Imagine you live in a place where your surrounding environment was as toxic as smoking 20 packs of cigarettes a day.  Imagine you are completely unsuspecting that the water you drink, the air you breathe, the food you eat all have traces of harmful metals and chemicals. Sounds like some horrific story out of Erin Brockovich, but it’s precisely what’s happening across the country.

Check this video of a couple in West Virginia whose water LIGHTS on FIRE:

A new study found 39 new toxic ash dumping sites from coal plant waste in 21 different states, including right here in Texas.  Basically coal plants everywhere are dumping their toxic sludge improperly and contaminating drinking water with arsenic and other heavy metals.

Did you know that Texas does not regulate coal ash dumping?

Did you know that Texas has 18 coal-fire plants, some of which are close to Austin?  The Fayette Power Plant, 60 miles southeast of Austin, was recently  found to have contaminated surrounding groundwater with levels of arsenic and lead exceeding the federal health-based standards for drinking water.  So far over 25 private drinking wells and over five public drinking wells have been discovered to be contaminated near Fayette.  It’s difficult to determine exactly how many other wells or areas have been affected.  Additionally there’s no telling if the other 17 plants in Texas are conducting similar business practices.

So is Austin’s water contaminated?

What about our neighbors?

I thought this dirty business of corporations massively polluting and endangering the lives of citizens was a thing of the past.  Didn’t we figure out by now that the environment needs to be protected by law?  I mean it’s not very difficult to understand.  We’ve established that chemicals and toxic pollutants mixed with our natural environment is no bueno.  SO WHY ARE STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES NOT RESPONDING TO THESE CRIMES?

If I were to dump toxic chemicals into your family’s water resource, shouldn’t I be held accountable for quietly poisoning you?  So why isn’t Texas holding coal fire plants accountable for their bad behavior?

Texas Coal Ash Hearings:  How You Can Help

Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 8th, 2010, hearings will be held in Dallas.  The Battle?  We need to make sure that we convince the EPA to enforce regulations for coal companies to dispose of their waste properly and begin cleaning up their nastiness.  Someone needs to protect our people and our environment from harmful toxins. There’s already a carpool and shuttle setup. You can also sign The Petition to protect our communities from coal ash.

Here’s a little more about coal ash, why it’s dangerous and how it affects Texans:

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