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

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has begun dredging coal ash from the Emory River as part of its $1 million-a-day cleanup effort following the massive coal ash spill from a damaged impoundment pond last December. The first hydraulic dredge began sucking the ash out of the river last week. Where they will send it is still anyone’s guess as the TVA and environmental regulators consider their options.

The spill dumped more than a billion gallons of coal ash sludge on to 300 acres in an east Tennessee community. Dozens of homes were destroyed or damaged and property was left a mess. Aside from the physical damage, homeowners in the area are concerned of the risk to human life.

Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic and lead that can cause serious health issues such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. Several homeowners in the area already have complained of respiratory problems.

The cleanup already has taken months and could cost the utility between $525 million and $825 million, according to earlier reports. A cleanup plan that included the dredging effort was outlined in a report submitted by the TVA and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The utility vows to restore the property to its original condition, but homeowners wonder if doing so is even possible, given the magnitude of the spill.

More than 100 property owners have filed federal lawsuits against the TVA, but many residents who live closes to the spill have opted to either reach settlements with the TVA or say they plan to wait things out.

Sources:
News Channel 5
iStock Analyst

This entry was posted on Monday, March 23rd, 2009 at 2:29 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.