Gary Lamp, a Jacksonville truck driver who spends much of his working life near coal ash disposal sites, spoke directly to the EPA during a public hearing: "I worry about what people are breathing in and what may already be getting into our groundwater and environment." His concern cuts to the heart of why more than 13,000 residents in Duval County are watching the federal government's next move so carefully.
Coal ash—the toxic residue left behind after burning coal—is a crisis that doesn't make headlines until someone's water turns brown or a child's test results come back alarming. The substance contains arsenic, mercury, lead, and selenium, heavy metals that can contaminate drinking water supplies and trigger cancer, neurological damage, and serious illness. In Jacksonville, that ash sits near two major facilities: JEA's Northside Generating Station and the former St. Johns River Power Park. The families living within three miles of these sites are mostly working-class neighborhoods and communities of color—communities that have historically borne the heaviest burden of industrial pollution.
Yesterday, Jacksonville residents joined environmental advocates and leaders from across the country at an EPA public hearing to fight back against a proposed rollback of the Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) rule. The hearing stretched beyond eight hours as participant after participant testified about the ongoing impacts of coal ash pollution not just in Jacksonville, but nationwide. They urged the EPA to strengthen, not weaken, the safeguards protecting neighborhoods from coal ash contamination.
Raul Kahle, a local community volunteer, voiced what many were thinking: "It's dumbfounding that the EPA would decrease safety regulations rather than increase them." He called on the EPA to uphold its foundational mission. Carolina Gutfrend, a GenCLEO campus organizer and recent University of South Florida graduate, made the generational case: "Decisions made by the EPA will impact the rest of her generation's lives." She implored federal officials to protect clean air and water and prevent coal ash catastrophes in Florida.
Suzanne Sapp, Sierra Club Beyond Coal Senior Organizer, cut through the bureaucracy with clarity. "Jacksonville residents should not be treated as expendable while utilities avoid accountability for toxic waste," she said. "The people of Jacksonville and across our nation deserve better." Throughout the hearing, speakers hammered on the same core message: the EPA should be strengthening protections, not rolling them back. They demanded stronger monitoring, tougher cleanup requirements, full transparency, and real accountability from utilities like JEA.
Coal ash contamination is not a distant environmental concern—it threatens groundwater, public health, and the St. Johns River, a waterway that Jacksonville residents depend on. The health consequences are documented and severe. Yet the EPA is considering weakening the very rules designed to prevent this contamination from spreading further.
The clock is ticking. The EPA will accept public comments until June 12, according to its website. That deadline marks a critical moment: will the federal agency strengthen protections for communities already living with the consequences of coal ash pollution, or will it prioritize utility convenience over residents' health?