"Eleven environmental organizations are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to force it to better regulate toxic coal ash and citing recent groundwater contamination at 29 coal ash dump sites in 16 states, including two in Western Pennsylvania."

"According to the EPA's own data, coal ash has caused contamination of groundwater at coal-fired power plants in Homer City, Indiana County, and near New Castle, Lawrence County.

Earthjustice, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the other groups Thursday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., said in a release that the EPA hasn't updated coal ash disposal and control regulations in more than 30 years and that it continues to delay new rules despite recent evidence of 'leaking waste ponds, poisoned groundwater supplies and threats to public health.'

Coal ash is produced mainly by coal-fired power plants and contains a mixture of toxic chemicals and compounds, Earthjustice said, including arsenic, lead, hexavalent chromium, manganese, mercury, selenium and cadmium."

Don Hopey reports for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette April 6, 2012. [2]