And the New York Times has revealed that environmental cleanup technology at dozens of US coal factories has often led to the contamination of local water supplies. Coal plants that have installed “scrubbers” to filter air emissions have dumped hundreds of thousands of gallons of water pollution into local rivers and streams. Only one out of forty-three power plants and electric utilities has been required to limit dumping of the toxin barium, which has been linked to heart problems and other organ diseases. Even when emissions have been regulated, 90 percent of plants that violated the Clean Water Act since 2004 have escaped penalties or fines.