AN ILL WIND - The Secret Threat of Coal Ash

See the whole project at http://www.earthjustice.org/illwind

The Moapa River Indian Reservation, tribal home of the Moapa Band of Paiutes, sits about 30 miles north of Las Vegas and about 300 yards from the coal ash ponds and landfills of the Reid Gardner Power Station. Coal ash is the toxic ash and sludge left at the end of the coal burning process. It's laced with arsenic, mercury, lead and other heavy metals. It's the second largest waste stream in America and it's currently unregulated.

If the conditions are just wrong, coal ash picks up from Reid Gardner and moves across the desert like a toxic sandstorm sending the local residents running for their homes. The reservation has lung, heart and thyroid disease rates that are abnormally high and the power plant is currently seeking to expand its coal ash storage capability.

The film An Ill Wind tells the Paiute Indians' story.

View and interactive presentation of the story at:

http://www.earthjustice.org/illwind

Watch the complete film at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL49Ibc0L88

And learn more about coal ash at:

http://www.earthjustice.org/coalash

Many thanks to the Moapa Band of Paiutes for allowing us to tell this story and to Vinny Spotleson of the Sierra Club and Dan Galpern of the Western Environmental Law Center for helping with the project.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• coal ash
• coal
• moapa
• indian
• health
• earthjustice
• global warming
• native american
• paiute
• reid gardner
• nv evergy
• toxic waste
• epa
• fly ash

[1AndyD]

I love it, mixing their culture with a modern solution to a problem brought about by big, damaging companies. This group, is a strong, powerful group! More power to you!!!

Thanks for posting, EarthJustice!

[rwcbanzai]

This is the electrical power plant south of Laughlin, Nevada along the side of the Colorado River which supplies drinking water to Arizona & Southern California. That coal ash-dust must be falling into our fresh water supply & leaving toxic sediments in Lake Havasu!!!!! The coalSmog also affects the Grand Canyon!!!!

[grandmachristine42]

I wonder why YT won't let me mirror this. I tried another video from this site and that one will, but this one about coal ash will not.

[LeoBertolino]

..." CIVILIZATION"....(?)

Great video message for all to Government...hey c'mon are 500 years of SHAME!!

[Yori38]

Just another example how big industries are killing people and the planet.

[Ahwahneechee]

This is a clear example of how the Government is killing the Moapa Paiutes as they live on "their" own Sovereign Nation! The Government is clearly wrong since this Tribe has an existing partnership with EPA and yet nothing is done to remedy this contamination. I would hate to move from my ancestral homeland so what do you have to do is fight or move. Remember HUD Indian Housing built this community up, for what to breathe the Toxic Air? Sick Government officials wouldnt even live there!

[cadre500]

Since the coal company is responsible for producing these toxins they should be responsible for preventing these toxins from being released into the environment. God bless the residents of the Moapa community and may they find the help they need to stop the Reid Gardner plant from producing anymore pollution. Fossil fuels belong in our past and clean renewable resources belong in our future.

[iamearthbornami]

thank you - love and respect