Coal Ash Along the Shores of the Great Lakes
Provided by: Inside Climate News|Published on: June 3, 2025
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Civics
Authors: Grace van Deelan
Region: Chicagoland IL
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This easy-to-read article from Inside Climate News gives a succinct overview of the health and environmental issues connected to unregulated coal ash dumping along Lake Michigan.
- The article gives details on the responsible parties' compliance with the Coal Combustions Residuals Rule and how environmental justice communities, like Waukegan, Illinois, are disproportionately affected.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- There are related articles linked at the end of this resource that students can explore to learn more about coal ash hazards.
- Students learn examples of both environmental and human health threats that coal ash dumping poses.
Prerequisites
- Students should have an understanding of the process of coal-powered energy and its effects on climate change.
- Readers will need to enter an email to read the article. To avoid having students go through this step, teachers may want to print the article or save it as a PDF.
Differentiation & Implementation
- This lesson on coal ash dumping can be used following the article to provide students the opportunity to put together a community member's viewpoint on the issue to provide an environmental justice connection.
- The video in this lesson on the coal ash pollution of Lake Michigan can be used prior to reading the article as a warmup.
- Students can conduct further research on the Coal Combustions Residuals Rule and specific cases in Illinois along Lake Michigan.
- Time can be given to students to further explore the Inside Climate website and investigate topics of personal interest.
This resource highlights the environmental issues of the myriad coal ash ponds along the shores of the Great Lakes. Numerous court rulings, environmental reports, and news stories are linked throughout the clear, well-organized text. The groundwater contamination issues with coal ash storage are clearly tied to environmental justice and climate change. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
