Bubbling water with a strong odor and high levels of #arsenic has been slowly trickling into the James River through underground sediment. Banks of the river have become burnt orange due to large quantities of iron mixing in with the brown earth. These issues have not gone unnoticed.
Several #coalash ponds owned by Dominion Power have been leaking contaminated water into vital watersheds around the country. Two of them located just feet away from the James River in #Chesterfield have been creating problems.
“The General Assembly has been hesitant to tackle this issue in any kind of a full measure,” said Ben Watson the staff scientist for the #JRA. He and other members of the association are working to test the water for high levels of toxins as well as inform the public in the event of unsafe swimming waters.
The JRA is working with several organizations including the Southern Environmental Law Commission to put together a case to show that there is a direct, hydrological connection to the pollution emitting from the unlined pits.
Because the coal ash ponds are unlined, it allows #toxins to seep directly into the neighboring river. Some of the toxins include arsenic, mercury, calcium and iron.
Program director for the JRA Shawn Ralston works directly with advocacy on behalf of the association. She received her undergraduate in law for local governments and her masters in ocean and coastal policy.
She and other members of the association are currently lobbying in the General Assembly to get tighter regulations on longterm storage for coal ash. This includes proper lining of ponds and corrective action in the event that waste leaks out.
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