Roane County, Tenn.

TVA is engaged in a near $1 billion cleanup of the land and said it would also give money to the county to help improve its infrastructure as well as fund projects and campaigns to improve the area’s public image.

The spill has been called one of – if not the – largest environmental disasters in U.S. history. Coal ash contains dangerous toxins, such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been linked to serious health conditions including cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

Since the coal ash spill, residents have been displaced, water recreation activities have halted, and property values have plummeted. Some residents have reported heightened anxiety and respiratory problems. And some, including at least one young child, have tested positive for metals in their bloodstream.

A committee began Wednesday prioritizing projects and divvying up the money the TVA announced Monday it would give. Kingston’s wastewater treatment will double in size, thanks to a $5 million allocation; $1.7 million will be used to convert Harriman’s Princess Theater into a regional arts education center; and $32,000 has been allocated to pave the entrance to the county industrial park.

Source: Rocky Mountain Telegraph

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Roane County divvies up TVA money to rebuild community after coal ash spill