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

Coal ash produced and stored by fossil fuel plants kills fish and other wildlife, damages their reproductive capacity, and contaminates wells, according to a report released this week by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The 230-page report culminates months of research triggered by last year’s massive coal ash spill from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Kingston, Tenn., plant. That spill dumped more than a billion gallons of toxic material onto a neighboring community where it knocked houses from their foundations, damaged property and contaminated nearby waterways.

The report highlights the concern environmentalists have had for years – that coal ash produced by utilities like the TVA is toxic and should be regulated by the federal government. Tests have shown that coal ash contains arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, heavy metals that have been linked to serious health concerns such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. Based on the new report, the EPA says it is considering labeling coal ash as a toxic waste. Utilities industries oppose the move.

Meanwhile, the TVA is undergoing an expected years-long, $1.2 billion cleanup of the land it damaged. While the nation’s largest utility claims it will restore the property to its original condition and has given more than $40 million to Roane County officials for improvement projects and a pricey public relations campaign, locals and environmentalists say that the efforts don’t rectify the damage to wildlife and humans, many of whom have already tested positive for heavy metals in their blood.

Source: UPI

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