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The report documents 31 cases of environmental contamination from coal combustion waste (CCW) across 14 US states, identifying that 15 sites have off-site contamination exceeding drinking water or surface water standards, while 16 show severe on-site pollution. It highlights the presence of toxic metals such as arsenic, lead, and selenium, and argues that the lack of federal regulation for CCW disposal poses a significant risk to public health and the environment, particularly in low-income communities.

The document analyzes the challenges facing the U.S. advanced biofuels industry, including the 'valley of death' between pilot projects and commercialization, volatile petroleum prices, and regulatory uncertainties. It argues that while the federal government provides essential broad-scale support, state governments are uniquely positioned to guide the industry by leveraging local geography and resources. The report proposes ten specific policy options for states, ranging from resource inventorying and sustainable feedstock guidelines to the implementation of low carbon fuel standards and interagency cooperation, highlighting examples from states like California, Oregon, and Tennessee.

The document identifies approximately 2 million mobile homes built before 1976 as the "worst housing stock" in the U.S., noting they are energy-inefficient and often house low-income, elderly, or disabled residents. It highlights that these structures are often ineligible for traditional weatherization programs and proposes the Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Act of 2009 to provide rebates for ENERGY STAR qualified homes. The text details the differences between mobile, manufactured, and modular homes, and provides demographic data on residents of pre-1980 manufactured housing.

The report analyzes the EPA's 2007 risk assessment, finding that unlined coal ash ponds and landfills pose severe cancer and non-cancer risks to humans and aquatic ecosystems. It specifically highlights that residents near unlined ponds mixing ash and coal refuse face a 1 in 50 cancer risk from arsenic, 2,000 times the EPA's regulatory goal. The document also notes that boron levels in surface waters can reach 2,000 times safe thresholds for aquatic life. It argues that the EPA underestimated these risks by ignoring direct surface water releases and inhalation pathways, and calls for the phase-out of ash ponds within five years and the mandatory use of composite liners for landfills.

As of 2006, fossil fuels accounted for 75% of Tennessee's energy consumption, with electricity primarily generated from coal and nuclear power. Between 1990 and 2005, the state's greenhouse gas emissions grew by 21%, a rate that exceeded the U.S. average, driven largely by the transportation and electric generation sectors.

Tennessee has the potential to generate an additional 45,500 GWh of electricity from renewable resources by 2025, which would represent approximately 40 percent of current electricity sales. The document recommends establishing a renewable electricity standard (RES) with a target of 25 percent by 2025, alongside financial incentives and grid infrastructure improvements.

The document argues that a national energy efficiency resource standard (EERS) would provide significant benefits to Tennessee, including $3.5 billion in energy savings and the creation of over 5,000 jobs. It highlights that Tennessee could reduce electricity consumption by 11% by 2015, effectively offsetting 100% of the expected increase in demand through efficiency gains, which is identified as the cheapest option for meeting new energy needs.

The document highlights the significant water requirements of Tennessee's thermoelectric power plants and the energy costs associated with water heating and treatment, proposing policy priorities to improve efficiency in both sectors.

The Southeast United States accounts for 20% of U.S. energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, with a heavy reliance on fossil fuels (80%) and high per capita electricity use. Rapid population growth is projected to increase energy demand, particularly in electricity generation, which already constitutes 45% of regional energy consumption. The region's dependence on imported fossil fuels exposes it to price volatility and supply disruptions, while its emissions profile makes it a significant global contributor to climate change.

The Southeast United States has sufficient renewable energy resources to meet up to 30 percent of its electric power needs by 2025. The region can leverage biomass, solar, wind, and low-impact hydropower to reduce reliance on conventional power, though this requires overcoming regulatory barriers such as restrictive third-party power pricing and insufficient interconnection rules. The document argues that a national or state-level renewable electricity standard (RES) would drive job growth and economic investment with minimal impact on consumer electricity costs.

The document argues that energy efficiency is the most cost-effective way to meet rising electricity demand in the Southeast US, potentially reducing expected use by 20% by 2025. It identifies regulatory and financial barriers and recommends the adoption of Energy Efficiency Resource Standards (EERS), updated building codes, and alternative utility business models to drive investment across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.

The document details the aftermath of the 2008 Kingston disaster, where over 1 billion gallons of coal ash slurry were released. It tracks TVA's legal battles, the health impacts on local communities and cleanup workers, the disposal of ash in Perry County, Alabama, and the prolonged struggle to compel the EPA to finalize federal coal ash disposal regulations by 2014.

The document details the health impacts of radon, lead, mold, and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in buildings, particularly schools. It highlights that indoor pollutant levels often exceed outdoor levels and notes the significant financial costs of poor air quality, contrasted with the potential billions of dollars in savings from building improvements and increased worker productivity.

The testimony by the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) urges the U.S. Senate to oppose the Clear Skies Act (CSA), claiming its emission caps for sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury are too weak and implemented too late to protect public health and the environment. CATF presents modeling showing that alternative proposals, such as the Clean Power Act, would result in significantly fewer deaths by 2020 with negligible increases in retail electricity prices. The document further argues that CSA fails to address carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and would effectively repeal critical Clean Air Act provisions, including New Source Review and visibility protections for National Parks. It concludes that the EPA already possesses the authority to achieve greater gains through existing rules like the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) and mercury MACT standards.

The report asserts that while the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments reduced sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, ecosystems in North America remain damaged due to a 150-year accumulation of acidic compounds. It documents ongoing damage to aquatic life, forests, and wildlife, and argues that biological recovery requires emission cuts up to 80 percent beyond the 1990 mandates. The authors state that affordable technologies, such as scrubbers and renewable energy, are available to achieve these deeper reductions.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) asserts that US nuclear plant risk assessments are merely probability assessments that ignore catastrophic consequences and rely on unrealistic assumptions. The report details how the lack of minimum standards leads to inconsistent results between identical plants and argues that the NRC is using these flawed calculations to justify cutting safety inspections and tests to reduce costs for plant owners.

Molten Metal Technology Inc. (MMT) developed catalytic extraction processing (CEP), a technology designed to break down hazardous and radioactive wastes into benign forms and recyclable products. Between 1989 and 1995, the company leveraged strong leadership, strategic partnerships with entities like Lockheed Martin and DuPont, and significant federal grants from the DOE to build a research facility in Massachusetts and plan commercial plants in Tennessee and Texas. Despite achieving its first profit in 1995 and receiving EPA recognition for its technology, MMT faced significant risks regarding the timing of full commercial implementation and competition from established incineration and biodegradation methods.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) monitored 10 US nuclear power plants and found a "serious breakdown in quality assurance," noting that internal auditors failed to identify any of the 200+ reported incidents. The study found that 44 percent of problems were caused by poor procedures and 35 percent by worker mistakes. While some plants like Surry and Oyster Creek demonstrated proactive safety cultures, others like LaSalle and Sequoyah showed systemic failures, including ignored warnings and repetitive errors. UCS recommends better training for auditors and workers, revised procedures, and stronger NRC enforcement.

The report details the persistence of climate disinformation across major platforms like X, Meta, TikTok, and YouTube. It identifies key narratives used to discredit renewable energy, the use of extreme weather events (wildfires and hurricanes) to fuel conspiracy theories and incite violence, and the extensive use of Meta's advertising tools by fossil fuel entities for greenwashing and lobbying. The authors argue that platform architectures reward engagement over truth, necessitating systemic policy changes to disrupt the economy of disinformation.

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.