Brian Merchant writes:
A little while back, news spread that the Deptartment of Homeland Security was refusing to reveal the locations of 44 coal ash dump sites--on the grounds that it was a matter of national security.
Now, the EPA has revealed the locations of the sites that have a 'high hazard rating'--ash dumps sites where, if a spill were to occur, would likely lead to the deaths of nearby residents. And the list's revealing came none too soon--many found the DOH's argument that the knowledge of ash dump locations could be a threat to security was flimsy at best and downright suspicious at worst. But though the report lists the locations of the potentially life-threatening sites, it still leaves plenty of pertinent information out. Like, for instance, whether or not the structural integrity of the dams currently holding the toxic ash is sound or not.
And there are still questions regarding the accuracy and thoroughness of the list, too: From the NY Times: "T.V.A. ranked its own dams, and it didn’t rank any of its dams ‘high hazard,’ ” said Lisa Evans, a lawyer for Earthjustice.
A spokeswoman for the authority, Barbara Martocci, said she did not know who had classified the sites on the list.
link: EPA Reveals Locations of 44 Potentially Deadly Coal Ash Dumps : TreeHugger
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