Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal for electricity. We burn a lot of coal in this country, leaving behind a lot of coal ash, which contains mercury, arsenic, lead, and other dangerous substances. And it all has to go somewhere.

For the last several decades, that somewhere has mostly been in huge ponds, where it’s doused with water to keep it from blowing away. When you drive by or fly over a power plant, you’ll see big, black lakes — that’s coal ash. Sometimes it’s pretty close to residential neighborhoods. Many of the ponds are unlined, so the water seeps into the ground underneath.

Until 2015, there were no federal regulations about coal ash at all.

WFPL Environment Reporter Ryan Van Velzer did a story looking at new coal ash regulations, and how Kentucky companies are following them. It’s part of a three-part series from WFPL and the Ohio Valley ReSource called “Coal Ash Uncovered.”

Ryan joins us on today’s Recut, along with WFPL News Director Erica Peterson.