Journal of Science Policy & Governance
​Volume 20, Issue 01 | March 28, 2022

Policy Memo: Protecting Black and African Americans from Disproportionate Coal Ash Exposure

Julia de Amorim (1), L.M. Bradley (1), Nicholas Harbin (2), Evelyn Kimbrough (3)
  1. Emory University, Laney Graduate School, Department of Biology, Atlanta, GA
  2. ​Emory University, Laney Graduate School, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Atlanta, GA
  3. Emory University, Laney Graduate School, Department of Chemistry, Atlanta, GA
​
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Keywords: power plant; coal ash; CCR; mercury; Black and African Americans; groundwater pollution; high density polyethylene​
https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG200101

Executive Summary

​In 2019, an estimated 20% of the energy produced in Georgia came from coal power plants, producing a staggering 6 million tons of toxic coal ash byproduct (Nuclear Energy Institute, 2020). The improper storage of this coal ash leads to chemicals leaching into the environment, poisoning the people who reside near the power plants and coal ash dump sites (Earth Justice, 2018). Both in the nation and here in Georgia, Black and African American communities are disproportionately harmed by health issues caused by coal ash exposure due to living near coal power plants (Merem, 2016, 1-16). To ensure equitable protection from coal ash across the community, we propose amending the Official Georgia Code to adopt HB431, which implements extensive requirements for obtaining coal ash site permits. We further propose incorporating fines for companies that violate HB431 and using fines to empower affected communities.

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Background header image courtesy of cordpu
Julia de Amorim is a PhD candidate at Emory University in the Biochemistry, Cell, and Developmental Biology program at Emory University. Julia studies RNA surveillance, processing, and degradation and how these fundamental cellular functions intersect with DNA damage repair. She enjoys writing science policy memos and working in a team to develop evidence-based proposals targeted towards conservation and equity. Julia plans on pursuing a career in science policy after earning her PhD.

LM Bradley is a PhD candidate at Emory University in disease ecology, studying how pulses of nutrient pollution into freshwater bodies impact human parasite infection risk. LM aims to build and experimentally test models that predict how ecological management actions will affect disease outcomes, and broadly hopes to generate fundamental biological knowledge that can better inform management/policy decisions.

Nicholas (Nick) Harbin is a PhD candidate in the Molecular and Systems Pharmacology program at Emory University. He is currently studying the underlying mechanisms of seizure susceptibility and pathological mechanisms that occur after a major seizure event. Outside of the lab, Nick engages in science policy and communication with the Emory Science Advocacy Network (EScAN) and plans to pursue a career in science policy and writing after graduation.

Evelyn Kimbrough is a PhD candidate in the chemistry department at Emory University. She works in a structural biology lab where she studies the effects of tRNA modifications on translational fidelity, and how these effects can be manipulated to subvert the genetic code. For the past couple of years, she has been the Emory Science Advocacy Network’s Vice President of Communications and wants to have a career where she can work to make science more accessible, understandable, and relevant to nonscientists. She received a B.S. in Chemistry with a Biological emphasis and a Physics Minor at the University of Utah in 2017.

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