The last thing residents want is for the public to view that mess at will, even while the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) undergoes a years-long, $1.2 billion cleanup of the mess it made. Those residents this week applauded a decision made by the TVA to keep an overlook area closed to the general public. Instead, the area will remain behind a locked gate and only be used for scheduled tours, visits by members of Congress and their staffs, other public officials, and the media.

“I am pleased that the TVA has taken into account the thoughts and wishes of the community this ash spill has affected and stopped plans for a public overlook,” says Randy Ellis, who serves on a community advisory panel.

While praised by some, the TVA’s announcement brought criticism from other residents, saying the TVA’s plan to make the overlook a public viewing area was never announced in the first place, says Roane County Executive Mike Farmer. He says he found out about the initial plans through word-of-mouth. “That is indicative of the issue we’ve had all long – a lack of communication between TVA and the county,” he says.

While he appreciates the nation’s largest utility’s willingness to be more transparent, “I really don’t want to draw neon signs to (the disaster),” he adds. “At least they’re working with us a little bit.”

Source: Knox News

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA keeps overlook of coal ash spill site closed to general public

Kentucky baker and former Republican Party chairman Mike Duncan, who has signed on to oversee the nation’s largest utility, made the comment at the board’s meeting earlier this week. He said the agency is already facing an uphill battle with lower electric sales from the downturn in the economy and mounting costs to clean up the mess left behind by the spill.

Those cleanup costs are estimated to ring in at more than $975 million. TVA is also facing numerous lawsuits from property owners and some are looking to the utility to foot a $1.9 million public relations campaign to restore the tattered image of the area since the coal ash spill.

Coal ash, which contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, has been associated with serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological damage. Some residents in the area – including a young child – have tested positive for heaving metals in their blood.

Duncan says he is confident the utility can find “new efficiencies in our costs at the same time that we find new ways to protect our environment.”

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA’s new chairman says coal ash disaster must not happen again

The sludge quickly surrounded her home and pushed her sunroom from her house. She was devastated and called her husband Perry for help. “It does make you realize that you’re not in control and how fast things can happen,” he said.

The sludge was part of the 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash that had broken loose from an impoundment pond at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) coal-firing plant in Kingston, Tennessee, last December. The James’ home was just one of several that was destroyed when the sludge poured over 300 acres of the rural neighborhood and into the Emory River. They were told that rebuilding on the property would be impossible, so they packed up their belongings and left. The TVA put them up in a temporary rental home. Earlier this year the couple sold its property to the TVA, and says they are currently looking for a house in Knoxville.

Meanwhile, the TVA is involved in a massive cleanup to remove the toxic material from property in the area. Estimates put the cost of the cleanup at approximately $975 million.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Family recovers after losing home in coal ash spill

McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations LLC submitted a proposal and budget, which includes a two-year advertising campaign; a two-year, $726,000-per-year “news bureau;” and tracking data to gauge success. TVA officials “agreed in principal” that they would pay for the campaign.

“I hope they will focus on repairing our damaged image,” said Kingston Mayor Troy Beets.

Last December, an impoundment pond at the TVA’s Kingston fossil plant was breached, sending 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash on to 300 acres of an east Tennessee community. The material stacked as high as nine feet in some areas, knocked houses from their foundations and destroyed property and waterways in its path.

Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been associated with serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. Since the spill, the TVA has been involved in a massive cleanup effort that could cost the utility as much as $975 million before it is complete.

Source: Knox News

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA asked to pay for PR campaign to improve image of damaged area

Cleanup efforts have been extensive and costly, with estimates of upwards of $975 million. TVA officials say it could be months before the cleanup is complete. But a team of researches from Duke University say the next few months could be crucial. According to the scientists, the smallest particulate matter poses the most danger in terms of going airborne and toxicity, according to WBIR-TV.

“Fine fractions of fly ash are typically 4 – 10 times enriched in metals… affecting human health directly… through inhalation and indirectly through the food chains (agricultural products),” according to the study that was published last week in the Environmental Science and Technology scholarly journal.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is continually monitoring the area and says it has not yet seen dust exceed safe levels during its monitoring. However, the agency did recommend that people go inside if they see dust outside and to seek medical care if they experience any symptoms of respiratory problems.

According to the report, “sediments from the downstream Clinch River have higher (Mercury) content, which suggests a significant contribution of (Mercury) from the coal ash to the river sediments. We therefore conclude that ash transport and deposition in the Clinch River has increased the (Mercury) content in the river sediments.”

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Summer conditions likely to increase coal ash going airborne

As part of the oversight, TVA is required to perform a comprehensive cleanup from the Emory River and surrounding areas. The utility’s work will be subject to review and approval by the EPA, which will consult with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). Any remaining contamination will be assessed and determination will be made whether additional actions are needed.

The agreement was reached under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, or Superfund law, which gives the EPA the authority to step in and force responsible parties to take action at hazardous waste sites and ensure community involvement.

Residents near the damaged spill site say they see the move as positive. “I just don’t think the TVA has the know-how to do this work,” one resident said to WBIR-TV. “It’ll be better with the EPA taking over. I think they’ll do the right thing.”

“TDEC welcomes EPA’s action and the continued collaborative partnership between our agencies,” said TDEC Deputy Commissioner Paul Sloan. “This successful partnership is vital to the cleanup of the TVA ash spill and we will continue to work with EPA to ensure the cleanup in Roane County is thorough and protective of both public health and the environment.”

Source:
EPA

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › EPA to oversee TVA’s coal ash cleanup efforts

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in a financial report submitted last week, estimated the cleanup costs to be as much as $975 million, up from a previous estimate of $525 million to $825 million. The utility said those costs may continue to climb as the environmental damage is assessed.

The spill dumped 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash onto a community and into the Emory River. In some areas the sludge stood 9 feet high. It knocked homes off foundations and destroyed property in its wake as it poured from a breached impoundment. The utility already has spent more than $77 million buying up properties and cleaning up the area. Some environmentalists argue it is impossible to completely restore the land.

Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium that can cause serious health complications such as cancer, liver damage and neurological problems. Some residents in the area say they have experienced respiratory problems as a result of the fly ash in the air. At least one young child has tested positive for heavy metal in his blood.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing independent air monitoring and oversight of the area and is inspecting coal ash storage plants in hopes of preventing future spills.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA ups coal ash cleanup costs to $975 million

“We are trying to balance between doing the right thing by the people that were impacted by this (and) keeping in mind that this is ratepayer money,” TVA senior vice president Peyton Hairston told The Associated Press last week.

The buyout is part of a massive cleanup and recovery effort by the nation’s largest utility after its Kingston, Tennessee, impoundment pond failed, dumping more than a billion gallons of coal ash sludge onto 300 acres of a rural, east Tennessee community. The sludge piled as high as eight feet in some areas and knocked several homes off their foundations.

TVA received more than 200 requests from property owners wiling to sell property they felt was affected or devalued by the spill, and is deciding which properties warrant buying out. “As we work through this process we have to be able to determine that some people are just outside the area that we feel has been impacted,” Hairston said.

But critics say that even those whose property didn’t suffer immediate damage may still suffer ill effects from the spill, from diminished home values to noise pollution from the 20-hour-per-day cleanup crews. But at higher concern is the environmental issues that may arise as coal ash sludge seeps into the ground, pours into the Emory River, and flies into the wind as it dries up. Coal ash may contain toxins that can lead to serious health conditions such as cancer, liver damage and neurological disorders. Several residents in the area also have complained of respiratory problems and heightened anxiety since the spill.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA leaves some coal ash spill victims high and dry

Yet, an October 2008 inspection deemed the Kingston Fossil Plant structurally sound. And life went on as normal for the residents of Kingston. Until December 22, 2008, when the walls of the impoundment pond broke down and poured 1.1 billion gallons of toxic material on to 300 acres of property and into the Emory River.

“The coal ash spill has both immediate and long-term impacts for Kingston residents whose land and homes have been affected by the spill,” says Rhon Jones, Toxic Torts Section Head with Beasley Allen Law Firm. As the sludge poured out from the impoundment pond as high as nine feet tall in some areas, it destroyed multiple homes and knocked some completely off their foundations. Several homes were left uninhabitable. “Aside from the immediate impacts of losing one’s home and use of property, other impacts include diminished property values and increased health risks,” Jones says.

The toxins found in coal ash include arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese, and barium. According to news reports, potential health problems associated with these toxic substances include cancer, liver damage and neurological complications, among other health problems.

While cleanup efforts are underway, there is little to stop the dust particles that fly into the air as the sludge dries, which is likely to aggravate the problem, Jones adds.

“In a recent public meeting with Kingston residents, health officials warned that the dust associated with the spill will pose an increasing challenge as the slurry dries and spring winds arrive,” he says. The fine particulate matter also is linked to respiratory illness. “There are reports of residents complaining of increased illness already,” Jones says. “A recent survey by the Tennessee Department of Health found that one-third of residents living near the spill reported breathing problems and one-half reported increased stress and anxiety.”

Those dust particles may also pose a threat to individuals living farther away from the spill site. “From diminished property value to loss of recreational opportunities, residents throughout the Kingston area are affected by the spill regardless of whether their property suffered directly,” Jones says. “Property values may be diminished due to the proximity of the spill. Dust particles may blow into surrounding areas as the sludge dries. Clean-up activities will be disruptive to the area, because the enormous task of cleaning up the spill is similar to a massive construction project. Dredging of the Emory River began in March, and crews are working 20 hours a day. The clean-up involves trucking the dredged sludge to a yet determined location, and the truck traffic not only will be noisy but also has the potential to spread dust along the travel route.”

Recreational opportunities may be lost due to the dredging activities, because fishing, swimming, and other recreation near the site are no longer appealing, he adds. “The impact of the spill will be long-lasting and the entire community will be affected either directly or indirectly.”

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Coal ash disaster affects those not directly affected by spill

More than a billion gallons of toxic material poured on to 300 acres of an east Tennessee neighborhood late last year when a coal ash impoundment at the TVA’s Kingston, Tennessee, plant failed. The spill destroyed homes and damaged property, and has raised serious concerns about human safety not only among residents but also with environmental groups. Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic and lead that can cause serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

As a result, residents in the area are cautious. “We need more information and increased communications,” said resident Sarah McCoin, a member of the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network. “Many families fear they are poisoning their children by remaining in their homes and they do not have the resources to pay for testing those children. They need help, they need answers.”

ORAU is an education and research consortium of 100 universities including Georgia Tech, Duke, Tennessee, Tulane, Johns Hopkins and Vanderbuilt. According to the TVA, ORAU will bring in toxicologists to design medical tests to identify health problems that can be caused by the toxins in coal ash. The group also will review the results of air, water and soil tests to determine whether the cleanup has been thorough enough not to pose a risk to those living in the area.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Research consortium to guide coal ash cleanup, health monitoring

The TVA launched a massive cleanup effort which includes dredging the Emory River to remove the ash and spreading grass seed over the affected land to keep the ash from flying about. The cleanup operation is costing the TVA about $1 million per day and is expected to ring in between $525 million and $825 million before the cleanup is complete and the land is restored.

The TVA also admitted publicly that it should have been more forthcoming about the possible dangers of the coal ash from the beginning. Since then, the utility has made efforts to keep the public informed of cleanup efforts through community meetings and the media.

Regardless, the cleanup has come under scrutiny by both environmental groups and community members who want more oversight and environmental studies performed.

Source:
WBIR-TV

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA hosts second community open house about coal ash spill

This is the sixth federal lawsuit filed against the TVA as a result of the utility’s coal ash pond breach last December that flooded an east Tennessee community with more than a billion gallons of coal ash sludge. Not only did the massive spill destroy houses and damage property, it also poured into the neighboring Emory River. Coal ash contains toxic material such as arsenic, lead, barium, manganese and chromium, which can be harmful to human health.

This latest lawsuit against the utility claims the TVA “submitted a vague, misleading and piecemeal environmental assessment and remediation plan which, in significant places, massaged the data and blatantly removed to avoid real and appropriate vigorous scrutiny.”

The TVA claims that it has been open about its cleanup efforts by posting updates on its Web site. A U.S. magistrate judge has set a hearing on the issue for April 29th.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Residents ask judge to halt TVA’s cleanup efforts

Homes were destroyed and property was damaged when the coal ash impoundment failed and poured on to the rural east Tennessee community. TVA announced that it plans to buy the damaged properties, including lakeside homes. It will also end wet-ash storage at the plant.

Other efforts include temporarily holding the recovered ash at the Kingston site to allow it to drain before sending it to landfills or possibly recycling it. Officials vow they will work to keep the fly ash from becoming airborne.

Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium that has been linked to serious health issues such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. A survey of 368 residents living in the area of the spill found a third of them experienced breathing problems and half experienced increased stress and anxiety.

TVA estimates its cleanup efforts to total between $525 and $825 million before the land is restored.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA granted permission to dredge Emory River

Converting the coal ash ponds to dry ash storage will take about 18 to 24 months to complete. Meantime, TVA will continue working on cleaning up the mess made by the coal ash pond that failed. That cleanup effort is expected to ring in as high as $825 million. TVA has vowed to make the area affected by the spill “as good, if not better than before” the spill occurred. It also will continue to support regulators in the monitoring of water, soil and air.

TVA also is working with state Environment and Conservation for a safe way to remove the ash in the main channel of the Emory River. Once removed, that ash will be temporarily placed on a ball field and at another site at the Kingston plant.

The cleanup will be “developed and reviewed by an interagency team” including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Department of Health, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Roane County officials. TVA also is developing a community involvement cleanup plan.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA releases details of coal ash spill cleanup plan

An Associated Press report found that there are 162 power plants in the county that have coal ash ponds. Those ponds store anywhere from 500 tons to 653,300 tons of coal ash. While coal ash has stayed somewhat below the environmental issues radar, its safety has come into question recently after the December 2008 spill in Kingston.

That spill fell on 300 acres of rural community, destroying houses, damaging property and pouring into nearby rivers. While cleanup efforts are underway, there is much debate surrounding the safety of the land, water and air. Coal ash contains dangerous toxins that can cause serious health concerns such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

The TVA spill has spurred environmental and industry officials in other parts of the country to take a closer look at coal ash ponds at other sites. According to the Gillette News Record report, industry officials in Wyoming say coal ash ponds there are not in jeopardy of leaking or spilling, adding that the TVA incident likely was the result of bad engineering and not the lack of federal regulation.

Despite the reassurance, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has vowed to study the issue and decide whether regulation is necessary. Environmental groups continue to argue that regulating the giant toxic ponds are a must for human safety.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Officials in other states review safety of coal ash plants

“When I got the results I was horrified,” Penny said to News Channel 5. “It showed that Evan has increased levels of arsenic and lead and other heavy metal in his system. … They said that his problem was due to the airborne fly ash in the community. He was directly impacted, and we were told that we would have to leave the area.”

The toxic mud and sludge that poured on to the east Tennessee community destroying homes and damaging property in its wake, contained potential toxins such as arsenic, lead, barium, chromium and manganese. Problems associated with those materials include cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

Last week, TVA acknowledged that the spill was worse than initially reported, calling it a “catastrophe.” Lawmakers are looking into the cleanup efforts, which some are calling too slow. Those efforts include building temporary dams to stop the flow into neighboring bodies of water and dusting the area with grass seeds to keep the coal ash from becoming airborne. The cleanup could cost the utility as much as $825 million and the toll on wildlife and plant life – and ultimately, human life – is yet to be known. But some, like Penny, say the worst damage already has been done.

“I carry guilt because we stayed, because I was told that we were going to be safe, and I believed them, and it’s not true – we are not safe,” she said.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Toddler near coal ash spill site tests positive for heavy metal

The massive spill is considered one of the worst environmental disasters, destroying homes and damaging property. The toll on wildlife, plant life and, ultimately, human life, is yet to be determined. Cleanup efforts are expected to cost TVA between $525 million and $825 million depending on how many times the waste will have to be moved and how fast crews can dredge the Emory River.

How the utility will pay for cleaning up the mess is yet to be determined. TVA officials say insurance should cover some of the mounting costs, but other options may also need to be considered, such as disposing of assets, using debt and raising power rates. The latter option likely will come with some criticism.

Last fall the utility’s board approved a 20 percent electric rate hike – the highest in almost 20 years – due to escalating fuel costs. As a small tradeoff, TVA lowered its fuel charge by 6 percent in January and said it will cut another 7 percent effective April 1, resulting in a savings of about $4 to $9 in TVA residential customers’ power bills.

TVA provides electricity to about 8.8 million million customers in Tennessee and parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia, according to the report.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Will customers have to pay for TVA’s coal ash disaster?

Late last December the TVA coal ash pond spilled over, dumping 1.1 billion gallons of toxic material on to 300 acres of a rural neighborhood in east Tennessee, destroying homes and damaging property in its wake. Temporary dams were built to halt the ash’s flow into neighboring rivers, and grass seeds have been spread on the ground to keep the sludge at bay. But experts still don’t know how long clean-up efforts will take or how the dangerous toxins might affect animals and humans there.

Scientists say that turning the spill site into a educational and research center for the study of long-term effects of coal ash on the environment “could yield scientific dividends that could be used at power plants around the world,” according to the story. Scientists also say that if the fly ash is stabilized, it shouldn’t pose a risk to the health and safety of researchers or residents in the area.

The TVA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation say despite the recommendation plans are to continue with clean-up efforts to remove the ash and restore the environment.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Scientists say spill site should be converted to research center

The Tennessee Valley Authority still is not sure when the cleanup will end or how much it will cost to resolve the issue. The authority, which will file a report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sometime next month, says its early estimates to clean up the spill have the cost at about $1 million per day.

Tests still show high levels of toxins in the air and water.

As a temporary fix, the TVA has scattered winter rye seed and fertilizer over the ash to keep it from flying around. The weather, too, has helped keep the ash at bay, offering a wet or frozen climate. “One it all starts thawing, I don’t know what it’s going to do,” Self says to the newspaper.

The spill’s damage and cleanup efforts have left the 250 residents in the area taking back road detours to get to and from their homes. Construction is underway on a 2,000-foot weir dam to keep more fly ash from getting into the Emory River. Another, smaller weir dam already was laced at the mouth of the Emory to keep ash from getting into the Clinch River.

As for Self, he says he will just watch and wait. “I don’t know that we’ll be able to stay here,” he says.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Homeowner unsure of home value after toxic spill