News Tagged ‘environment

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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 .

Read the rest of this entry »

Engineers raised questions about coal ash pond walls decades ago

coal ash pond 100x100 Engineers raised questions about coal ash pond walls decades agoFor decades, engineers raised questions about the walls of an impoundment pond containing toxic coal ash at the Tennessee Valley Authority () Kingston, coal-burning plant, according to the KnoxvilleBiz.com. They questioned the way the walls were built and argued that they were not initially designed to stand as tall as they did. Those concerns fell on deaf ears then, but now have a voice after the walls of the pond broke loose last December and dumped 1.1 billion gallons of toxic material on to 300 acres of an east community and into the waters of the Emory River.

Read the rest of this entry »

TVA may have to raise customers’ rates to relieve financial woes

us money photo 100x100 TVA may have to raise customers rates to relieve financial woesThe Tennessee Valley Authority () may have to lean on customers to relieve some of its financial pains, according to the Associated Press. The nation’s largest utility is spending $1 million a day to clean up the mess left behind when a coal ash impoundment pond at its Kingston, coal-burning plant failed and dumped more than a billion gallons of toxic material on to an east community and into the Emory River. The coal ash spill cleanup effort is expected to cost the utility between $525 million and $825 million.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

Scientist develops new product from coal ash

cenocell sem md 100x100 Scientist develops new product from coal ashAs one east community struggles to recover from the devastating spillage of coal ash from a nearby Tennessee Valley Authority () coal-burning plant on to its land and waterways, one man is working to find better uses for the waste leftover from coal burning. Mulalo Doyoyo, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has developed a new structural material from and bottom ash that is strong and lightweight enough to serve as an alternative to cement in concrete.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

Research consortium to guide coal ash cleanup, health monitoring

orau 100x90 Research consortium to guide coal ash cleanup, health monitoringOak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), a -based independent university research group, is working out a contract with the Tennessee Valley Authority () to guide the cleanup efforts and the health monitoring of residents in and around the site of last December’s coal ash spill, according to the Miami Herald/Associated Press.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »