Environmental advocates are mobilizing to oppose the Trump administration's rollback of coal ash regulations, citing severe health and environmental consequences for nearby communities.
Lisa Cassel, a veteran campaigner, warns that climate change-amplified storms heighten risks from coal ash pollution. She notes elevated cancer rates among residents living near coal ash dumps, saying, 'EPA, you know the record. You made the record.'
University of Mississippi professor Kristina Zierold links coal ash exposure in children to depression and poor academic performance. Her NIH-funded research since 2015 shows cascading effects into adulthood, including suicide risk.
Brianna Knisley of Appalachian Voices highlights the 2008 Kingston Fossil Plant spill, one of the worst US industrial disasters. Cleanup workers, denied protective gear, suffered illness and death.
Angie Mummaw, living near Tennessee's Cumberland Fossil Plant, opposes treating communities as 'sacrifice zones.' She condemns coal ash used in children's ball fields and playgrounds.
Critics argue that without strong federal oversight, states and utilities will fail to protect public health.