News Tagged ‘coal ash sludge

Family worries about cattle, health, livelihood after coal ash spill

beef cattle 100x100 Family worries about cattle, health, livelihood after coal ash spillEven though the Tennessee Valley Authority () is monitoring the air and water near Kingston, , for dangerous levels of toxins, Sandy Gupton takes water samples from the flooding on her farm just to be sure.

“Our farm is the largest acreage affected,” said Sandy’s husband Terry in an interview to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. “ does not want to admit that the spill has devastated our lives, tainted our land and reduced our livelihood to a fraction of what it was before the spill.”

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TVA leaves some coal ash spill victims high and dry

buying a home 100x100 TVA leaves some coal ash spill victims high and dryThe Tennessee Valley Authority () has paid more than $20 million buying 71 properties in the east community that were affected by the December 2008 coal ash impoundment breach. And while is negotiating to buy more, it has already turned down 160 other offers from residents in the area, according to Forbes/Associated Press.

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Coal combustion sites need government regulations

epa 150x150 Coal combustion sites need government regulationsPower plants in the U.S. produce more than 125 million tons of coal combustion waste each year, most of which ends up in dry landfills or in above-ground coal slurry pounds. In 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed that material as non-hazardous and thus it didn’t fall under any strict government regulations.

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Coal ash victims may not get the compensation they deserve

When the Tennessee Valley Authority () coal ash impoundment pond burst last December, it did more than dump a billion gallons of toxic material on to peoples’ property and into Emery River where people from all around would fish, boat and swim. It destroyed homes in its wake, and quickly diminished property values. And it created a nuisance not just to those who had to flee the area, but to the ones who stayed who now live with the 20-hour-a-day, continuous cleanup effort by the .

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Drinking water may be contaminated by coal ash spill

drinking fountain 100x100 Drinking water may be contaminated by coal ash spillAlterNet.org is reporting that during testing of the water in the Emory River, the Tennessee Valley Authority () may have intentionally collected the samples from clean areas, backing up the utility’s claim that that residents’ drinking water is safe. The Emory is a major supplier of drinking water in the area and a popular spot for water sports such as swimming, boating and fishing. However, third-party tests have found high levels of toxins in the river as well as in private wells, according to the report.

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Congressional committee to ask ‘why’ coal ash spills occur

A congressional committee will focus on why a large Tennessee Valley Authority () coal ash impoundment failed last December, which resulted in one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history, according to News Channel 5. The breach caused more than a billion gallons of sludge to spill on to 300 acres of an east community, destroying homes and damaging property in its wake. contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic and lead which can contribute to serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological problems.

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TVA hosts second community open house about coal ash spill

tva logo 150x150 TVA hosts second community open house about coal ash spillThe Tennessee Valley Authority () will host a community open house in Harriman, , today to answer questions about the utility’s cleanup efforts and testing on air, water and soil in the area. The community open house is the second forum hosted by the in an effort to keep those in the area apprised of the utility’s efforts to “right” the environmental “wrong” created when its Kingston, coal ash impoundment pond failed late last year and poured more than a billion gallons of sludge on to 300 acres of property in a rural community. contains toxins such as arsenic and lead which can be hazardous to human health.

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Residents ask judge to halt TVA’s cleanup efforts

judge gavel 100x100 Residents ask judge to halt TVAs cleanup effortsMore than two dozen residents of the east community affected by the December 2008 coal ash spill are asking a federal judge to halt the Tennessee Valley Authority’s cleanup efforts until more environmental studies and oversight have been performed, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. Residents of the area are concerned the is “recklessly forging ahead with a cleanup plan” that will cause the 300 acres of rural property to “sustain even greater environmental damage from preventable contamination, exposure and migration of coal ash through air, land and water.”

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Dredging begins at Tennessee coal ash spill site

coal ash bw 150x150 Dredging begins at Tennessee coal ash spill siteThe Tennessee Valley Authority () 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 and environmental regulators consider their options.

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Obama administration focuses on clean coal practices

obama1 100x100 Obama administration focuses on clean coal practicesPresident Obama’s new energy policies are pitting mining companies and environmentalists against each other as the federal government explores new ways of storing carbon emissions. Mining companies and the lawmakers who support them say that establishing these new measures could cost billions while environmentalists say the price is not important in comparison to the ecological damage of continuing common practices.

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