In this study, we looked into the levels and distribution characteristics of harmful substances found in imported coal ash to identify their possible impacts on the environment and human body in the process of recycling and to develop plans for their proper management. To this end, organic pollutants including heavy metals were analyzed from 19 samples of imported coal ash, and their potential impact on the environment was evaluated. To investigate the characteristics of the heavy metal content in the coal ash, a leaching test was conducted, and the result showed that the heavy metal concentrations in the coal ash were far lower than the permitted levels of hazardous substances in designated waste in Korea. In addition, a content analysis showed that the heavy metal content was lower than the level prescribed in the standards for area II levels of soil contamination. Since coal ash is recycled in cement kilns, levels of Pb, Cu, and Cd in the cement kilns were reviewed and compared against permitted levels of those heavy metals in other alternative fuels. Levels of Pb, Cu, and Cd in the coal ash were comfortably within the acceptable limits by Korean standards, but the level of arsenic was close to the limit. Given the fact that arsenic leached from the coal ash recycling process could have an adverse impact on both the environment and the human body, it is therefore necessary to monitor arsenic leaching from coal ash continuously . Levels of other substances that could be contained in coal ash, such as dioxin, PCBs , and PAHs, were also measured. The measurements showed that the levels of these substances were generally low or undetectable; therefore, the environmental impact of organic pollutants from coal ash recycling was considered insignificant.