Kiss my ash

I mentioned earlier this week that I was going to rant about the power companies.  It doesn't have to do with the length of time that many customers suffered without power during the recent ice storm.  It has to do with coal ash and their handling of this known pollutant.  I'm am different from most.  I am a proponent of coal fired electricity plants.  Technology is now to the point that burning coal to generate electricity doesn't pollute the air as it once did.  And coal mining is a huge source of jobs for many parts of the country that would suffer without them.  My rant is about the handling of coal ash.  This is the residual coal that remains after it is burnt.  The typical handling of this ash is to put into a pond on the site of the power plant.  Now remember most coal fired plants are on major rivers due to the ease that coal can be transported on the water.  Putting this residue in a pond next to a river is not smart.  Even less smart if how careless the power companies are with this poison.  Recently in southern Virginia a metal pipe under an ash pond corroded and spilled tons of ash into a river.  It leaked for days.  They now say ash is at the bottom of this river for up to 60 miles downstream from where the spill occurred.  This is inexcusable.  Why didn't they have a better plan to dispose of the ash?  To top if all off is the fact that the leader of that company is demanding that customers foot the bill for the clean-up of ash ponds at other sites through increased rates.  Not cool sir.  Admit your mistake and clean up your own mess.  Blatant disregard for people, wildlife, and the environment in the communities where they have an obvious monopoly should be criminal.  Thanks for hearing me out.

Until tomorrow.
Dave