An organization of doctors joined an environmental group Thursday to encourage the EPA to adopt tougher regulations for coal ash waste, which they say is toxic. The 1.2 billion-gallon spill of wet coal ash from a breached dam near Kingston, Tenn., just before Christmas 2008 received national attention, but it didn't reveal the full dimensions of the health threats from coal ash waste, according to Dr. Peter Wilk, executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Yesterday Earthjustice and Physicians for Social Responsibility released a detailed report entitled Coal Ash: The Toxic Threat to Our Health and Environment. The Kansas City region has some seven or eight coal ash disposal sites. Coal ash is toxic.

An organization of doctors and other health professionals joined with environmentalists to release a report today detailing concerns that the leakage of toxic substances including arsenic from coal ash ponds and landfills is contaminating underground aquifers and drinking water supplies and endangering human health across the country.

An organization of doctors and other health professionals joined with environmentalists to release a report today detailing concerns that the leakage of toxic substances including arsenic from coal ash ponds and landfills is contaminating underground aquifers and drinking water supplies and endangering human health across the country.

PSR member Dr. Karen Lewis spoke in support of labeling coal ash as hazardous waste at an EPA hearing in Dallas this week.

PSR testified recently before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the health risks associated with coal ash, at the first of seven EPA hearings on disposal of this dangerous coal combustion waste product.

PSR's Barbara Gottlieb testified at an EPA hearing, urging the government to regulate dangerous coal ash.

Dr. Roberta Richardson, president of Colorado PSR, discusses the health impacts of toxic coal ash.

Oregon PSR President Dr. Catherine Thomasson explains the dangers of coal ash.

Coal ash, the residue left over after coal is burned, contains some of the world’s deadliest toxics: arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, selenium and others. PSR urges its members to submit comments to the Environmental Protection Agency, insisting on strict federal regulation of coal ash disposal sites that now leak deadly toxics into the environment and drinking water.

Washington PSR President Steven Gilbert discusses a recent Washington state coal agreement in this op-ed.

Dr. Steven Gilbert of Washington PSR discusses the health effects of mercury emissions from coal plants.

An opinion piece on a Colorado coal plant cites PSR's recent "Coal's Assault on America's Health" report.

Student PSR and other groups at the University of Iowa are urging the school to stop burning coal at the campus power plant.

The Physicians for Social Responsibility recently found that coal "contributes to four of the top five causes of mortality in the U.S. and is responsible for increasing the incidence of major diseases."

An interview with PSR's Dr. Alan Lockwood on coal's effect on health and the recent "Coal's Assault on Human Health" report, which he authored.

Greenpeace-Chile has invited Dr. Alan Lockwood to present a recently released report from the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization Physicians for Social Responsibility about the negative health effects of coal-based energy.

A letter to the editor on Earth Day quotes PSR's recent "Coal's Assault on Human Health" report.

The fight to stop coal brings together the health impacts with the environmental damage to create a serious environmental justice issue. See a profile of that movement in this new article from The Nation.

It's deadly, it’s America's second-biggest river of industrial waste, and it’s barely regulated. Read Jeff Goodell, noted author of Big Coal, on coal ash.