Does coal ash emit radiation?
A. Coal contains naturally occurring radioactive elements. The EPA has classified coal ash as “diffuse, naturally occurring radioactive materials,” which is the agency’s most benign radioactive classification. The EPA notes that “the level of radioactivity in combustion products (such as coal ash) is about the same as the level found in surface rocks and soil. A long-term Tennessee Valley Authority study of a 42-acre site that used more than 1 million cubic yards of coal ash in structural fill indicated that ambient radon levels measured directly over the fly (coal) ash fill were comparable to the levels measured in control areas without fly (coal) ash.
