NextPittsburgh.com
The Greater Pittsburgh area has worked diligently to restore and improve areas affected by pollution caused by power plants and steel mills. However, researchers found that groundwater near GenOn’s plant contained arsenic levels 372 times higher than the U.S. EPA’s safety threshold and lithium levels 54 times higher. 70% of coal ash ponds that are close to groundwater are located in communities that are mostly Black or brown. While the New Castle plant is in the top 10 list, it was previously considered the fifth most contaminated coal ash site in the country in 2019.