lead, arsenic, chromium, cadmium, others. and it even has radioactive substances. >> it's these pollutants, many of them known to cause cancer, that have people worried. and the big question is, where are all these toxins ending up? >> there's fly ash and coal dust... we'll go on the front porch and do the same thing. >> you can see as you look up there the fresh ash. it's like an orangish color. when it's windy, it can get into their homes, it can get into their cars, and god forbid they're walking across the street or whatever, it actually gets into their lungs. >> in the united states, there are over 500 coal-fired power plants. and until recently, the dangers of coal ash have largely been hidden from public view. this is one of the largest coal-fired power facilities in the country. called plant scherer, it's located in juliette, georgia, and is majority owned by georgia power. each year it produces 3 1/2 million kilowatts of electricity. generating that power requires a lot of coal. over 1,200 tons of coal are burned eve