Think Progress

Coal ash spill may reach Washington, DC.

According to the Maryland Department of the Environment, approximately 4,000 gallons of toxic coal ash has spilled into the North Branch of the Potomac River in Luke, MD. A “dime sized” hole developed in the pipeline on March 8, but was not discovered until the next morning. Pete Altman at the NRDC writes:

I don’t know how long it’ll take for the spill to reach DC proper, but its a hell of a way to send a message about how much we need to regulate the handling of this stuff. All the more reason to thank the Obama Administration for announcing plans to propose federal regulations for coal waste.

coalash.jpg



Featured Comment: FuzzyToedDog Says: Mine site blast causes pond to overflow - Barton, MD

This also just happend over the weekend - 5 miles up the road from Luke, MD.

“Sediment already in the pond was immediately displaced, sending an unspecified amount of the earthen materials down over a hill into a tributary of Moore’s Run and onto the coal haul road.”

This of course goes into the Potomac as well.

78 Responses to “Coal ash spill may reach Washington, DC.”

  1. Hoodathunk says:

    Would it be too much to ask that this ’spill’ reach the Capitol building?


  2. Shayne says:

    That’s some of your “clean coal” right there. Drill, baby, drill.


  3. IgnoranceIsNotBliss says:

    I can’t wait to see how this one is going to be spun.


  4. P.D. says:

    Well, I guess we can’t say their drinking the Kool-Aid anymore. But seriously, this is a travesty. Is it asking too much for corporations to have some responsibility for the citizens? I mean this is their Earth do. What is going to happen when there is no clean water and air? Even the rich will suffer. Talk about shortsighted. WTF?


  5. misshusseinmolly says:

    IgnoranceIsNotBliss Says
    March 10th, 2009 at 12:46 pm

    I can’t wait to see how this one is going to be spun.
    _____________________________________________________________

    I suspect most of the spinners will go with the “it’s not that bad” strategy — look for them to compare this spill to the Tennessee one. And then quickly change the subject when it’s pointed out to them that the Tennessee spill suggests the need for some change.


  6. krystalviews says:

  7. Rich H says:

    “All the more reason to thank the Obama Administration for announcing plans to propose federal regulations for coal waste.”

    You mean there aren’t any?


  8. paleolib says:

    I suggest the Republican caucus demonstrate its collective conviction that the environmental impact of coal is overstated by bathing in the Potomac later this week.


  9. RUCerious says:

    Cue up at least one dumbass troll saying we have the technology to make glass balls out of the ash and store in Nevada…


  10. RUCerious says:

    Gotta wonder if Randy’s Cunningham’s floating hot tub would be filled with ash sludge about now?


  11. FuzzyToedDog says:

    Mine site blast causes pond to overflow – Barton, MD
    http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_068193912.html

    This also just happend over the weekend – 5 miles up the road from Luke, MD.

    “Sediment already in the pond was immediately displaced, sending an unspecified amount of the earthen materials down over a hill into a tributary of Moore’s Run and onto the coal haul road.”

    This of course goes into the Potomac as well.


  12. larkohio says:

    This is not good at all. If the coal companies are not taking care of the problems, the industry has to have some basic health and safety regulations.


  13. williemcdonald says:

    The Truth about Global Warming -The Apocalypse: Page 1 of 7.
    My purpose is to gain support for this report. Global warming-the apocalypse can be stopped, with your help. If not stopped the sun’s heat will dominate this planet’s weather, and generate unusual weather patterns, to the point where the only thing to eat will be other people. The real reason for global warming is the earth’s orbit around the sun is decaying, in other words the earth is moving closer to the sun.

    The earth is a planet that functions like a machine. Like cars, trucks, aircrafts, or rockets. The earth has a fuel system, an engine system, and exhaust system. A car’s engine system generates torque, an aircraft’s engine systems generates thrust, and the earth’s engine system generates a powerful magnetic field, and the earth’s magnetic field protects all life on this planet, and beneath the oceans.

    The earth’s magnetic field keeps the earth at a safe distance from the sun, and the core is the earth’s engine. The earth’s fuel system is referred to as oil wells/ crude oil reservoirs. They are actually self pressurizing fuel cells. Like any machine, if you were to shut off fuel to the engine, the engine will stop operating. The oil company’s crude oil extraction process compromises the earth’s fuel system, and shut off fuel to the earth’s engine (the core), by releasing pressure out of the earth’s fuel system (oil wells). Normally the pressure in a crude oil well/ reservoir is tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of pounds per square inch.

    Under normal circumstance the core (the engine) stays at a constant 5000 to 7000 degrees celsius, and that’s hot enough to melt steel, and the pressure in the core is tens of thousands to hundreds of pounds per square inch. The oil is ignited long before it reaches the core, and enters the core as flames. Crude oil a hydrocarbon, and is capable of generating the temperatures in the core. Hydrocarbons are used to melt, and manufacture steel. The higher the temperature in the core, and the stronger the earth’s magnetic field. The cooler the core, the weaker the earth’s magnetic field. The earth’s engine is being fuel starved, and it is slowly cooling. As the core cools the earth’s magnetic field weakens, and the earth is being pulled closer to the sun.

    Global Warming has nothing to do with green house gases, holes in the ozone, CFC, R-12 refrigerant, and aerosol propellant, etc. Hydrocarbons such as coal are safe to use. The only way to reverse global warming-the apocalypse is for the oil companies to re-pressurize the earth’s fuel systems. One way this can be accomplished, by igniting the methane gas in the fuel cell (oil/ gas well). The ignited gas will expand, and create the pressure need to force the remaining crude oil (fuel) into the core. This is the real cause for global warming, and the only way it can be reversed. Volcanoes are the earth’s exhaust system.

    Volcanoes are designed to rid the core (the earth’s engine) of spent fuel, debris, and they regulate the pressure in the core, which is generated by the combustion, and/ or ignition of crude oil / methane gas. The pressure that’s release from volcanoes are provided by carbon dioxide, nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and the facts are these are all hydrocarbon by-product, including the pressure.
    These gases, and the pressure proves beyond a shadow of doubt, hydrocarbons are being burned in the core of this planet, and lots of it. I believe it crude oil, and/ or methane gas are this planet’s fuel source. Green house gases are not responsible for global warming, it goes beyond green house gases. Something is going wrong with the earth itself, and its obit around the sun, it changing, and not for the better.

    The earth has shifted on it’s axis by 26 degrees, and is wobbling on it’s axis. The earth is moving away from the moon at 4 centimeters each year, and the distance between the earth, and moon has increase by 220,000 miles. A total of 24 leap seconds have been added to the atomic clock over the decades, because the earth rotation has slowed down. 12 noon use to be the hottest part of the day, now it 3 o’clock in the after noon.

    The winters are getting sunny, and warmer from the equator (latitude- zero) to (latitude 29-N, and S), and vice versa. Both polar ice caps are being melted, one at a time, and the oceans are rising. Floods, and tornadoes are developing in winter, from (latitude 29.0 –N, and S) to (latitude 40- N, and S) during each hemisphere’s prospective winters It’s suppose to be too cold for the development tornadoes in January, and February, and there shouldn’t be enough sun rays, and heat for the green house gas theory to be applicable. The same weather is occurring on both sides of the equator from (latitude-29-S to 40-S) in winter. It’s getting noticeably hotter every 15 to 20 years. Look at the facts, and due diligence! Global warming, and the apocalypse are one in the same.

    Written by: Willie McDonald
    cdnld30@gmail.com:
    832-889-2058.
    Copyright-2008.


  14. hanshiro says:

    Officials estimated a “dime sized” hole developed in the pipeline around 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 8, 2009, and was discovered at 6:00 a.m. on March 9, 2009.

    Now, now, it’s not the coal corporation’s fault that the disaster happened during non-office hours. It would be knee-jerk over-regulation to require actual 24-hour monitoring.

    (say it with me…) Who could ever have predicted…


  15. cynicalgirl says:

    Will it be there in time for the Cherry Blossom Festival? How many tourists are expected this year?


  16. hanshiro says:

    15. williemcdonald Says: The Truth about Global Warming -The Apocalypse: Page 1 of 7. My purpose is to gain support for this report.

    You can start by not posting long-winded, off-topic, unrelated diatribes that you could very well have abbreviated and linked to.


  17. RUCerious says:

    WILLIEMAC, Please find some funding for a spaceship to hurl you and your descendents far out into space.


  18. AlGore says:

    How appropriate that FDR’s depression era, government stimulus program, the TVA, would come back and bury Washington DC.

    Now that’s karma baby!


  19. The Dogfather says:

    WillieMac: here’s some free advice — if you want people to spend time reading your off-topic rants, try to proofread them first so they don’t give up after reading two typo-filled sentences…


  20. hanshiro says:

    20.AlGore Says: How appropriate that FDR’s depression era, government stimulus program, the TVA, would come back and bury Washington DC. Now that’s karma baby!

    This wasn’t the TVA, chowderhead…separate, unrelated spill.

    Remember, friends don’t let friends drink and type. But first, go get some friends…


  21. wags says:

    Hydrocarbons power the earth’s core?

    Just when I had thought I’d read the craziest thing ever, something like this comes along…



  22. tombaker says:

    algore – wrong tree. buh-bye.


  23. Yankeluh says:

    It’s Obama’s fault; it’s Obama’s dime sized hole; he tried to socialize the coal ash, wanted to take the coal ash away from those hard working coal companies and give it away to no good bums.
    Isn’t that what Flush Rambo will be saying on his radio show this afternoon?


  24. RUCerious says:

    Gotta ask AlGore if he’s had his delicious sludge smoothie yet today?


  25. Buckie Boy says:

    Tap the river for water for congress and the senate and see how they feel about it.

    Nothing gets done unless it affects them directly or threatens their paycheck, for normal Americans, well they just have to buck up.

    FTR


  26. sacopenapa says:

    …The benefits of “Clean Coal” technology…


  27. belac says:

    Sadly, NewPage Corp., the owner of the coal plant, is fairly green as far as paper companies go… which shows that the Government needs to watchdog ALL industries and companies fairly and equally with clear standards that are actually enforced.

    Will Troll AlGore defend market based ’solutions’ to pollution and argue for more ’self-regulation’ of industry now please.


  28. Buckie Boy says:

    Written by: Willie McDonald

    Crazy much?


  29. belac says:

    Compared to billions and billions of cubic yards of ash dumped by Volcanoes each year. This is very laughable.

    watchdog burned his neighbors house to the ground last week… but he doesn’t see the big deal.

    Compared to the number of homes destroyed by wild-fires every year. This one home was very laughable!

    Tell it to the judge, watchdog.


  30. Shayne says:

    watchdog, maybe you should send your volcano data to Piyush Jindal. Didn’t he laugh at money for monitoring volcanoes? One question though, how many volcanoes are there in Maryland?


  31. wags says:

    Guys, it’s ok to poison our water, nature does it too.


  32. RUCerious says:

    WotchMutt has a point. If Mt Rainier goes off like St Helens did, it would pollute almost every river in what isn’t left of the Northwest. Not that anyone would be around to drink the water…


  33. RUCerious says:

    wags, didn’t Clinton also pollute some water, somewhere? I’m sure I heard a troll say that once.


  34. wags says:

    I bet Carter did too. And JFK, and Lincoln, FDR, Jefferson, Hamilton, Washington, the Brady Bunch, AL Sharpton, and I bet Al Gore has a coal plant in his back yard just dumping fly ash into a nearby creek. Not even generating power, just burning stuff.


  35. belac says:

    watchdog… I’ll make you a deal.

    I’ll stop opposing coal-fired electricity if you agree to drink just one gallon of Coal Ash water a month (75% water, 25% coal ash) that amount is very laughable, I know.

    Deal?


  36. belac says:

    watchdog say:
    Put your words where your mouth is…

    Will you drink the ‘laughable’ coal ash then?


  37. belac says:

    When did we start using gallons to measure ash?

    I know… a gallon a month is laughably small… would you prefer to drink a cubic yard a month?


  38. wags says:

    Liberals only hate the use of coal when it requires zero sacrifice on their part. Put your words where your mouth is and turn your electricity off.
    Thanks, but I generate ~1/2 of my electricity through solar panels and I buy green power from a regional supplier for the rest.

    I’ll keep the lights on.


  39. wags says:

    Now, since the normal utitlity company provides none of my power, yet pollutes my air and water, shouldn’t they pay me?


  40. RUCerious says:

    How about in addition to conserving electricity, we fight for renewable clean sources of energy? And how was that sludge smoothie? Light>? Less Filling? Taste Great?


  41. belac says:

    ruh-roh watchdog…

    wags put words where his or her mouth was and action where his or her action things were and did something about coal-fired electricity.

    Will you drink that cubic-yard yet?


  42. belac says:

    watchdog sez: I find it very hard to believe your house runs completely off of solar cells. Systems that run very small house like 1200 sqft is start around $40000.

    wags says: Thanks, but I generate ~1/2 of my electricity through solar panels and I buy green power from a regional supplier for the rest.

    Is reading hard?

    Besides, if there were a serious investment in green power you’d see the price of solar cells drop dramatically. Remember economies of scale?

    In addition, the distribution of power generation would make America much safer and make it harder to disable whole patches of the power grid due to accidents, weather or attacks… makes sense, huh?


  43. wags says:

    You’ll notice I said half. I purchase the remainder through a regional network of green power providers. My house is ~950 square feet, abuts two other houses and therefore is relatively efficient.

    Since it is small and has favorable solar orientation, much of my lighting is provided by daylighting, and I designed the central stair as a solar chimney, so it’s naturally ventilated (no AC).

    There are also huge incentives to install solar panels, you should look into them. 40k is ridiculous.


  44. wags says:

    I forget what kind of people I am talking to.

    The kind that don’t take kindly to poisoned water.


  45. belac says:

    Do you even know where the largest coal spill happened in the USA?

    Yes.

    And how much coal was spilled along with the effect to the local drinking water?

    5.4 million cubic yards.

    The TVA spokesman said it was ‘barely detectable.’

    Does that mean you’ll drink it?


  46. belac says:

    I mean, you trust the spokesman for the party responsible for the spill, right?

    I’ll wait while you finish that cubic yard. Good Luck!


  47. belac says:

    If you believe the TVA, nothing! Gonna drink that ‘laughable’ cubic yard yet?

    I mean, put your words were your mouth is already!

    There are two main environmental concerns: water contamination from leeched metals or coal-ash sediment and the effects on fish and wildlife because of habitat loss. The sludge has gotten into the Emory River as well as the Clinch, and it is unclear how far the contamination might spread. TVA says it will use skimmers to trap lighter ash floating on the water’s surface.

    Although samples from drinking wells and from public drinking water have been found to be within safe levels, tests of surface and river water closer to the spill showed unsafe levels of some contaminants. On Jan. 6, the EPA found that two out of 16 water samples exceeded the Tennessee Water Quality Criteria for Domestic Supply.

    Tests of ash taken from a road near the site indicated arsenic levels exceeding the EPA Removal Action Level.

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99134153


  48. wags says:

    What was the problem with the drinking water?

    oh nothing…

    In a single year, the coal-fired electric plant in Kingston, Tennessee (40 miles west of Knoxville) deposited more than 2.2 million pounds of toxic materials into a holding pond on the property. That holding pond failed last week, flooding 300 acres in East Tennessee with toxins such as arsenic, lead, barium, chromium and manganese.

    Potential toxins released into the environment include:

    45,000 pounds of arsenic;
    49,000 pounds of lead;
    91,000 pounds of chromium;
    140,000 pounds of manganese;
    1.4 million pounds of barium.
    Potential health problems associated with these toxins, include cancer, liver damage and neurological complications, among other health problems.

    According to the class action lawsuit being filed.


  49. RandomChaos says:

    Watchdog TOOL,
    Independent water quality tests conducted by environmental activists showed arsenic levels as high as 48 times the primary drinking water standard in river water nearest the spill. Coal industry watchdog United Mountain Defense and Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project said January levels of arsenic, lead, selenium, cadmium, beryllium, antimony and copper violated water quality standards and exceeded primary drinking water standards.

    So TOOL, let us know when you finished drinking.
    What an asswipe


  50. wags says:

    Oh, and tell me again how my house cannot get roughly half its annual electricity from a small PV array. You seem to be an expert on the subject.


  51. Trittydi says:

    Who’s kidding who here? We all know why the industry isn’t regulated and why this could and did happen. Re-Thuglic policies pushed through by sociopaths and aided and abetted by Dems.

    And yes – it’s definitely Karmic justice. As terrible as all of this is, I’m really tempted to laugh. I almost wish the entire dam would break. DC is like La-La land anyway – they have no idea what truly hurts and impacts the rest of America. They just pretend they do.
    *


  52. belac says:

    watchdog Says:

    You gonna put ‘words where your mouth is’ yet?

    Great! You believe the TPE, you gonna start drinking a gallon of coal ash water a month or what?


  53. wags says:

    I’ll drink it when you turn your electricity off.

    Didn’t forget me did you? Or the many others that have done the same as I have?


  54. Shayne says:

    How ignorant does somebody have to be to defend companies that cause this type of degradation to surrounding areas.


  55. belac says:

    I’ll drink it when you turn your electricity off.

    Well, since I live in Seattle I don’t really use coal power for electricity… I also participate in the green power program so I pay more for the green power generated by Seattle City Light.

    But for you, I’ll make you a deal.

    You drink the coal ash water and I’ll reduce my power consumption by 10% every month… that’s the amount of power not generated by Hydro in Seattle.

    Now, like I said… I already participate in the green power program so I ‘buy’ 100% of my electricity from green sources but I’m willing to reduce my bill by 10% every month if you’ll drink that gallon of coal ash water every month, deal?

    http://www.seattle.gov/light/FuelMix/

    http://www.seattle.gov/light/Green/greenPower/greenup.asp


  56. wags says:

    And your point would be…what exactly? You say ‘you liberals’ aren’t willing to sacrifice anything for cleaner power. I present myself as an example of someone who has. Then you say, oh well, you’re only one of many.

    Not everyone is able to make the capital investment into a PV system. That doesn’t mean we all wouldn’t.

    Silly us for not wanting sludge dumped into our lakes and streams, and toxins belched into our air. Silly us for wanting alternatives, silly us for wanting controls implemented into existing systems to PREVENT spills like the ones we’re discussing.

    This isn’t an all or nothing battle. Dirty power vs. no power is a false choice.


  57. belac says:

    Where are those words, wathdog?

    Are you eating them yet?


  58. RandomChaos says:

    Watchdog TOOL Troll is not gonna drink shit. Cause its a Lieing worthless POS TOOL. Just like all the other Trolls here, aka.. JK,Timmeh,Archibald, its just “amusing” to them.
    No substance, no truth… JUST TOOL TROLL.


  59. belac says:

    All I am simply saying is look at the progression of man kind and ask yourself are we better of now then lets say, 1000 years ago?

    Yes.
    For example, we no longer need to burn coal for energy.


  60. RandomChaos says:

    Whatchdog TOOL spews:
    All I am simply saying is look at the progression of man kind and ask yourself are we better of now then lets say, 1000 years ago?

    Bwahahahaha….GASPS…..Bwahaahaahaaa….GASPS…Oh my!


  61. wags says:

    How hard was it to build that dam?

    No idea, but you’ve shown us that those goalposts are pretty easy to move.


  62. RandomChaos says:

    Watchdog TOOL spews:
    How hard was it to build that dam?

    About as hard as it is getting your Head out of your ASS!

    You really are pathetic.


  63. belac says:

    How hard was it to build that dam?

    Again, 100% of my power comes from green sources… mostly wind. I pay extra for that. Every month, I put my money where my mouth is.

    When you gonna man up and drink up?


  64. belac says:

    Please explain how in the world you came to the realization that right now America does not need fossil fuels for its electrical needs?
    The world is listening!

    See post #51. The technology exists. It will be much cheaper when people like you stop saying, ‘We aren’t there yet!’

    We no longer have to burn coal for energy… but we do because it’s cheap and we’ve got a lot of it.

    So when you gonna put your words where your mouth is and drink up?


  65. RandomChaos says:

    Netherlands, 36 Offshore Windmill Generators supplying 100,000 homes with ALL electricity needs.

    Doh! but..but… we are not there yet!

    What a pathetic TOOL


  66. wags says:

    Netherlands, 36 Offshore Windmill Generators supplying 100,000 homes with ALL electricity needs.

    And behold the great failure that is socialism!

    /snark


  67. wags says:

    Through solar energy and batteries? What is battery acid composed of?

    Aaaaand again the goalposts are moved.

    Also, the vast majority of grid-connected PV systems don’t use batteries. Wind power uses no batteries. Hydro uses no batteries. Geothermal uses no batteries. Biofuels use no batteries.

    What next?

    “lol u guys can’t use metal cause u have to mine it”


  68. belac says:

    What is battery acid composed of?

    Hey, did you know batteries are getting better, too!
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VRLA

    Oh, and are you a huge pussycat, watchdog? Or are you gonna drink up?


  69. Bobwurst says:

    Watchdog is an imbecile.
    Using his logic, he should either go fight in Iraq or surrender to the gayislamofacisterrorists.

    How about it doggy boy? you gonna go put your ass where your mouth is?


  70. belac says:

    watchdog.

    JFK’s ‘We choose to go to the moon’ speech- 9/12/62
    Armstrong first step on the Moon- 7/2069

    Seven years… what would have happened if Reagan hadn’t removed those White House solar panels and the tax credits for solar panel purchase that Carter put in place?

    Who knows… but don’t tell me ‘We’re not there yet.’

    We weren’t to the moon- took us seven years.


  71. belac says:

    watchdog.

    The 1908 Ford Model T got 25 mpg and would run on bio-fuel, alcohol, diesel… etc.

    Average mpg in 2008? 20.5 mpg.

    Don’t tell me we don’t have the technology.


  72. wiley says:

    This is an argument for regulation and oversight. As long as we’re using coal, we need to do what we can do to prevent these disastrous and ecologically tragic spills. I fear the nuclear industry is doing an equally poor job of maintenance. We simply cannot afford these disasters, and are incapable of restoring what is lost in these toxic spills.


  73. the brown acid says:

    Too bad it wasn’t sewage.


  74. the brown acid says:

    belac Says:

    Don’t you know? watchdog believes the moon landing was faked.


  75. the brown acid says:

    Oh and hydroelectricty profoundly and deleteriously effects aquatic life. It’s not an option.


  76. FuzzyToedDog says:

    My ‘featured comment’ link doesn’t work. See #12 for working link.


  77. belac says:

    Oh and hydroelectricty profoundly and deleteriously effects aquatic life. It’s not an option.

    I agree- that’s why I pay more for the ‘green’ power… but Seattle still gets most of it’s power from Hydro… we need to change that as well as Coal.



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