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

Communities and aquatic ecosystems near coal-firing plants are at risk for serious health problems from the toxic metals and radioactivity stored in ponds at the plants even if the facilities cease to burn its coal ash, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and Pratt School of Engineering, the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

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Hotter and drier summer conditions increase the likelihood of coal ash going airborne, increasing the potential for the toxic material to be inhaled by those living near the site that was heavily damaged when a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) fossil fuel plant’s impoundment pond was breached, causing more than a billion gallons of coal ash to tumble down on to a neighboring community.

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A team of scientists from Duke University has been testing the land and water in and around the massive coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee. Their results not only underscore the precarious nature of coal ash retaining ponds, but the potentially far-reaching and long-lasting impact such accidents have on the environment, wildlife, and human health.

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Duke University scientists have confirmed the fears of most residents in the east Tennessee community that fell victim last month to the massive TVA pond coal ash spill that dumped more than a billion gallons of toxic waste on to their property and into nearby rivers. Scientists have concluded that sludge in the area contains high levels of arsenic and elevated levels of radioactive radium – enough to cause harm to humans if the cleanup isn’t done with extreme caution, according to MSNBC/Associated Press.

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