INSATIABLE THIRST : How Coal Consumes and Contaminates Our Water

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Published on:

06 Dec 2015, 7:42 am

3 min read

The 2008 Kingston coal ash spill in Tennessee, USA dumped 3.8 billion litres of coal ash slurry into the Emory River. Photo: Dot Griffith

One of our planet’s scarcest natural resources - safe, affordable and accessible water - is under threat from the coal industry. Vast amounts of freshwater are consumed and polluted during coal mining, transport and power generation. A typical 1000 MW coal plant in Indiauses enough water in one year to meet the basic water needs of nearly 700,000 people. Globally, coal plants consume about 8% of our total water demand. The coal industry’s thirst for water is particularly concerning given that some of the largest coal producing and consuming countries, including India, China, Australia and South Africa, already face water stress and are currently planning enormous build-outs of their coal industries.

Coal is also a major polluter. Every stage of the coal life cycle pollutes water with heavy metals and other toxins at levels that significantly harm humans and wildlife. Exposure to this toxic stew has increased the rates of human birth defects, disease and premature deaths. The impacts on wildlife are similar. Often colourless and out of public view, the contaminants from the coal life cycle are an invisible menace to our health and environment.

Part 1: A Vast Consumer of Water

MINING AND PREPARATION

COMBUSTION

THIRSTY COOLING SYSTEMS

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ESCALATING WATER CONFLICTS

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PART 2: How The Coal Life Cycle Pollutes Our Water

MINING

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PREPARATION

Coal slurry contains high quantities of heavy metals and organic compounds, which can cause cancer and harm the development of foetuses. Most slurry ponds are unlined, allowing chemicals to leach into ground and surface water.

Dams that impound slurry ponds are often built quickly without adequate protections to ensure their safety and structural integrity. When coal slurry dams fail, they can spill millions of litres of toxic coal sludge, poisoning land and contaminating rivers and streams. In October 2013, an earthen dam broke, releasing 670 million litres of coal slurry into tributaries of Canada’s Athabasca River. The spill contained high concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead, forcing the government to warn communities not to use the river water until the slurry passed downstream.