coal ash is also being used in creating products like roofing mateal,ri bricks, and concrete. the epa calls this "beneficial use," and members of the coal industry claim reusing coal ash provides an environmental benefit. >> there are a wide variety of things we can use coal ash for, rather than throw it away. the most prominent uses are, uh, using coal fly ash in concrete. every ton of fly ash we put into concrete is a ton of cement that doesn't need to be made, and not making that ton of cement has saved over 11 million tons of co2 emissions last year alone. used properly, coal ash is a safe material for beneficial use. the levels of metals in coal ash are comparable to the levels of metals in the dirt and rocks in your backyard. we believe the best solution to coal ash disposal problems is to quit throwing it away. in parts of the country, these historic coal mines have a tremendous problem with acid mine drainage. you've seen the orange-colored creeks and those kind of things. coal ash can actually be used, uh, to modify the ph in those settings and relieve that acid mine