump unlimited amounts of arsenic, boron, cadmium, mercury, and selenium.
• Regulatory oversight is severely lacking, with nearly half of the surveyed plants discharging pollution under expired Clean Water Act permits, including 53 plants with permits expired for five years or more.
• Coal plant pollution causes widespread environmental and health damage, including the contamination of 11,200 miles of rivers beyond human health water quality levels and increased cancer risks for approximately 140,000 people annually due to arsenic in fish.
• The installation of smokestack scrubbers to reduce air pollution has inadvertently increased water toxicity by concentrating metals into a sludge that often receives minimal treatment.
• Available technologies can eliminate most toxic discharges; 'Option 5' of the EPA's proposal would achieve zero liquid discharge through dry ash handling and vapor compression evaporation, reducing pollution by over 5 billion pounds per year.
• The cost of implementing the most stringent pollution controls is minimal, estimated at less than 1% of annual revenue for most plants and approximately two cents per day for average consumers.
• Coal plant water pollution disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income populations who rely more heavily on local fishing for nutritional needs.

APA

Earthjustice (n.d.). CLOSING THE FLOODGATES: HOW THE COAL INDUSTRY IS POISONING OUR WATER AND HOW WE CAN STOP IT. http://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/ClosingTheFloodgates-Final.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. CLOSING THE FLOODGATES: HOW THE COAL INDUSTRY IS POISONING OUR WATER AND HOW WE CAN STOP IT. n.d. http://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/ClosingTheFloodgates-Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=CLOSING THE FLOODGATES: HOW THE COAL INDUSTRY IS POISONING OUR WATER AND HOW WE CAN STOP IT |url=http://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/ClosingTheFloodgates-Final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjusticendclosing, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{CLOSING THE FLOODGATES: HOW THE COAL INDUSTRY IS POISONING OUR WATER AND HOW WE CAN STOP IT}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, url = {http://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/ClosingTheFloodgates-Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }