NYT: “Coal Ash Spill Is Much Larger Than Initially Estimated“

Initially authorities said there were 2.6 million cubic yards of ash in the pond, and 1.7 million spilled. Now they’re saying 5.4 million cubic yards have spilled — more than double the original estimate of the total in the pond. Fills you with trust in the authorities, doesn’t it?

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Everyone should already know this, but it’s worth pointing out anyway: no method of burning coal eliminates the problem of coal ash. There is no “clean coal” that doesn’t produce millions of tons of toxic sludge, just as there is not yet any form of coal that doesn’t send millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.

There is no clean coal.

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