Contaminants including boron, arsenic and cobalt have leached out of coal ash ponds in Georgia and into groundwater, according to an analysis released by environmental groups on Thursday.
Coal ash is a byproduct from burning coal for electricity, and there are tens of millions of tons of it in Georgia. While Georgia Power has committed to closing its coal ash ponds, and is ahead of schedule on the process, according to the company, the environmental groups want the company to do more.
In the past, coal ash has been stored mixed with water in big, open pits, called coal ash ponds. In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rolled out a rule requiring utilities to store it more safely, and also to begin groundwater monitoring, and to post its findings.
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