[1] FirstEnergy owns the site, located in Western Pennsylvania and parts of the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, and has disposed of billions of gallons of coal waste into the body of water.

[8] The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) estimates that if the dam failed it would affect 50,000 people and has mandated that coal ash cannot be added to the lake after 2016.

In addition to the water concerns, families living near the site worry about toxic dust and complain of a strong rotten egg smell from hydrogen sulfide (H2S).

[11] Simultaneously the PADEP filed its lawsuit and a consent decree in federal court seeking the closure of the Little Blue Run Coal Ash Impoundment.

[2] FirstEnergy is required to cover the ash with two layers of impermeable "geotextile" sheeting to keep unhealthy chemicals from entering the local groundwater, it must monitor noise, odors and particulate emissions, conduct quarterly reconnaissance of contaminated water seepage from the lake and take corrective actions when necessary.

"[2] As a result of settling the lawsuit, FirstEnergy began disposing the byproduct (through the process of dewatering) in a lined impoundment at Murray Energy's mine in Marshall County, West Virginia.