A worker rubs his eyes while coal Ash chokes the sky above a coal ash dam owned by the Shentou Number 2 Power Plant, in Shuimotou village, Shuozhou, Shanxi province. With even the lightest wind, the tiny particles take flight, blotting out the sky like a thick sandstorm of ash. This is also highly hazardous to people, as the fine particles are easily inhaled. Lu Youlong, who works nearby, told us that contaminated water has seeped from the ash dam into village fish ponds, killing all the fish. They’ll never be able to raise fish again, he said. Many fields have also developed puddles of alkaline water, making it impossible to grow crops.

© © Zhao Gang / Greenpeace