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

A 1 ½-mile stretch of the Emory River in east Tennessee will remain closed to boat traffic through mid-February – several months longer than expected – while the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) continues to dredge the river to remove toxic coal ash that spilled there following a coal ash impoundment pond breach last December. The dredging is part of a three-year, $1 billion cleanup of the area with hopes to restore the land and waterways that were badly damaged and contaminated following the massive spill.

The river was originally closed for 30 days in early August, followed by another 30-day extension. Now the TVA says it needs more time to remove the coal ash that spilled into the Emory River. TVA officials and the Environmental Protection Agency will review the situation in early February and decide when the river can be reopened at that time.

Six days a week, as many as 110 railcars filled with coal ash recovered from the river are being transported to a landfill in Alabama for storage. Despite the constant effort, only about one-third of the coal ash has been removed from the Emory. Once the river has been cleared, crews will turn their focus to the coal ash piled on the land.

During the closure, no river traffic will be allowed in order to make room for huge hydraulic dredging equipment. Those who have a significant need for transportation around the closed portion of the Emory River may request access by contacting the TVA by phone at least five days in advance.

Sources:
Knox News
OakRidger.com

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 11:06 am 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.