Coal ash — the often toxic solid waste generated by burning coal for electricity, and the focus of a recent Center investigation — has largely been viewed as a regional problem, limited to the coal-heavy eastern United States. Indeed, the Center’s map of 194 ash landfills and 161 ash ponds seems concentrated up and down the East Coast. But it turns out it’s a mistake to view the issue through a regional lens.

PaperTrail has put together a list of the top 10 coal ash producing states nationwide, and the results sweep from east to west, covering much in between.

Check it out:

Top Ten Coal Ash-Producing States (2005)

1. Texas — 8.4 million tons
2. Indiana — 6.6 million tons.
3. Ohio — 6.1 million tons.
4. Kentucky — 5.7 million tons.
5. West Virginia — 5.2 million tons.
6. Pennsylvania — 5.1 million tons.
7. New Mexico — 3.2 million tons.
8. North Carolina — 3.1 million tons.
9. Alabama — 2.5 million tons.
10. Georgia — 2.5 million tons.

Data Editor David Donald contributed to this post.

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