TOXIC COAL ASH IN DELAWARE

The document details the environmental and health risks associated with coal ash disposal in Delaware, focusing on the Indian River Generating Station operated by NRG. It highlights that while one landfill is federally regulated and has caused significant groundwater contamination, at least two other inactive landfills at the same facility remain unregulated under the 2015 Coal Ash Rule. The author calls for the EPA to close regulatory exemptions for legacy ponds and inactive landfills to protect low-income communities and communities of color.

• Coal ash contains a variety of hazardous heavy metals, including arsenic, boron, cobalt, chromium, lead, lithium, mercury, molybdenum, radium, and selenium, which are linked to severe health issues such as cancer, neurological harm, and reproductive failure.
• Industry data indicates that 91% of coal plants across the United States are currently polluting groundwater above federal health standards with toxic pollutants.
• In Delaware, the NRG-operated Indian River Generating Station in Dagsboro has a federally regulated landfill containing nearly 1.5 million cubic yards of toxic waste that has caused significant groundwater contamination, with exceedances of federal health-based guidelines for Beryllium, Boron, Cobalt, Lithium, and Molybdenum.
• NRG is responsible for at least two unregulated inactive coal ash landfills at one of its facilities that escape federal regulation and have shown evidence of groundwater contamination, though they lack federal monitoring or cleanup requirements.
• The 2015 Coal Ash Rule contains sweeping exemptions for legacy coal ash ponds and inactive landfills, which are disproportionately located in communities of color and low-income communities.

APA

Earthjustice (2023). TOXIC COAL ASH IN DELAWARE. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/delaware_coal-ash_state-fact-sheet_2024-08.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. TOXIC COAL ASH IN DELAWARE. 2023. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/delaware_coal-ash_state-fact-sheet_2024-08.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=TOXIC COAL ASH IN DELAWARE |date=April 2023 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/delaware_coal-ash_state-fact-sheet_2024-08.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjustice2023toxic, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{TOXIC COAL ASH IN DELAWARE}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/delaware_coal-ash_state-fact-sheet_2024-08.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }