In recent years, many have reported on the health risks of living near a coal fired plant. Plant Scherer is the 7^th largest power plant and the largest producer of CO₂ in the US. The residents in the area have growing concerns about their air and drinking water. In collaboration with UGA and Sierra Club, two other students and I conducted several rounds of drinking water sampling for concerned residents. This required preparing a sampling plan, collecting samples using the appropriate techniques, measuring samples on an ICP-MS, and writing reports for the general public. From this, I gained not only technical skills but also experience in communicating with the media, working in a fragile situation, and managing various (some very powerful) stake holders.