The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that state records show that a pond where coal ash has been dumped from the plant has been leaking since 1992. Further, there have been no tests in the area for contamination, nor has the state required them to do so. A report prepared by Washington University Professor Robert Criss identified several dozen private wells along the bluffs near Labadie Bottoms that could be at risk of contamination. The report also warns that contaminates could make their way into drinking water for residents of the town.
Coal Ash is the waste from coal that is burned to create electricity. We previously blogged about a joint project by various environmental groups which had found that people living near unlined coal ash ponds have a 1 in 50 risk of cancer, which is more than 2,000 times higher than what the EPA considers acceptable.