Kentucky's Pollution Cleanup: A Breath Of Fresh Air?

Kentucky has a long history of coal mining and coal-fired power plants, which have contributed to pollution in the state. In recent years, there have been efforts to clean up this pollution and address the environmental and health impacts of the coal industry. However, progress has been slow, and Kentucky continues to face challenges in reclaiming mined land and addressing groundwater contamination from coal ash. Coal ash, the hazardous substance left after burning coal, has contaminated groundwater at 91% of coal-fired power plants in Kentucky, with unsafe levels of pollutants such as arsenic, lead, and lithium. In addition, mountaintop removal mining has caused permanent ecosystem loss and increased the risk of flooding, and efforts to reclaim these mines have stalled due to factors such as cost and company bankruptcies. While federal regulations and grassroots activism have pushed for stronger cleanup standards, Kentucky still has a long way to go in addressing the pollution and environmental concerns associated with its coal industry.

Slow progress on reclaiming surface coal mines

Kentucky's Energy and Environment Cabinet is working to reconcile the economic advantages of lower regulations versus the health and environmental benefits of increased protections. Mountaintop removal mining for coal extraction is a significant industry in Kentucky, and this process involves removing rock and dirt from a mountaintop and placing them into a neighbouring valley. This displacement causes contamination of streams, rivers, and land, increasing the water's mineral content and sometimes burying streams.

Nonpoint source pollution, which involves the movement of rain or snowmelt carrying pollutants over and through the ground, is the most significant cause of contaminated water in Kentucky, according to the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection. Improperly maintained septic systems and illegally piped waste also contribute to this issue. Erosion-causing activities such as deforestation and mining further exacerbate non-point source pollution.

A report by the Appalachian Citizens' Law Center highlights the slow progress in reclaiming many surface coal mines in Appalachian Kentucky, leaving the potential for environmental problems. Federal law mandates companies to take several steps to repair land after mining, such as planting grass and vegetation to limit erosion. However, the report found that reclamation work has stalled at many sites, with coal companies failing to clean up and reclaim their old mines as required by law. The report's authors, Erin Savage, Rebecca Shelton, and Mary Cromer, expressed concern over the risks of floods and landslides near homes and businesses due to the idle mines.

The slow reclamation process is attributed to various factors, including high costs, coal company bankruptcies, and a lack of financial incentive due to the release of a significant portion of the bond after Phase I of reclamation. These challenges have resulted in barren ground and continued environmental concerns in Eastern Kentucky.

Mountaintop removal mining contaminates streams and rivers

Mountaintop removal mining is a significant industry in Kentucky, and it has been carried out on at least 500 Appalachian peaks. This process involves removing rock and dirt from a mountaintop and dumping it into a neighbouring valley, which causes environmental damage and contaminates streams, rivers, and land. The contamination increases the water's mineral content and, in some cases, diverts or buries streams.

The environmental damage caused by mountaintop removal mining across Appalachia has been well-documented. Scientists are now beginning to understand that the mining operations' most lasting damage may be caused by the massive amounts of debris dumped into valley streams. For example, in Magoffin County, Kentucky, a creek downstream of a mountaintop removal coal mine has been observed with strange black or orange discharges flowing down.

The environmental impacts of mountaintop removal mining are also seen in the increased levels of pollution in groundwater and drinking water sources. "Spoil"—the earth and rock dislodged by mining—is deposited in valleys, burying headwater streams that feed larger rivers like the Mississippi. Slurry, the residue from cleaning coal, is impounded in ponds or injected into abandoned mine shafts, where it can leach toxic constituents such as arsenic, lead, manganese, and iron that may ultimately contaminate groundwater.

In Kentucky, a coal-fired power plant was found to have one of the nation's highest levels of groundwater pollution from a coal-ash disposal site. The groundwater beneath 91% of coal plants with available information was contaminated by at least one pollutant from coal ash. The problem of contamination from coal-ash disposal is exacerbated by a lack of federal regulation for older, closed sites, and the Trump Administration's delay in closing ash ponds.

The contamination of streams and rivers due to mountaintop removal mining has led to concerns about the health of surrounding communities. Studies are beginning to link environmental impacts to adverse health outcomes, and contaminated drinking water is a chief concern. However, definitive links between MTR mining and reported health problems have not been established.

Coal ash contaminates groundwater

Kentucky, like most states, faces pollution from industrial activity and transportation. However, mining is a particular concern for the state. Mountaintop removal mining for coal extraction is a significant industry in Kentucky, and it causes environmental damage by displacing rock and dirt, contaminating streams, rivers, and land, and increasing water's mineral content.

A 2019 report by two environmental groups found that a coal-fired power plant in Kentucky had one of the nation's highest levels of groundwater pollution from a coal-ash disposal site. The Ghent Generating Station on the Ohio River in Carroll County had unsafe levels of various pollutants, including arsenic, chromium, cobalt, lead, lithium, and radium. The report also noted that few coal-ash ponds have waterproof liners to prevent pollution from leaching into the water table, and that federal rules do not regulate older, closed sites, even though they can still contaminate water.

In 2022, Earthjustice identified 26 sites where private wells had been contaminated by coal ash. They noted that most state regulations and the U.S. EPA's CCR Rule require plant owners to test only onsite groundwater, which means contamination in private wells often goes undetected for years.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken steps to protect groundwater from coal ash contamination. In 2023, the EPA announced plans to work with states to ensure robust protections for communities, including proposing decisions on requests for extensions to the deadline for initiating the closure of unlined CCR surface impoundments, notifying facilities of their obligations to comply with CCR regulations, and laying out plans for future regulatory actions. The EPA has also reiterated that surface impoundments or landfills cannot be closed with coal ash in contact with groundwater, as this puts the health and safety of nearby communities at risk.

While progress is being made to address coal ash contamination in Kentucky, the state continues to face challenges in reclaiming and restoring land affected by mining activities, with reports indicating slow progress in reclaiming many surface coal mines in Appalachian Kentucky.

Kentucky's coal plants among the most polluted in the country

Kentucky's coal plants are among the most polluted in the United States. A report released by two environmental groups, the Environmental Integrity Project and Earthjustice, revealed unsafe levels of various pollutants in groundwater at 14 power plants in the state. The Ghent Generating Station, operated by Kentucky Utilities, had the tenth-highest level of contamination among 265 coal plants or disposal areas in the US. The level of lithium in the water at monitoring wells at Ghent was 154 times greater than the safe level, and there were also elevated levels of arsenic, chromium, cobalt, lead, radium, and other pollutants.

Kentucky has a significant number of coal ash dumpsites, with 68 or 72 sites identified by different sources. Coal ash, the hazardous substance left after burning coal for energy, has been dumped in unlined ponds and landfills, leading to groundwater contamination. According to the report, 91% of coal-fired power plants in the US have contaminated groundwater, and Kentucky's regulated dumpsites fall within this category. The problem is exacerbated by the lack of federal regulations for older, closed sites, which can still contaminate water sources.

The contamination from coal-ash disposal has severe health implications. Arsenic, found in unsafe levels in 52% of coal plants in the US, is a cancer-causing substance. Lithium, present in unsafe levels at 60% of the sites, can cause kidney damage and decreased thyroid function. Additionally, the concentration of uranium and thorium in fly ash can be up to 10 times higher than in unburned coal, leading to the ingestion of small amounts of radiation by people living near coal plants.

The slow progress in reclaiming surface coal mines in Kentucky further contributes to environmental concerns. Federal law mandates companies to take steps to repair land after mining, such as planting grass and vegetation to limit erosion. However, many sites have stalled in their reclamation work, leaving exposed areas that pose risks of floods and landslides near homes and businesses. The report by the Appalachian Citizens' Law Center highlights the complexity of reclamation at different sites and the financial challenges involved.

Kentucky's coal plants and coal mining activities have contributed significantly to the state's pollution levels, with particular concerns around groundwater contamination from coal ash and the slow reclamation of mined lands. The environmental and health impacts of these issues are significant, and efforts are needed to address and mitigate the pollution caused by the coal industry in the state.

Health disparities in communities near mountaintop coal mines

Mountaintop removal for coal extraction is a significant industry in Kentucky. This process involves removing rock and dirt from a mountaintop and dumping them into a neighbouring valley, which causes contamination of streams, rivers, and land. The health disparities in communities near mountaintop coal mines are evident through various studies.

A community-based participatory research study in a rural mountaintop mining area of Appalachian Kentucky found significantly poorer health conditions in the mining community compared to a non-mining area. The mining community reported worse health across multiple organ systems, with higher rates of lifetime and current asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hypertension.

In 2011, a peer-reviewed study found that self-reported cancer rates in counties with mountaintop removal were nearly double those in nearby counties without it. The increased health risks associated with proximity to mountaintop removal were also evident in a 2010 study using geographical information system (GIS) analysis in West Virginia. This study concluded that mountaintop removal significantly increases health risks more than any other coal-mining activity.

The health disparities are not limited to cancer and respiratory diseases. A 2011 study investigating chronic cardiovascular disease mortality found that mortality rates were significantly elevated in areas with mountaintop removal, even after adjusting for poverty and other socioeconomic factors. The study estimated that coal-mining activities contribute to an additional 1,072 annual deaths from cardiovascular diseases, with 703 occurring in mountaintop removal areas.

The environmental hazards and health disparities associated with mountaintop coal mining are well-documented. However, progress in reclaiming and restoring mined lands has been slow, leaving communities near these sites at continued risk of environmental and health issues. Federal law requires companies to take reclamation measures, but the process is often stalled due to factors such as high costs and company bankruptcies.

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