YOU.

>> BURNING COAL FOR POWER CREATES A BYPRODUCT CALLED COAL ASH, KIND OF LIKE THE RESIDUE LEFT BEHIND WHEN YOU BURN CHARCOAL.

COAL ASH CONTAINS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS MATERIAL LIKE ARSENIC, MERCURY , AND IT CAN ENDANGER NEARBY WATER SUPPLIES.

STATE LAWMAKERS WANT TO FORCE THE OWNER OF A DECOMMISSIONED GENERATION STATION TO CLEAN UP ALL OF THE COAL ASH LEFT BEHIND.

THAT EFFORT COMES AS FEDERAL REGULATORS ARE ALSO EYEING TOUGHER RULES.

>> Reporter: COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS USE A LOT OF WATER TO KEEP THE EQUIPMENT COOL, THAT IS WHY THEY ARE OFTEN YOUR BODIES OF WATER LIKE LAKE MICHIGAN.

>> THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS HAVE A CATASTROPHE ON THE LAKE THAT IS GOING TO IMPACT THE DRINKING WATER.

>> Reporter: FOR YEARS, ORGANIZERS WITH LAKE COUNTY FOUGHT TO CLOSE THE MIDWEST GENERATION POWER PLANT IN WAUKEGAN, NOW THEY ARE FIGHTING TO GET THE COMPANY TO CLEAN UP ALL OF THE COAL ASH LEFT BEHIND.

>> THEY WANT TO LEAVE IT IN PLACE.

I FEEL LIKE IT'S KIND OF LIKE LEAVING A TICKING TIME BOMB.

>> Reporter: THOSE PONDS ARE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY, JUST A FEW HUNDRED FEET FROM LAKE MICHIGAN.

THE OWNER AT NRG WANTS TO ADDRESS THE TWO PONDS, ADVOCATES NOTE THERE'S ALSO A LANDFILL ON SITE.

>> I WANT TO BE PROACTIVE, NOT REACTIVE.

>> Reporter: THIS STATE LAWMAKER IS SPONSORING A BILL THAT WOULD FORCE THEM TO REMOVE ALL OF THE COAL ASH FROM THE WAUKEGAN FACILITY, WHICH THEY ARE NOT CURRENTLY REQUIRED TO DO.

>> IT'S NOT THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT, IT'S THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT.

>> Reporter: IN A STATEMENT, THE PLANT OWNER DEFENDS THE PLAN TO REMOVE THE ASH FROM ANOTHER POND, CONTRARY TO A MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN DRIVEN BY A SMALL BUT VOCAL GROUP WHO DO NOT TRUST THE REGULATORY PROCESS, THE PLAN IS SCIENTIFICALLY AND HISTORICALLY PROVEN TO BE A SAFE, SOUND, AND EFFECTIVE WAY TO PROTECT GROUNDWATER IN WAUKEGAN FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

>> THERE ARE OTHER COAL ASH SITES ALONG LAKE MICHIGAN THAT HAVE BEEN CLOSED, AND THERE HAS BEEN NO ISSUES WITH THAT.

>> Reporter: DONNA BEN GRIFFIS IS WITH THE MANUFACTURER'S ASSOCIATION WHICH ARGUES COAL ASH REGULATION SHOULD BE STATED BY THE EPA , NOT LAWMAKERS.

>> THEY ARE THE EXPERTS, THEY SHOULD MAKE THAT DETERMINATION, NOT JUST ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY.

>> Reporter: THE REGULATION OF ELEMENTS IN THE EXISTING REGULATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN IN PLACE LONG ENOUGH TO ASSESS THEIR EFFECTIVENESS.

THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY IS CONSIDERING TIGHTENING ITS REGULATIONS ON COAL ASH LANDFILL.

FEDERAL RULES DON'T MANDATE CLEANUP OF SITES THAT STOPPED RECEIVING THE BYPRODUCT FOR 2015, WHEN THE CURRENT REGULATION WENT INTO PLACE.

JENNIFER IS THE SENIOR ATTORNEY , THAT ORGANIZATION DID A STUDY OF COAL ASH LEFT BEHIND ACROSS THE U.S. >> IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S ABOUT A HALF 1 BILLION TONS OF COAL ASH IN THOSE ACTIVE LANDFILLS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

>> Reporter: THAT IS WHY EARTH JUSTICE LED A LAWSUIT AIMED AT FORCING THEM TO REGULATE ALL COAL ASH LANDFILL.

THE CARCINOGENIC AND NEUROTOXIC MATERIAL IN THE ASH CAN SEEP INTO THE GROUNDWATER AND MANY PONDS AND LANDFILLS MAY NOT BE STRUCTURALLY SOUND.

>> WE THINK THE EVIDENCE IS GOING TO BE CLEAR, THAT THEY DO POSE A RISK TO HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND IT NEEDS TO BE REGULATED.

>> Reporter: MORE ACTION AT THE STATE LEVEL IS CRITICAL FOR PLACES LIKE WAUKEGAN WHICH IS ALREADY HOME TO FIVE EPA DESIGNATED SUPERFUND SITES CONTAMINATED WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIAL.

>> WE JUST WANT TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY TO STRIVE IN.

>>> THE WAUKEGAN BILL HAS CLEARED A HOUSE COMMITTEE, IF IT IS PASSED BY THE HOUSE, IT