Enviros Slam Use of Coal Ash in Puerto Rican Construction Projects

"SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO -- Environmentalists demanded Tuesday that Puerto Rico's government order new tests to determine whether coal ash being used for home and road construction in the U.S. island's south is free of toxic material.

Activists contend the global energy company AES Corp. is selling coal ash containing lead, arsenic and mercury to developers who are using it for residential and transportation projects.

Several municipalities are considering moratoriums on such projects following complaints from residents, and scientists say the government should start testing air and water for possible contamination.

'This is a recipe for disaster,' environmental scientist Neftali Garcia Martinez told reporters. 'No one has done any tests to see how these places are being affected.'"

Danica Coto reports for the Associated Press April 6, 2010.