>> Sreenivasan: TONIGHT, WE'RE

CONTINUING OUR SPECIAL SERIES

EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE

CHANGE ON STATES BORDERING THE

MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

YESTERDAY, WE BROUGHT YOU

STORIES FROM MINNESOTA AND IOWA.

TODAY WE TRAVEL FROM MISSOURI TO

LOUISIANA WITH REPORTING ON THE

ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC

HAZARDS OF RISING WATERS.

WE BEGIN IN LABADIE, MISSOURI,

WHERE ONE OF THOSE HAZARDS IS

COAL ASH, THE RESIDUE CREATED

WHEN COAL IS BURNED.

THE U.S. PRODUCES MORE THAN 100

MILLION TONS OF COAL ASH EVERY

YEAR, AND STORING IT CARRIES THE

POTENTIAL FOR TOXIC MATERIALS

LEACHING INTO GROUNDWATER.

NEWSHOUR WEEKEND'S IVETTE

FELICIANO HAS OUR STORY.

THIS SPECIAL SERIES IS PART OF

OUR INITIATIVE: PERIL AND

PROMISE: THE CHALLENGE OF

CLIMATE CHANGE, AND IS PRODUCED

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEXUS MEDIA

NEWS, A NON-PROFIT NEWS

ORGANIZATION.

>> Reporter: LABADIE, MISSOURI,

A TOWN OF JUST OVER 3,000, SITS

ON THE SOUTHERN BANK OF THE

MISSOURI RIVER.

A NOTABLE SIGHT IS THE LABADIE

POWER PLANT-- THE LARGEST COAL

BURNING PLANT IN THE STATE.

IT'S OWNED BY AMEREN--

MISSOURI'S BIGGEST ENERGY

SUPPLIER.

IN BURNING COAL, THE PLANT

PRODUCES A BYPRODUCT: COAL ASH.

BOTH THE PLANT AND THE ASH STAND

IN WHAT'S CALLED A FLOODPLAIN--

AN AREA NEXT TO A RIVER OR

STREAM THAT IS PRONE TO FLOODING

DURING STORMS.

THAT'S A POINT OF CONCERN FOR

SOME HERE, BECAUSE COAL ASH IS

KNOWN TO CONTAIN HEAVY METALS--

LIKE ARSENIC, CHROMIUM, AND

LEAD-- WHICH CAN CAUSE CANCER,

RESPIRATORY DISEASE, AND

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN

HUMANS.

>> EARLIER THIS YEAR, THERE WAS

AT LEAST 10-15 FEET OF WATER

STANDING AT THIS LOCATION.

SO IMAGINE THAT OVER THIS ENTIRE

AREA.

>> Reporter: PATRICIA SCHUBA IS

A RESIDENT OF LABADIE AND THE

FOUNDER OF THE GRASSROOTS NON-

PROFIT, LABADIE ENVIRONMENTAL

ORGANIZATION.

DOES THE LOCATION OF THESE COAL

ASH SITES CONCERN YOU?

>> IT ABSOLUTELY DOES.

BECAUSE FLOODPLAINS ARE USED FOR

FILTERING WATER.

AND SO, TO HAVE THAT WASTE THAT

CONTAINS HEAVY METALS AND

CARCINOGENS SITTING IN THE WATER

TABLE IS REALLY NOT GOOD.

>> Reporter: WHEN IT OPENED IN

1970, THE LABADIE POWER PLANT

STORED COAL ASH IN BASINS CALLED

ASH PONDS DUG NEXT TO THE PLANT.

THE ASH IN ONE OF THOSE PONDS

HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE

GROUNDWATER BENEATH FOR ALMOST

50 YEARS.

GROUNDWATER IS HELD IN A POROUS

NETWORK OF ROCKS BENEATH THE

EARTH'S SURFACE CALLED AN

AQUIFER.

AMEREN SAYS THE GROUNDWATER

FOUND BENEATH THE LABADIE PLANT

IS NOT USED FOR DRINKING WATER,

AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY HAS SEPARATE

CONTAMINATION STANDARDS FOR

GROUNDWATER BENEATH A PUBLIC

UTILITY, AND GROUNDWATER USED

FOR DRINKING.

AMEREN'S REPORTS INDICATE THAT

MOST OF THE CONTAMINANTS IN THE

GROUNDWATER BENEATH THE ASH

PONDS FALL WITHIN THE E.P.A.

STANDARDS FOR UTILITY COMPANIES.

IN 2016, AMEREN BUILT A 166-ACRE

COAL ASH LANDFILL ON THE OTHER

SIDE OF THE PLANT FROM THE

PONDS.

THE LANDFILL IS LINED AT THE

BOTTOM TO PROTECT AGAINST

CONTAMINATING THE GROUNDWATER

BENEATH IT.

BOTH THE PONDS AND THE LANDFILL

ARE SURROUNDED BY LARGE BERMS

THAT PROTECT THEM FROM FLOOD

WATERS.

BUT SCHUBA WORRIES THAT RISING

WATER LEVELS COULD EVENTUALLY

TOP THOSE BERMS, SPREADING

TOXINS FROM THE ASH AWAY FROM

THE PLANT AND TOWARDS

RESIDENTIAL WATER SOURCES.

>> WITH CLIMATE CHANGE

INCREASING THE RISK OF

SIGNIFICANT STORMS, RAINFALLS,

FLASH FLOODS, AND FLOODING IN

OUR FLOODPLAINS OVER WEEKS AND

SOMETIMES MONTHS, THE RISK IS

THAT THAT MATERIAL WILL BE IN

CONTACT WITH OUR DRINKING WATER

ALL THE TIME.

AND THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE AT

RISK OF BEING EXPOSED TO THOSE

COAL WASTE TOXINS THAT CLEARLY

CAN CAUSE DISEASE.

>> Reporter: LABADIE AND THE

REST OF THE ST. LOUIS AREA SIT

AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE

MISSOURI AND THE MISSISSIPPI--

THE TWO LONGEST RIVERS IN

THE U.S.

THE AREA IS HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE

TO FLOODING FROM THESE AND

OTHER SMALLER TRIBUTARIES.

ROBERT CRISS IS A HYDROGEOLOGIST

AT ST. LOUIS'S WASHINGTON

UNIVERSITY.

HE SAYS THAT GROUNDWATER PLAYS A

BIG ROLE IN THE AREA'S FLOODS.

>> WHEN IT RAINS, YOU SEE THE

RIVERS GO UP, ESPECIALLY THE

SMALL STREAMS.

WELL, YOU-- YOU THINK THAT'S THE

IMMEDIATE RAINFALL, THIS NOTION

OF OVERLAND FLOW.

AND SOMETIMES THAT'S TRUE.

BUT A REALLY LARGE COMPONENT OF

THAT FLOW IS DISPLACED

GROUNDWATER, THAT'S BEEN IN THE

SYSTEM A LONG TIME.

SO IT RAINS, AND YOU PUSH OUT

THE OLD WATER.

>> Reporter: IN ADDITION TO THE

LABADIE PLANT, AMEREN OWNS AND

OPERATES THREE OTHER COAL PLANTS

IN THE REGION.

ALL ARE BUILT AND STORE COAL ASH

ALONG FLOODPLAINS-- EITHER IN

PONDS OR SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS.

CRISS SAYS THAT STORING ASH

IN A FLOODPLAIN PUTS THE AREA'S

AQUIFER AT GREAT RISK.

>> THE GROUNDWATER IN THE

ALLUVIAL FLOODPLAINS RESPONDS ON

A DAILY BASIS TO THE WATER LEVEL

IN THE RIVER.

THE WATER CAN COME AND GO.

IT CAN MOVE MORE THAN 100 YARDS

A DAY, AND ANY PERCOLATING WASTE

WILL GET INTO THE WATER AND MOVE

IT OUT THROUGH THE AQUIFER AND

SO FORTH.

>> Reporter: AND RIVERS HAVE

BEEN RISING MORE AND MORE OFTEN

IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA.

THIS PAST SPRING, THE REGION WAS

HIT BY ITS BIGGEST FLOOD IN MORE

THAN 25 YEARS.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS LINK

THE FLOODING TO AN INCREASE IN

STORMS CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.

RACHEL BARTELS HEADS THE

MISSOURI CHAPTER OF THE

WATERKEEPERS ALLIANCE-- AN

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT

MONITORS THE WATER QUALITY OF

RIVERS AND STREAMS.

>> ST. LOUIS AND, I THINK, THE

MIDWEST IN GENERAL HAS ALWAYS

HAD SOMEWHAT ERRATIC WEATHER.

BUT IT HAS DEFINITELY-- THE

STORMS HAVE INCREASED.

AND THE INTENSITY OF THE STORMS

HAS INCREASED, AS WELL.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD MAJOR

FLOODING EVENTS IN THE LAST FEW

YEARS.

THEY-- YOU KNOW, THEY'RE CALLED

100-YEAR FLOODS FOR A REASON.

>> Reporter: BETWEEN MARCH AND

JULY LAST YEAR, WATER LEVELS

NEAR THE LABADIE PLANT ROSE BY

ALMOST 20 FEET.

BARTELS AND MEMBERS OF HER GROUP

TOOK AERIAL PHOTOS.

>> THE COAL PLANT WAS AN ISLAND.

YOU KNOW, AND KNOWING WHAT WE

KNOW ABOUT WATER, IT JUST-- I

MEAN, YOU LOOK AT IT, IT WAS

SO-- SUCH A POWERFUL REMINDER

THAT IT IS NOT THE PLACE TO BE

STORING THIS TOXIC WASTE.

>> Reporter: BUT WHILE FLOOD

WATERS DID RISE NEAR THE LABADIE

PLANT, THEY NEVER TOPPED THE

BERMS SURROUNDING THE COAL ASH.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO WARREN WOOD,

AMEREN'S VICE PRESIDENT OF

LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY

AFFAIRS.

>> FORTUNATELY, IN OUR DIFFERENT

BASINS, THEY'VE BEEN DESIGNED

WITH DIFFERENT PERIMETER BERMS.

WE HAVE WATER TREATMENT IN THE

EVENT ANY WATER DOES GET INTO

THE BASINS.

AND HERE AT LABADIE, WE HAVEN'T

HAD ANY FLOODING THAT GOT INTO

ANY OF THE BASINS.

AND SO THE BERMS HAVE BEEN, YOU

KNOW, PERFORMED AS DESIGNED AND

WE HAVEN'T HAD FLOODING IN OUR

BASINS.

>> Reporter: IN ACCORDANCE WITH

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

RULES, AMEREN USES INDEPENDENT

CONSULTANTS TO MONITOR THE

GROUNDWATER AROUND ITS PROPERTY

AT WELLS LIKE THIS ONE.

IN ADDITION, AMEREN'S

CONSULTANTS ANALYZE GROUNDWATER

CLOSE TO HOMES NEAR THE PLANT,

AS WELL AS THE SURFACE WATER OF

THE MISSOURI RIVER THAT FLOWS

NEXT TO IT.

IT SAYS NONE OF ITS SAMPLES

EXCEED THE E.P.A.'S GROUNDWATER

PROTECTION STANDARDS.

>> WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY IMPACTS OF

GROUNDWATER ON ANY OF THE-- THE

GROUNDWATER CHECKS AROUND OUR

PROPERTY BOUNDARY OR IN THE

RIVER OR IN THE SURFACE WATER IN

THE AREA.

THE ONLY HITS WERE A FEW OF THE

WELLS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY

OF THE BASINS WHERE WE DID HAVE

SOME-- SOME METAL THAT WE

DETECTED.

>> Reporter: BUT ROBERT CRISS IS

SKEPTICAL OF THOSE FINDINGS.

>> IT'S A BIASED RESULT IF YOUR

OWN PAID CONSULTANTS ARE DOING

THE WORK.

>> Reporter: AMEREN STANDS BY

ITS CONSULTANTS' FINDINGS AND

SAYS IT PLANS TO CAP ALL ITS ASH

PONDS IN THE ST. LOUIS REGION TO

PROTECT THEM AGAINST FUTURE

FLOODS.

REGARDLESS, HYDROGEOLOGIST

ROBERT CRISS SAYS THAT THE

GROUNDWATER BENEATH THE PLANT

MAY BE BEYOND SAVING.

>> IF YOU POLLUTE GROUNDWATER,

THERE IS NO WAY TO EVER CLEAN IT

UP.

'CAUSE YOU'VE POLLUTED YOUR

CANTEEN.

AND SO WHEN WE MISUSE OUR

FLOODPLAINS, AND OUR-- OUR

AQUIFERS, WE-- WE ARE ROBBING

OUR FUTURE IN WAYS THAT WE

CANNOT IMAGINE.

>> Reporter: BUT WARREN WOOD

BELIEVES THAT AMEREN'S PLAN WILL

REDUCE CONTAMINANTS IN THE

GROUNDWATER BENEATH THE ASH

PONDS.

HE ALSO SAYS THAT CAPPING THE

PONDS AND LEAVING THEM IN PLACE

IS THE SAFEST OPTION IN THE LONG

RUN.

>> IF YOU GO TO AN EXCAVATION

APPROACH, YOU'RE LOOKING AT UP

TO THREE DECADES AND YOU'RE

GONNA LEAVE THESE BASINS OPEN

THAT ENTIRE TIME FOR MORE WATER

FILTRATION TO POTENTIALLY PICK

UP METALS AND MOVE INTO THE

GROUNDWATER.

>> Reporter: WOOD TOLD NEWSHOUR

WEEKEND THAT AMEREN'S COAL ASH

FACILITIES ARE BUILT TO

WITHSTAND WHAT HE TERMS

"A MASSIVE FLOOD EVENT."

>> Sreenivasan: LAST WEEK, NORTH

CAROLINA ANNOUNCED AN AGREEMENT

WITH DUKE ENERGY TO EXCAVATE AND

REMOVE NEARLY 80 MILLION TONS OF

COAL ASH.

THE STATE SAYS IT WILL BE THE

LARGEST SUCH CLEAN-UP IN

AMERICAN HISTORY.