Out of the 100 coal-burning electric plants that produce the largest amount of toxic coal ash in the nation, Kentucky houses 10.  Tennessee, where the recent 1 billion gallon coal ash spill took place, only houses 2 of the plants on the list.  According to a report from the National Resources Defense Council released today, Texas is the only other state that contains as many of the largest ash-producing plants as Kentucky.  Coal ash waste contains toxic chemicals and heavy metals such as arsenic and lead—pollutants that cause cancer, birth defects, reproductive problems, damage to the nervous system and kidneys, and learning disabilities in children.  Kentucky coal-burning plants generate a total of 8.5 million tons of this waste every year.  The report also estimates that plants currently proposed to be built in Kentucky would generate 600,000 additional tons of coal ash annually.