Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

December’s massive coal ash spill in east Tennessee has raised concerns over the safety of a longtime agricultural practice, according to Environmental Health News, a publication of the Environmental Health Sciences.

Crops in the Southeast and Midwest are grown in soil that has been routinely supplemented with tons of fly ash. Some of the more common crops grown in this amended soil include a variety of vegetables and peanuts.

Fly ash is a fine powder that is recovered from gases created by the burning of coal. Supplementing soil with the fly ash increases crop yields and stabilizes soil, and lessens the burden on landfills. The fly ash also provides phosphorus, calcium and other nutrients that aide in crops’ growth. It also helps the soil retain water.

However, fly ash also contains toxins, including arsenic, that if used in high levels can soak into crops and become hazardous. Coal ash is not classified as a hazardous waste by the Environmental Protection Agency and thus is not federally supervised for use in agriculture. Some states do regulate it but guidelines vary from state to state and there is little to no monitoring of its use, according to the report. Environmentalists fear that inadequate monitoring could lead to overuse of fly ash and possible toxic accumulation, which may ultimately harm human health.

The U.S. currently produces 130 million tons of coal combustion waste each year. Experts say as more coal burning is needed to increase demand, that number could likely increase to 150 million tons in a decade.

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