According to a news report by the Associated Press, “The Environmental Protection Agency has described the spill as’ ‘one of the worst environmental disasters of its kind.’” To put things in perspective with another recent environmental catastrophe, the BP oil spill released about 206 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over the course of nearly five months. The TVA coal ash spill released more than a billion gallons of toxic sludge over 300 acres in East Tennessee within the course of minutes.

The cleanup efforts, which have been ongoing since the spill and are expected to cost around $1.2 billion, include the removal of more than 3.5 million cubic yards of ash and sediment from the Emory River, providing funding for a community betterment foundation for Roane County, and providing health screenings to affected residents. Coal ash contains such toxins as arsenic, lead, mercury and other heavy metals.

Beasley Allen attorneys are working with counsel for Plaintiffs in the other four lawsuits that have been consolidated for this bench trial. The litigation involves more than 230 Plaintiffs.

“After nearly three years, the residents and property owners affected by the coal ash spill are now getting their chance to hold TVA accountable for the destruction of their very way of life,” Beasley Allen lawyer David Byrne says.

TVA continues to argue that it is not liable for the spill, and according to the AP report says that “under Tennessee law it has no legal duty to keep its reservoirs and shorelines safe for the plaintiffs’ recreational use and enjoyment.”

Parties will make opening arguments and testimony will begin on Monday.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Trial underway to determine liability in TVA coal ash spill litigation

More than 400 people have filed a total of 55 lawsuits against the TVA. Several hundred more people are said to be waiting for possible class-action certification. One lawyer estimated it would take more than 170 years to litigate the case should the agency force separate trials for every claim either already filed or pending class-action status, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. The spilled coal ash is being blamed for destroyed homes, damaged properties, and a litany of health problems.

Coal ash is currently not regulated by the federal government, which critics say caused lax standards among coal ash impoundment facilities like the east Tennessee TVA plant. One proposal the EPA is considering would regulate coal ash as hazardous material, which would then fall under federal oversight. Another proposal would keep coal ash as non-hazardous but would require enforcement through “citizen” lawsuits.

The EPA said in a statement that is does not know when regulations will be finalized.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Two years after spill EPA unsure how to classify toxic coal ash

Coal ash storage is currently under review by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), following the December 2008 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) impoundment pond rupture that dumped more than a billion gallons of toxic sludge on to a neighboring east Tennessee community and the Emory River. Coal ash contains arsenic and carcinogenic heavy metals, which has raised concerns from environmental groups.

Coal ash is not currently regulated by the federal government, and environmental groups say that the lack of oversight has made storage plants lax, putting millions of people who live near those plants at risk. The EPA is expected to propose guidelines for coal ash storage in the next few months.

If the EPA reclassifies coal ash as a hazardous material, it would have a ripple effect that critics, including the group of Illinois lawmakers, say will crush an already weakened economy.

The Office of Management and Budget said in a statement that it has received the Illinois lawmakers’ comments and they “appreciate their input.” For now, however, the subject remains under review.

Source: Chicago Tribune

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Illinois lawmakers ask White House not to classify coal ash as hazardous

TVA has already said that the billion-dollar cleanup is being footed by customers through their utility bills. That hike is hidden by a recent drop in fuel costs that has helped keep customers’ bills somewhat steady. If and when fuel prices creep back up, customers will see the change. But if coal ash, which contains arsenic and carcinogenic heavy metals, is reclassified as hazardous, it could affect how the TVA continues the cleanup process. And that $1.1 billion price tag could leap even higher.

EPA spokeswoman Latisha Petteway says the agency is still mulling the decision on how to classify coal ash. Both Petteway and Barbara Martocci, spokeswoman for the TVA, declined to comment on how the EPA’s decision would affect the TVA’s cleanup. However, classifying the coal ash as hazardous would almost certainly affect how the waste is recycled. Byproducts from coal-firing plants are used to strengthen building products such as wallboard and cement, and are even used to break down soil and fertilize crops.

The TVA is the nation’s largest utility with nearly nine million customers in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Coal ash classification could affect TVA customers’ bills

That coal ash is a synthetic form of the mineral gypsum, produced by power plant “scrubbers” that remove sulfur dioxide from the smoke stack emissions. The chalky substance also contains mercury, arsenic, lead and other heavy metals that have been linked to serious health problems, like cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

So why scatter toxic ash over the fruits and vegetables we eat? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the toxins are in such small amounts that they aren’t harmful to crops or humans. That’s hardly reassuring news considering a year ago coal ash wasn’t classified as a hazardous material, and plants that stored coal ash waste weren’t subject to federal inspections.

It wasn’t until the wall of a coal ash impoundment pond at a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) plant in east Tennessee broke, sending a wave of coal ash onto a nearby community, that the government began to take a closer look at the waste produced by power plants. It found that coal ash contained higher levels of toxins that originally thought and was in fact dangerous to humans.

The TVA now faces lawsuits from hundreds of victims of that spill. Many residents lost property, but several have reported health problems ranging from nosebleeds to breathing complications. Some, including a small child, have even tested positive for heavy metal in their bloodstream.

Now that light has been shed on the real dangers of coal ash, perhaps the government might reconsider its stance on the safety of coal ash as a fertilizer for the foods we eat.

Source: Food Consumer

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Why is toxic coal ash used to fertilize crops we eat?

Editorial: The Coal Ash Case
Published January 19, 2010, The New York Times

Just more than a year ago, one billion tons of toxic coal sludge broke loose from a containment pond belonging to the Tennessee Valley Authority, burying hundreds of acres of Roane County in eastern Tennessee and threatening local water supplies and air quality. The Environmental Protection Agency immediately promised new national standards governing the disposal of coal ash to replace a patchwork of uneven — and in many cases weak — state regulations.

The agency’s recommendations, which have not been made public, are now the focus of a huge dispute inside the Obama administration, with industry lobbying hard for changes that would essentially preserve the status quo. The dispute should be resolved in favor of the environment and public safety.

America’s power plants produce 130 million tons of coal ash a year, enough to fill a train of boxcars stretching from the District of Columbia to Australia. Some of this is usefully, safely and profitably recycled to make concrete and other construction materials. Much of it winds up in lightly regulated landfills, some as big as 1,500 acres, where toxic pollutants like arsenic and lead can leach into the water table.

One internal E.P.A. proposal suggested reclassifying coal ash as a hazardous material subject to federal regulation. It also recommended national standards requiring safe, sturdy disposal facilities. Industry counterattacked, arguing that the hazardous designation would ruin the recycling market and could trigger burdensome new investments. It also argued for continued state control, with the federal government providing “guidance.”

These arguments do not hold up. The recycling market will not disappear. Materials that are responsibly recycled are not, typically, designated as hazardous. The real problem is the 60 percent or so of the coal ash that winds up in porous landfills. Evidence suggests that tough but carefully tailored rules could encourage even more recycling, protecting the environment while yielding income to help pay for more secure landfills.

This debate is being conducted behind closed doors, mainly at the Office of Management and Budget, where industry usually takes its complaints and horror stories. A better course would be to let the E.P.A. draft a proposal, get it out in the open and offer it for comment from all sides. The Obama administration promised that transparency and good science would govern decisions like these.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › EPA’s recommendations on coal ash the focus of dispute

The spill, which piled as high as nine feet in some areas, knocked houses off their foundations, blanketed yards, and poured into the Emory River. Coal ash is laden with toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been linked to serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. It’s also “notoriously difficult to clean up,” Schaeffer says. The TVA is making efforts, though, spending as much as three years and upwards of a billion dollars to clean up the land and waterways.

Despite its dangerous and toxic contents, coal ash is not classified as a hazardous material and does not fall under government regulations. That is expected to change soon, as over the past year the Environmental Protection Agency has been charged with inspecting all coal-firing plants in the country and developing safety and storage guidelines. Those guidelines were promised before the end of the year, but late last month the agency said it would need more time to issue guidelines, saying it hopes to have a proposal ready in the first few weeks of 2010.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Coal ash spill worse than originally thought

The EPA was charged with defining the guidelines after last year’s devastating coal ash spill from an impoundment pond at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston, Tenn., plant. More than a billion gallons of toxic material tumbled down on neighboring land, knocking homes from their foundations, destroying property and contaminating waterways.

Coal ash is not considered a hazardous material, thus it did not fall under government regulations. However, since the Kingston spill, it was revealed that improvements in coal firing has made the ash left behind more toxic than years prior. Coal ash contains arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been linked to serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage ad neurological complications.

The EPA says it is delayed in proposing guidelines because of “the complexity of the analysis the agency is currently finishing” and the agency is “still actively clarifying and refining parts of the proposal.”

Source: Geosynthetica.net

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › EPA says coal ash regulations will not come in 2009

The coal ash, a byproduct of fossil fuel plants, which for years farmers have used to fertilize their fields, is also used to strengthen concrete for roads and as filler for recreational fields. It’s a convenient way for coal-firing plants to rid themselves of tons of waste each year. But some fear that the material, especially when used on crops, could be hazardous to human health.

“Basically this is a leap into the unknown,” says Jeff rush, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, to the Associated Press. “This stuff has materials in it that we’re trying to prevent entering the environment from coal-fired power plants and then to turn around and smear it across ag lands raises some real questions.”

The safety of such byproducts was brought to light a year ago, after more than a billion gallons of coal ash from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) plant in Kingston, Tenn., spilled from an impoundment pond and covered a nearby community. New testing revealed that coal ash, which was not classified as a hazardous material, contained dangerous toxins and heavy metals that could pose serious health problems for humans. Since then, the EPA has been inspecting coal ash sites across the country and is establishing guidelines for safe storage, expected to be unveiled early next year.

Despite the presence of dangerous toxins in coal ash, the EPA says scattering the material on crops is “safe in appropriate soil and hydrogeologic conditions.” But is it worth the risk? For a dozen years, Decatur Utilities in Alabama distributed waste in the form of sludge from its treatment plant to farmers as free fertilizer for their crops. While the EPA was aware that the waste in fertilizer could be dangerous to humans as early as 1979, it wasn’t until last year that the EPA realized that the fertilizer was actually being dumped onto crops. Decatur Utilities quickly halted the practice. This month, the agency announced it would test the blood of as many as 200 residents in Lawrence County for potential toxic chemicals.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › EPA says coal ash is safe to use as fertilizer on crops

“No corporation or agency should be above the law, especially at the expense of the environmental well-being of our citizens, wildlife and waters,” said Robert Dreher, senior vice president for conservation law and climate change at Defenders of Wildlife, one of the environmental groups outraged by the notion that the TVA may skirt fines and charges because of the law.

TVA officials say the allegations are unfounded, as they are already subject to penalties and lawsuits filed by citizen groups and the Environmental Protection Agency. TVA also is taking measures to change the way it stores coal ash by converting its wet ash ponds to dry storage.

The Environmental Integrity Project, one of the environmental groups leading the fight against the TVA, says the utility is one of the nation’s worst polluters and displays the “latest and most dramatic example of environmental mismanagement.” The group sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to have the Justice Department stop protecting the TVA from penalties. The group also recommended that Obama appoint new directors to TVA’s governing board and order the utility to establish a timeline for its plan to convert its wet storage to dry and phase out old coal-firing plants.

Sources:
Associated Press
Chattanooga Times Free Press

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Environmentalist groups want TVA to be prosecuted, fined

The report was released ahead of congressional hearings this week on the coal ash spill in Kingston that occurred last year. That spill dumped about 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash on to 300 acres of rural land and into nearby waterways, and prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the safety of coal ash and the facilities that store the waste.

Recent studies have shown coal ash contains dangerous toxins that have been linked to serious health concerns such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. One study from Duke University suggests that exposure to fly ash and the contaminated river sediment could pose health risks to local communities as well as wildlife.

Officials from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation say they will continue to monitor the TVA’s cleanup of the land, which will take an estimated three years and will cost upwards of $1 billion. The organization also says that while the spill has displaced homeowners, damaged property and contaminated waterways, tests on municipal water supplies have been ruled safe.

Sources:
Associated Press
The Tennessean

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Emory River polluted with carcinogens, dangerous metals

But sometimes materials that we think are safe for use are in fact harmful to humans. Consider this sad story now being played out in Lawrence County, Alabama.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced it will test the blood of as many as 200 residents in Lawrence County for potentially toxic chemicals – toxins that were scattered on fields by Decatur Utilities, a local wastewater plant.

For 12 years, Decatur Utilities distributed sludge from its treatment plant to farmers for free for use as fertilizer on their crops. More than 90 percent of the county – or about 5,000 acres of land – have been covered with the stuff. In 1979, 3M conducted tests and alerted the EPA of the possibility that the fertilizer was contaminated with PFCs, or perflourinated chemicals. It wasn’t until last year that the EPA learned that the potentially contaminated sludge was being dumped on to farmland. Once the connection was made, Decatur Utilities stopped giving away the sludge-fertilizer.

While studies have shown that there is danger of PFCs harming laboratory animals, the effect of PFCs on humans is unclear. The EPA has conducted tests of public water supplies and the Department of Agriculture has studied samples taken from cattle slaughtered near contaminated land. Both have determined that they were safe for human consumption. However, tests on cattle’s blood have levels of PFOS, a particularly toxic PFC, at levels as high as 500 times the EPA health advisory applicable to drinking water, according to the Decatur Daily.

Residents of Lawrence County who live near heavily contaminated fields or who drink from contaminated private wells will receive letters from the EPA soon offering the free blood tests.

Kind of makes you wonder what we will learn about coal ash byproducts, especially those used to fertilize farmland.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › EPA tests Lawrence County residents for potential toxic chemicals

That spill, called one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history, knocked houses off their foundations, damaged property and contaminated waterways. The TVA is currently undergoing an estimated three-year, $1.2 billion cleanup effort to restore the land.

That’s just the kind of nightmare Kentucky residents don’t want to experience. A major spill from a larger coal ash pond built on the Ohio River flood plain could easily contaminate Louisville’s drinking water uptake just 30 miles downstream.

LG&E and Kentucky Division of Water officials say the pond wouldn’t affect the drinking water. But environmentalists have concerns. Coal ash is not categorized as a hazardous material and thus does not currently fall under federal regulation. But the massive Tennessee spill shed new light on coal ash.

Tests have shown that coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been linked to serious health conditions such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. As a result of last year’s devastating spill, the Environmental Protection Agency has been ordered to review all coal ash ponds in the country. The agency is expected to issue new rules for handling coal ash sometime in December.

Source: Chicago Tribune

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Activists fight coal ash pond expansion along Ohio River

Coal ash

The report highlights the concern environmentalists have had for years – that coal ash produced by utilities like the TVA is toxic and should be regulated by the federal government. Tests have shown that coal ash contains arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, heavy metals that have been linked to serious health concerns such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. Based on the new report, the EPA says it is considering labeling coal ash as a toxic waste. Utilities industries oppose the move.

Meanwhile, the TVA is undergoing an expected years-long, $1.2 billion cleanup of the land it damaged. While the nation’s largest utility claims it will restore the property to its original condition and has given more than $40 million to Roane County officials for improvement projects and a pricey public relations campaign, locals and environmentalists say that the efforts don’t rectify the damage to wildlife and humans, many of whom have already tested positive for heavy metals in their blood.

Source: UPI

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › EPA report: Coal ash causes death, deformity in wildlife

Toxic coal ash

“If coal ash poses an unacceptable level of risk, inconsistent state standards should be immediately replaced with national guidelines that would put the safety of the people in one community on the same level as families living in another,” said Rep. Artur Davis, D-Birmingham, in a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and circulated around the House of Representatives.

Coal ash is not considered a hazardous material, and thus does not fall under federal regulation. However, improvements in coal ash burning facilities over the decades have made the smoke released into the air much cleaner. Those toxins instead settle in the coal ash left behind. Tests show that coal ash can contain dangerous levels of arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium – toxins that have linked to serious health issues such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. That toxic ash is stored in dry or wet landfills throughout the country.

A December 2008 coal ash impoundment breach at a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) plant brought the question of the safety of coal ash into the spotlight. Last year’s coal ash spill dumped more than a billion gallons of coal ash on to a neighboring community, knocking houses off their foundations, destroying property, and contaminating nearby waterways. Environmentalists called it the largest environmental disaster of its kind in U.S. history. The TVA began an estimated three-year, $1 billion cleanup of the area, which includes relocating the recovered coal ash to landfills in other counties and states. The first shipments of recovered coal ash have already been shipped by railcar to a landfill in Perry County, Alabama.

Storing the recovered coal ash in Perry County will generate about $3 million in storage fees and bring in about 30 jobs to the poverty-stricken, predominantly black county, which some local officials consider a boon. But people who live and work there say they fear they are sitting on a time bomb that could one day destroy their property and livelihoods.

Earlier this year, Davis met with residents of Perry County who voiced their concerns, asking if there are any guarantees that the dangerous toxins will leach into drinking water or create any health problems now or in the future. Davis’ letter to the EPA aims to address those concerns and move forward EPA efforts to establish federal safety standards that are balanced among all states.

Source: Selma Times Journal

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Rep. Davis fights for people of Perry County in coal ash debate

The threat of a lawsuit, filed by the Defenders of Wildlife, the Sierra Club, and the Environmental Integrity Project, comes as part of the wave of criticism on how coal-firing plants are regulated. That debate was spurred by last year’s coal ash spill in Kingston, Tenn. Coal ash, which is produced and stored at coal-firing plants, is not listed as a hazardous material and thus did not fall under federal regulations. However, improvements in pollution controls have kept toxins from leaving smokestacks, thus increasing the amount of toxins in the coal ash.

Coal ash has since been found to contains dangerous toxins including arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been associated with serious health conditions such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

“Toxic discharges from power plants can threaten the health of local communities, contaminate ground and surface waters and destroy aquatic life,” said Eric Schaeffer, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project, in the Times Free Press.  “EPA should have limited these discharges decades ago as the law requires. EPA needs to stop kicking the can down the road and set a date for regulation.”

The EPA has pledged to issue federal regulations by the end of the year.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Environmental groups file intent to sue notice against EPA

The coal ash originates from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) plant in Kingston, Tenn. Last December, more than a billion gallons of sludge from a breached impoundment pond poured down on to a neighboring community. The toxic wave knocked houses from their foundations, destroyed property, and contaminated nearby waterways when it spilled into the Emory River and traveled downstream.

In the months since, property values plummeted and residents have reported respiratory problems and heightened anxiety. Some people, including a toddler, have tested positive for heavy metals in their bloodstream. Coal ash is toxic, containing arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been linked to serious health concerns including cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

For months, the TVA has been undergoing a huge cleanup effort that is estimated to cost as much as $1 billion before it is complete. The cleanup effort includes shipping recovered coal ash from the spill site and storing it in distant landfills, including Arrowhead Landfill in Perry County.

Source: WSFA-TV

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Perry County residents still upset about recovered coal ash storage

An investigation into the cause of the TVA spill has sent a ripple of new standards for coal ash impoundments throughout the country, including a survey conducted by the EPA of all electric utilities. The EPA found nearly 600 ash ponds. The most ponds were found in Indiana, with 53 ponds. Kentucky came in close second with 44 ponds. The survey also found significant deficiencies in the way some of the impoundment ponds have been inspected, though which ponds and where were not disclosed.

In 2000, the EPA deemed coal ash a nonhazardous material, and thus it did not fall under federal inspections. Inspections are left up to state regulators. Since 2000, improved pollution controls keep more and more toxins from leaving smokestack, thus increasing the amount of toxins in the coal ash. Coal ash contains arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, all of which have been shown to contribute to serious health conditions such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

The Obama administration has promised to adopt national standards for the handling of coal combustion wastes including coal ash ponds, though no time line has yet been set. The EPA says it will analyze the findings of the survey. A report will be made public by the first of next year.

Source: Courier-Journal

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Some of nation’s coal ash ponds have significant deficiencies

Environmentalists criticized the EPA for allowing the TVA to rate its own facilities. Two weeks after the protests, the TVA raised the hazard level of two coal ash storage ponds in Tennessee and two in Alabama. In a letter to the EPA, the TVA defended the move, saying it changed the ratings “in the interest of taking a conservative, self-critical approach.” The ratings do not gauge the likelihood of dam failure, rather the potential damage that could occur if the dam fails.

Last December, a coal ash storage pond at the TVA’s Kingston, Tennessee facility failed, spilling more than a billion gallons of coal ash on to more than 300 acres of a neighboring community. The spill damaged homes and destroyed property, contaminated local waterways, and has made residents in the area ill. The TVA is currently involved in a massive cleanup of the area, which is expected to cost nearly $1 billion before it is complete.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA rates coal ash dumps in Alabama, Tennessee as ‘high hazard’

Perry County is populated by predominantly blacks and is one of the poorest counties in the state where more than 30 percent of families live in poverty. Residents there will benefit from the plan, gaining about 50 jobs and earning millions off dumping fees. However, opponents say the plan is unjust.

More than a billion gallons of coal ash poured on Kingston, Tennessee, last December after a TVA coal ash impoundment breached. The massive wave of coal ash toppled houses, destroyed property and contaminated nearby waterways.

Coal ash contains dangerous toxins that have been associated with serious health concerns such as cancer and liver damage. Those living in and around Kingston, Tennessee, where the coal ash spilled, have reported more respiratory problems and heightened anxiety. Some, including a toddler, have already tested positive for heavy metals in their blood.

“As if the initial spread of sludge from the TVA was not bad enough, shipping that much coal ash to Perry County, Alabama, seems very short sighted,” says Rhon Jones, Toxic Torts Section Head with Beasley Allen Law Firm. “I feel certain that many residents of Perry County share our concern that this plan is not in the best interest of Perry County citizens.”

Source: New York Times

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › EPA approves TVA’s bid to store recovered coal ash in Alabama

The coal storage sites are similar to the one at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston, Tennessee, coal-firing plant which last December burst, sending more than a billion gallons on to 300 acres of a neighboring community. While the wave of toxic material did not harm anyone initially, it destroyed homes and damaged property in its wake.

Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic and lead, which have been associated with serious health concerns such as cancer and liver damage. Several individuals who have been affected by the east Tennessee spill have reported heightened respiratory problems and anxiety issues. A few, including a toddler, have tested positive for heavy metal in their blood.

While the TVA is undergoing a near-$1 billion clean-up of the area, residents and environmentalists say it is impossible to restore the land to is previous luster and safety.

North Carolina has the most coal storage ponds on the EPA’s list of sites to inspect. The largest concentration is Cochise, Arizona, where seven storage ponds are located. The EPA has inspected about half of the 44 sites and plans to issue reports on their status soon.

Source: Associated Press

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › EPA rates 44 coal ash storage sites as ‘high hazard potential’

One local resident, Roane County attorney Tom McFarland, was so concerned about his children swimming in the water there that he filed for and received a temporary restraining order against his ex-wife ordering her not to take their children swimming in the Emory River near the spill site.

“Like any parent who protects his children, I’ll do what I have to do to protect my children,” he said. “I consulted with the children’s pediatrician who says the children should not be swimming in it.”

The restraining order was sought after McFarland says his ex-wife took their two young children for a day on the river not far from where more than a billion gallons of toxic coal ash spilled. Coal ash has been found to contain dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been linked to serious health problems from cancer to liver damage.

Currently, recreational advisories have been issued for parts of the Emory River by both the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Source: WVLT-TV

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Father’s restraining order to keep kids from swimming in contaminated river

“If these sites are so hazardous and if the neighborhoods nearby could be harmed irreparably, then I believe it is essential to let people know,” said Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, in a letter to three different executive-branch agencies. “In that way, they can press their local authorities who have responsibility for their safety to act now to make the sites safer.”

The EPA, which is now overseeing coal ash ponds around the country, first refused to reveal the sites after an April House committee hearing. Last week, Boxer held a press conference to say that the EPA had once again to refused publicly identify where those impoundment ponds are located.

Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been linked to serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

More than 125 million tons of coal ash combustion waste is produced in power plants in the United States and most of it is stored in dry landfills or above-ground coal slurry ponds. In 2000, that material was classified by the EPA as non-hazardous and thus was exempt from government regulations. Since then, improved pollution controls have kept toxins from leaving smokestacks but have made the coal ash even more dangerous. Yet, the coal ash plants have evaded regulation. The December coal ash spill at Kingston has shown how serious and disastrous a coal ash spill can be. As a result, the EPA is taking steps to regulate the coal ash industry. But critics, like Boxer, say the EPA should be more forthcoming about the information it obtained.

“The public’s right to know about threats in their communities is critically important,” she said.

Source: West Virginia Gazette

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Senator says EPA should reveal locations of coal ash storage sites

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

Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, barium, chromium and manganese, which have been associated with serious health concerns such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

“I don’t know what Tennessee law is, but under Pennsylvania law it would probably have to go to a residual waste landfill,” said Tom Rathbun, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

A TVA spokesperson says it already had given up on storing the recovered coal ash in the Pennsylvania coal mines as the mines were not properly lined to prevent the toxins from leaching into the ground.

Meanwhile, TVA has located landfills in Alabama and Georgia to store the 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash that poured from a breached impoundment pond, destroying neighboring homes and property. Both sites are Class 1 landfills. One is located in Mauk, Georgia and the other in Uniontown, Alabama.

The TVA’s cleanup effort has caused headaches for the utility, which estimates it will spend as much as $975 million to restore the land. It could be months before the cleanup is complete.

Source: Forbes/Associated Press

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Pennsylvania says no to TVA coal ash storage

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

Cancer rates

The EPA screening study conducted in 2002 was not made public until March 4, 2009. Numerous attempts to get the information made public through the Freedom of Information Act to the EPA during the Bush Administration were denied or released with the risk estimates blacked out. The data finally made public after seven years shows that cancer risk is substantially higher for up to one out of every 50 Americans living near wet ponds used to dispose of ash and scrubber sludge from coal-fired power plants across the United States.

The analysis focuses on 100 landfills and 110 surface impoundments examined by the EPA that lack effective synthetic liners to prevent leaks as the EPA found unlined and clay-lined waste units present far greater risks to both human health and ecosystems. These high-risk coal ash dump sites are in more than 35 states.

According to the report: “Can living next to one of these dumpsites increase your risk of getting cancer or other diseases? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) thinks so, especially if you live near one of those wet ash ponds, or surface impoundments, that dot the landscape near large coal plants, the pond has no protective liner, and you get your drinking water from a well … (N)earby residents have as much as a 1 in 50 chance of getting cancer from drinking water contaminated by arsenic, one of the most common, and most dangerous, pollutants from coal ash. And that’s not all. That same risk assessment says that living near ash ponds increases the risk of damage to the liver, kidney, lungs and other organs as a result of being exposed to toxic metals like cadmium, cobalt, lead, and other pollutants at concentrations far above levels that are considered safe. In addition, the danger to wildlife and ecosystems is simply off the charts, with one contaminant—boron—expected to leach into the environment at levels two thousand times thresholds generally considered to be safe.”

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Study: Cancer risk ‘disturbingly’ higher near coal ash ponds

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

The EPA is expected to prepare a public report for each unit assessed, with the goal of completing all assessments by the end of the year.

The inspections are in response to concerns raised by residents, lawmakers and environmental groups following the December 22, 2008, coal ash spill at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston, Tennessee plant, which dumped 1.1 billion gallons of toxic material on to 300 acres of an east Tennessee community and into the neighboring Emory River. Coal ash can contain dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been linked to serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

More than 125 million tons of coal ash combustion waste is produced by power plants in the United States, most of which ends up in dry landfills or in above-ground coal slurry ponds. That material was classified by the EPA in 2000 as non-hazardous and thus was exempt from government regulations. However, since 2000, improved pollution controls have kept toxins from leaving smokestacks and thus have increased the amount of toxins in coal ash, says Rhon Jones, Toxic Torts Section Head with Beasley Allen law firm.

“Hopefully, these actions by EPA and Congress will either increase safety near these facilities, require alternative methods of disposal, or both,” says Jones.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › EPA to begin inspection of coal ash storage areas

Both the House and the Senate approved the legislation, however the House rewrote the language, requiring the bill to pass back through the Senate for final approval. The bill will not allow laying liners on existing facilities and placing more coal ash on top.

The bill is just one effort by lawmakers to make coal-burning facilities like that in Kingston safer. Last December’s coal ash pond breach dumped more than a billion gallons of coal ash sending a wave as high as 9 feet on to nearby homes and property. Houses were knocked off their foundations, property was damaged, and several residents in the area had little choice but to flee.

Preventing another environmental disaster like the TVA coal ash spill has been on the forefront with legislators, environments and residents alike raising questions about the hundreds of U.S. power plants that produce more than 125 million tons of coal combustion waste each year. Coal ash is currently listed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as non-hazardous and thus does not fall under strict governmental regulations, says Rhon Jones, Toxic Torts Section Head with Beasley Allen law firm.

As a result of the Kingston coal ash spill, the EPA committed to propose new regulations governing coal combustion waste by the end of 2009. The EPA also committed to act immediately to prevent more spills in the future.

“Hopefully, these actions by EPA and Congress will either increase safety near these facilities, require alternative methods of disposal, or both,” Jones adds.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Lawmakers, EPA search for methods to prevent future coal ash spills

“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

However, the method for the regulation of coal ash has come under scrutiny after a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) impoundment pond failed last December and dumped more than a billion gallons of coal ash sludge over 300 acres of an east Tennessee community, destroying homes and damaging property in its wake. Both residents and environmentalists began asking questions about the toxic material that had poured into the neighboring Emory River and heaped as much as nine feet high in some areas.

Since 2000, improved pollution controls have kept toxins from leaving smokestacks and thus have increased the amount of toxins in coal ash, says Rhon Jones, Toxic Torts Section Head with Beasley Allen law firm. The material may contain arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium which can contribute to dangerous health conditions such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications, to name a few.

Many residents in the area already have complained of respiratory problems and half reported experiencing increased stress and anxiety. “In addition, EPA has improved testing which reveals toxins are leaching into groundwater more than originally thought,” Jones adds.

To date, EPA has found groundwater contaminated with heavy metals from coal ash dumps at 63 sites. An independent report asserts that nearly 100 coal ash dumps across the United States pose similar or even greater potential dangers than the TVA Kingston plant, Jones says.

“On March 9, 2009, EPA sent a survey to the 163 utilities that manage approximately 300 coal ash ponds in the U.S. The survey calls for plant operators to provide information about coal ash pond design, engineering, and inspections and to list any spills or unauthorized releases within the last decade. While a step in the right direction, EPA’s survey does not ask for information on whether the coal ash ponds are lined, whether the ponds have water collection systems to catch toxins leached from the ash, or whether groundwater monitors are in place near the ponds,” Jones says.

After survey results are reviewed, EPA plans to follow up with on-site visits and order improvements where the ponds are found to be unsafe.

In response to the December 22, 2008 coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee, the EPA committed to propose new regulations governing coal combustion waste by the end of 2009. The EPA also committed to act immediately to prevent accidents such as the TVA spill in Kingston.

“The Kingston, Tennessee, spill and others like it show the need for strict standards on how this waste is disposed. In addition to EPA’s renewed interest in regulating coal ash disposal, the U.S. Congress is looking into the spill,” Jones says. “Hopefully, these actions by EPA and Congress will either increase safety near these facilities, require alternative methods of disposal, or both.”

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Coal combustion sites need government regulations

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) ordered total remediation so that the utility must clean up the site completely. That cleanup effort is so massive it could take years to complete and is estimated to cost the utility between $525 million and $825 million.

“It is unlikely that the land can be fully restored to conditions present before the spill,” says Rhon Jones, Toxic Torts Section Head with Beasley Allen law firm. “It will take a long time for the area to heal, and the long-term effects may not be known entirely for some time.”

Coal ash may contain dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium which can contribute to dangerous health conditions such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications, to name a few. Many residents already have complained of respiratory problems and half reported experiencing increased stress and anxiety.

The TVA has offered buyouts to many of the victims of the coal ash spill, “but it is unclear whether residents, in their desperation to leave the hazardous conditions, are getting fair deals,” Jones says. “Our firm is working on behalf of individuals and a class of clients. Through these cases, we are working to 1) Bring about a complete cleanup of the area; 2) Ensure that our clients are fully compensated for the damage to their property (including their property values); and, 3) Obtain long-term medical monitoring relief for area residents who have been exposed to the dangerous contaminants in TVA’s coal ash sludge. “

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Coal ash victims may not get the compensation they deserve

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

The engineers concerns about the stability of the pond walls are detailed in documents released earlier this year by the TVA. The documents were requested by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) in an effort to pinpoint why the pond breach occurred in the first place.

The documents show that the dikes making up the coal ash pond were in frequent need of maintenance and re-engineering. TVA officials made decisions based on opinions of both in-house engineers and consulting engineers. The pond’s most recent stability inspection – which showed nothing that would indicate failure – occurred just two months before the spill.

So far, the utility has spent more than $68 million cleaning up the mess, and that cost is expected to rise to as high as $825 million. The utility also has spent $11 million to buy out property from locals affected by the spill. Additional expenses are expected to cover litigation, penalties and settlements.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Engineers raised questions about coal ash pond walls decades ago

More than a billion gallons of coal ash sludge spilled over 300 acres of community property and into the Emory River last December after a coal ash impoundment pond at the TVA’s Kingston, Tennessee coal-burning plant failed. Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic and lead which can lead to serious health concerns such as cancer, liver damage and neurological disorders.

Since the spill, the TVA has undergone a $1 million a day cleanup effort that is expected to ring in between $525 million and $825 million. TVA has vowed to restore the land to as good, if not better, than new.

However, residents are skeptical. Many have complained of breathing problems and at least one young child has tested positive for heavy metal in his blood. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tests of water near a drinking water treatment plant the day after the spill showed alarming amounts of arsenic – 149 times higher than allowed by federal drinking water standards.

While the government is claiming that water treatment facilities can effectively filter tap water for toxins, some residents say that they have noticed a gray film in their tap water and have experienced a burning sensation on their skin and in their eyes after taking a shower.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Drinking water may be contaminated by coal ash spill

Since the spill, the TVA has spent a reported $1 million a day to clean up the mess, estimating its total cleanup cost to ring in between $525 million and $825 million. Clean up efforts include building temporary dams to stop the flow in neighboring waterways, dusting grass seed on dry land to keep the fly ash at bay, and, most recently, dredging the nearby Emory River. The TVA has vowed to restore the land to its previous condition, though affected property owners and environmental groups remain skeptical.

Last month, a smaller spill occurred when a pipeline at a coal-burning plant ruptured, leaking 4,000 gallons of coal ash into the Potomac River and fanning the flames of concern from lawmakers of the safety and lack of federal regulation of coal ash impoundments.

TVA president and CEO Tom Kilgore, Congressman Lincoln Davis and representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are among those who testified to members of the House subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment as part of the committee’s investigation into why such spills occurred.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Congressional committee to ask ‘why’ coal ash spills occur

The spill dumped more than a billion gallons of coal ash sludge on to 300 acres in an east Tennessee community. Dozens of homes were destroyed or damaged and property was left a mess. Aside from the physical damage, homeowners in the area are concerned of the risk to human life.

Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic and lead that can cause serious health issues such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. Several homeowners in the area already have complained of respiratory problems.

The cleanup already has taken months and could cost the utility between $525 million and $825 million, according to earlier reports. A cleanup plan that included the dredging effort was outlined in a report submitted by the TVA and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The utility vows to restore the property to its original condition, but homeowners wonder if doing so is even possible, given the magnitude of the spill.

More than 100 property owners have filed federal lawsuits against the TVA, but many residents who live closes to the spill have opted to either reach settlements with the TVA or say they plan to wait things out.

Sources:
News Channel 5
iStock Analyst

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Dredging begins at Tennessee coal ash spill site

Sen. Benjamin Cardin

The spill caught the attention of lawmakers and environmentalists alike, who are debating how such coal ash ponds should be regulated by the government after the disastrous coal ash spill at a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) plant in Kingston, Tennessee last December. That spill dumped more than a billion gallons of the toxic sludge onto a rural neighborhood, destroying homes and damaging property in its wake.

The TVA continues to clean up that mess, which could cost the utility between $525 million and $825 million. The effects on wildlife and humans are yet to be played. Coal ash may contain high concentrations of selenium, sulfate, arsenic, iron and manganese which can lead to serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

Environmental activists and lawmakers are pushing the government to step up regulation of coal ash plants. In a letter to the Cumberland Times-News, Joy M. Oakes with the National Parks Conservation Association in Arlington, Virginia wrote, “There are about 300 coal waste storage sites in the U.S., many much larger than the ones operated by the New Page Corporation, which currently are not subject to any meaningful federal regulation. New regulations to manage coal waste must avert risks to our health, and the health of our national parks, so that our children and our grandchildren may continue to enjoy these treasured places.”

Sources:
MSNBC
Cumberland Times-News

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Senator asks for more regulation of coal-burning plants

President

According to Kentucky.com, “The Department of Energy will soon announce whether it will use $1 billion in stimulus funds to resurrect FutureGen, a proposal to create in Illinois the world’s first coal-fired power plant designed to capture and bury carbon emissions underground.” The Bush administration decided against building the plant because it would cost more than $1.8 billion. The Government Accountability Office says that price tag is more like $1.3 billion. Proponents of “clean coal” argue that  not building that plant put the effort back a decade.

Renewable resources are front-and-center with lawmakers these days, after a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) coal ash pond failed last December, dumping more than a billion gallons of toxic coal ash sludge on to an east Tennessee community. Previously unregulated by the federal government, coal ash ponds and storage units will soon have to follow standards outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for regulating coal ash.

The economic stimulus plan has $3.4 billion for the coal industry, as opposed to $16.8 billion for renewable energy and efficiency programs. The Obama administration also is says it will implement a program that would cap companies’ carbon emissions.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Obama administration focuses on clean coal practices

The spill originated from a small hole in one of NewPage Corp.’s pipelines that cross the Potomac. The leak began about 8 p.m. Sunday night and continued to leak until 6 a.m. Monday morning.

The spill is just a fraction of the size of the one caused when the Tennessee Valley Authority impoundment pond failed and oozed toxic coal ash into a rural Tennessee neighborhood and into the nearby Emory River. But Maryland state regulators are still concerned of the potential environmental problems the leak may cause.

Coal ash could contain high concentrations of selenium, sulfate, arsenic, iron and manganese, which can contribute to serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. The Tennessee spill has already caused many locals to complain of respiratory problems, and a young child in the area recently tested positive for heavy metals.

The storage and disposal of coal ash is not currently regulated, but Environmental Protection Agency officials have vowed since the TVA spill to draft rules for coal ash storage and disposal.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › 4,000 gallons of coal ash pour into Potomac River

The Obama administration backed up the promise by vowing to propose new regulations governing coal combustion waste by the end of the year and acting immediately to ensure more dangerous spills do not happen again, according to the New York Times.

The EPA’s Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery is deciding now whether to regulate the waste as hazardous or nonhazardous. In 2000, the material was classified as nonhazardous, but because of better pollution controls, the ash has become more dangerous. Coal ash contains toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium. Those materials can lead to serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

Residents who live hear the Kingston, Tennessee plant have already complained of breathing problems and some have even tested positive for high levels heavy metal.

TVA is undergoing a million-dollar-a-day cleanup program that is expected to total between $525 million and $825 before it is restored.

The coal industry has long opposed regulation, saying the move will cost billions each year. Activist groups say regulation is necessary to ensure the safety of those living near the plants. EPA has raised concerns from improved tests that show more toxins than previously thought leaching from the ash into groundwater, according to the report.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Obama administration vows to propose regulations for coal ash

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

It’s no wonder. The coal ash that poured from a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) impoundment in Kingston, Tennessee, contained dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which may lead to serious health problems such as cancer, liver problems, neurological complications and a host of other irritants.

Never mind that houses and property in the wake of the outpour were destroyed or damaged. The utility is shelling out more than $1 million a day to build temporary dams to stop the flow down the Emory River and dust grass seed to keep the fly ash at bay, and carry out other measures to ensure the area returns to its previous beauty. It could cost the TVA as much as $825 million to do that, and even then, it is unsure what toll it will take on wildlife and plants in the area.

According to the Associated Press report, 368 residents within a 1.5 mile radius of the plant were surveyed by the Tennessee Department of Public Health. A third of those surveyed say they experienced worsening upper respiratory symptoms. Half reported mental health issues such as stress and anxiety. Astonishingly, only 66 percent said they “washed their hands after touching the sludge.”

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › East Tennessee residents waiting for breath of fresh air

The spill occurred when a coal ash impoundment pond at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Kingston, Tennessee plant failed and dumped more than a billion gallons of toxic material on to a rural, east Tennessee neighborhood. Not only did the spill cause immediate damage, its long-term effects may cause even more problems. Coal ash contains toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which may contribute to serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

In the Daily Yonder photo essay, Poynter talks about his two experiences photographing the site, during which he had to go through TVA’s public relations department and be escorted in by TVA staff. Most other entrances to the spill site are restricted by police, allowing access to only those who live in the area or their friends and family.

Poynter says visibility in the area is limited – one can only see about a quarter of a mile in the distance. There is no media access to the homes damaged immediately by the spill. Thus, he says, “It looks fairly benign, of out of the larger context of who has been harmed and what has been destroyed.”

Still, the slideshow is worth watching.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Photographers capture images of devastating coal ash spill

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

We told you earlier about Penny Dodson and her 18-month-old grandson Evan. For 10 days after the spill, they stayed in their home instead of fleeing. She was told by TVA authorities that they would be safe. But when Evan started having trouble breathing, doctors tested him for heavy metals. The tests revealed that Evan had elevated levels of arsenic in his body, which doctors determined was from fly ash in the community. Penny is now guilt-stricken.

While no one was injured when the coal ash pond failed and dumped more than a billion gallons of toxic material on to 300 acres of a rural east Tennessee neighborhood, authorities want to be sure damages, such as those experienced by little Evan and by the property owners whose homes and property were affected, are kept to a minimum.

TVA has executed a massive clean up, building temporary dams in Emory River in hopes of keep the ash from flowing any father downstream, and laid grass seed to keep the coal ash from flying. Sludge is being scooped out of waterways and land. How long the cleanup will take is still unclear, but the price of getting the land livable again could cost TVA as much as $825 million.

The hearings continue this week with more testimony from victims as well as testimony from representatives of the TVA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA coal ash victims testify about property, personal damages

In a letter released late last week, EPA regional administrator Stanley wrote that the EPA “considers the Kingston spill to be an un-permitted discharge of pollutant in contravention of the Clean Water Act.” The TVA has been ordered to produce a plan to correct the violation as soon as possible and to keep the EPA in the loop with all its data communication with the state Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).

Officials hope that data that already has been turned in to TDEC and future data will help pinpoint the why the impoundment failed last December, pouring 2.2 million pounds of coal ash onto a rural neighborhood. The coal ash contains toxins that could be hazardous to human health, including arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium.

A massive cleanup is currently underway, costing the TVA about $1 million per day. Temporary dams have been built to keep ash that’s flowed into a nearby river at bay, and grass seeds have been planted to keep ash from flying about. Officials have said air and water quality tests from the area near the spill “continue to show no contamination above regulatory levels,” according to the news report.

TDEC says it will hold a meeting soon to bring community members up to date on air and water testing results.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA found in violation of federal Clean Water Act

Crops in the Southeast and Midwest are grown in soil that has been routinely supplemented with tons of fly ash. Some of the more common crops grown in this amended soil include a variety of vegetables and peanuts.

Fly ash is a fine powder that is recovered from gases created by the burning of coal. Supplementing soil with the fly ash increases crop yields and stabilizes soil, and lessens the burden on landfills. The fly ash also provides phosphorus, calcium and other nutrients that aide in crops’ growth. It also helps the soil retain water.

However, fly ash also contains toxins, including arsenic, that if used in high levels can soak into crops and become hazardous. Coal ash is not classified as a hazardous waste by the Environmental Protection Agency and thus is not federally supervised for use in agriculture. Some states do regulate it but guidelines vary from state to state and there is little to no monitoring of its use, according to the report. Environmentalists fear that inadequate monitoring could lead to overuse of fly ash and possible toxic accumulation, which may ultimately harm human health.

The U.S. currently produces 130 million tons of coal combustion waste each year. Experts say as more coal burning is needed to increase demand, that number could likely increase to 150 million tons in a decade.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Environmentalists worry about safety of fly ash supplementing crop soil

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 Duke tests revealed high amounts of arsenic and radioactive radium in the toxic sludge at the spill site, findings that throw up red flags about the “safety of storing ash” and emphasize the need for caution in the cleanup process.

According to the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke, water near the site tested fairly clean, with only trace amounts of arsenic present in samples taken two miles downstream from the spill. The sludge and ash, however, contain two radioactive forms of radium, which is highly carcinogenic to humans.

“As the sludge dries out, the ash picked up by the wind as dust will be carried into the atmosphere. Once there, this dust can be inhaled by people, where it can be deposited on the linings of their lungs giving them unwelcome doses of radioactivity and toxic metals,” writes Bill Chameides, Dean of the Nicholas School at Duke.

The possibility of airborne particulates of radium and other toxic substances arising from the sludge is why the cleanup must be conducted with extreme care. It’s also why the presence of some 1,300 coal ash dump sites throughout the country is so dangerous.

Chameides says that the spill and the cleanup effort are “something for the folks in Roane County to think about.” Even more alarming, however, is how the Kingston spill highlights a much broader concern about the safety of coal. These concerns “go well beyond the Kingston plant to all the coal-fired power plants and their coal ash dumping sites throughout the United States,” Chameides writes.

“Is dangerous particulate matter being liberated from them regularly? And if so, what risks might they pose to the people living near these plants?”

A recent article in the New York Times reported that of the 1,300 coal ash dump sites in the U.S., more than 60 had leakage and contaminated the surrounding water.

The government, however, seems to be downplaying the concerns that the Duke scientists raise.

Avner Vengosh, associate professor of earth and ocean sciences at Duke, and graduate student Laura Ruhl collected ash and water samples from part of the Emory River three weeks after the spill occurred.

Their tests of the solid ash samples found significantly higher levels of radium-228 and radium-226 than the EPA reported to have found: 8 picocuries per gram compared with an average of 5-6 picocuries per gram reported by the EPA.

Vengosh and Ruhl also found 95 parts per billion of arsenic in the inlet tested, but lower concentrations downstream. Ten parts per billion is the EPA standard for safe drinking water.

TVA acknowledged the difference between Duke’s radiation and arsenic levels and those recorded by the TVA.

“We still take the Duke report very seriously and will have the site rechecked,” a TVA spokesperson told WSMV of Nashville.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Duke study of coal ash spill raises serious concerns

Exposure to arsenic and radium can have cause serious health issues in humans, including cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is overseeing the cleanup, with assistance from the Tennessee Department of Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Efforts costing $1 million a day include vacuuming ash particles from the river and inlets, building temporary dams to hold back the flow, and dusting the area with more than 80 tons of grass seed to keep the ash from flying in the wind, according to the report.

A spokesperson with TDEC told AP that the agencies are working together to ensure the area is appropriately cleaned for the long-term protection of both the community and the environment. She was quoted: “We have stated throughout this process that coal ash does contain small amounts of some contaminants that could be harmful to human health under certain conditions, primarily ingestion and inhalation. From the point TDEC was initially notified of the ash release, the department recognized the potential inhalation hazard presented by the ash and acted to protect local public health.”

Because trace amounts of toxins were found miles downstream, state and federal agencies will continue to monitor the water and air to ensure that drinking water and air quality remains safe.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Scientists confirm sludge contains arsenic, radium

In 2003 and 2006, two small leaks occurred at the Kingston plant, which raised the interest of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. That agency asked TVA to provide more information about the leaks but did not require a new storage system.

A TVA spokesman says the two smaller leaks were not related to December’s pond failure, and in both cases repairs were made to the ponds to stop the slow leaks. A 2008 inspection report of the Kingston ponds indicated that there were no structural problems with the ponds. However, officials say that the report indicated that TVA was irresponsible for not realizing that the previous spills pointed toward a serious stability problem.

Coal ash ponds are not regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because the EPA doesn’t consider the coal ash to be hazardous material. Federal agents oversee coal mines but don’t regulate the burning power plants. Some experts say states have done a poor job of monitoring the coal ash ponds.

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen said he is working to provide stronger oversight of the coal ash ponds in his state. Other states where TVA has coal ash ponds or landfills include Alabama and Kentucky.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Previous leaks should have signaled warning

The inspections are a precautionary measure to ensure that the dams across the state are structurally sound and that there is not threat of another dangerous spill occurring. The dam safety program will require dam owners to provide updated inspection reports and evaluations of the structures including any risk of impoundment breaking through into inactive or abandoned mines. State engineers also will conduct inspections both on ground at the dam sites and with aerial photographs of the impoundments and reservoirs, alerting owners if they see issues that may need addressing.

Engineers have two classifications for fly ash dams – Class 1 fly ash dams have “high hazard potential,” which can likely cause loss of life if the dams fail. Class 2 fly ash dams carry “significant hazard.” If these dams fail, loss of life is unlikely but heavy property damage is likely to occur.

The Tennessee Valley Authority flooding was the largest industrial spill of its kind in the United States, dumping more than a billion gallons of ash and sludge on to 300 acres of a rural East Tennessee neighborhood and pouring into the Tennessee, Emory and Clinch rivers.

The ash that covered the acreage and rivers contain toxins such as arsenic, lead, barium, chromium and manganese. Those dangerous toxins have been associated with serious health conditions in humans, such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › West Virginia dams to be inspected for safety

The first blow to animals in the area came when the spill occurred. Animals that were caught in the spill’s wake died from strangulation or from being buried in the sludge and ash. Stephen Smith, veterinarian and director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, says the animals that remain are not safe. Fish who swam to fresher water to escape the spill have ash coating their stomachs and gills. The damage isn’t just occurring in aquatic specials like fish, mussels and snails. River otters, mink, muskrat, ospreys and block-crowned night herons may also be at risk.

As wildlife in the area continue to live off the contaminated land, toxins can build up in their blood stream over the coming months and years. If the animals are contaminated, those dangerous toxins may eventually work their way to humans through the food chain.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will continue to monitor and assess how the spill is affecting animals there over the next three to five years. As a precaution, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has issued an advisory against eating striped bass caught in rivers around the spill zone, and precautionary advisory for catfish and sauger.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Spill’s long term effects a concern for wildlife

The leak, discovered before 6 a.m. has been stopped, according to John Moulton, with the Tennessee Valley Authority.

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“Some materials flowed into Widows Creek, although most of the leakage remained in the settling pond,” he said.

Gypsum is a byproduct of coal-burning power plants when “scrubbers” are added that use limestone spray to clean air emissions. This pulls sulfur dioxide from the emissions.

Tighter air emissions controls result in additional waste byproducts. Gypsum can be used in building materials.

Alabama environmental officials were on their way as of 10:15 a.m. Central Time to an spill at TVA’s Widows Creek coal-fired power plant in northeastern Alabama.

Scott Hughes, spokesman for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management said, “The only thing we’ve got right now is that there was a release from a gypsum treatment operation.”

“We do understand that some of the material has reached Widows Creek.”

The creek from which TVA’s coal burning plant gets its name, crosses the plant property. Gypsum can be sold for use in wallboard, but markets have been slow and it like more standard ash can build up in waste ponds.

“We’re in the process of gathering more info and getting a full report.”

Kingston is the scene of a TVA ash pond that ruptured: Early on the morning of Dec. 22, more than a billion gallons of sludge flowed out of the pond, damaging a dozen homes and creating environmental havoc along the Emory River.

The Widows Creek Fossil Plant is located on Guntersville Reservoir on the Tennessee River. It has eight coal-fired units and was completed in 1965. The plant consumes about 10,000 tons of coal a day. The ash from that coal was in the pond that broke there.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › 2nd coal ash spill reported in Alabama

Montgomery, Ala. – Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., has filed a class action suit on behalf of property owners damaged by the Dec. 22, 2008 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant. Located 40 miles west of Knoxville, Tenn., the plant released 1.1 billion gallons of toxin-laden sludge into a rural neighborhood when a waste storage pond retaining wall failed. The suit is filed against the TVA, the nation’s largest public utility, over potentially the most significant environmental disaster since the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Beasley Allen will be working with attorneys Gary Davis and Mary Parker in Tennessee, both of whom have Environmental experience. Beasley Allen has its own Environmental department to handle cases such as this disaster. The firm has handled previous environmental claims including a $700 million settlement with Monsanto/Solutia in Anniston, Ala., over PCB contamination, the largest environmental settlement in American history. More recently, Beasley Allen obtained a $20.7 million verdict against manufacturers of carbon black for nearby property owners, a verdict that was upheld by the United States Supreme Court.

Coal-fired power plants produce coal ash and other toxic waste byproducts. The material is usually stored on site in retention ponds or dams. A failure in the retaining wall, or an overflow, can result in an environmental disaster contaminating surrounding waterways, soil, and wildlife, and endangering human health and life.

There is ongoing debate about how coal ash is stored and regulated. Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate these types of retention ponds or the materials contained in them. Surprisingly, the EPA does not consider the coal ash hazardous material. There is a great deal of debate over whether state regulations are sufficient to regulate these retention ponds, as evidenced by this most recent disaster.

“It is absolutely incredible that there is no real oversight for the storage and safe disposal of this toxic waste,” said Beasley Allen attorney Rhon Jones, who specializes in Environmental issues. “Most of these retention ponds are not lined or reinforced, and it’s inevitable that potentially hazardous material will leak out. They just are not a long-term solution. It’s only a matter of time before the next disaster. These facilities are everywhere – Alabama, Tennessee. Communities are living under a cloud, uncertain of their safety.”

There is a U.S. Senate hearing set for Jan. 8 to review the Tennessee disaster that will include representatives from the TVA and environmental groups. Beasley Allen attorneys have contacted Congressional leaders offering to speak at the hearings, and lawyers from the Beasley Allen team will be present in Washington.

SOURCE: Beasley Allen Law Firm

COMPLAINT:Official class action complaint filed in TVA case

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Beasley Allen files coal ash spill class action lawsuit on behalf of residents and property owners affected

The EIP released the report, titled “Disaster in Waiting: Toxic Coal Ash Disposal in Impoundments at Power Plants” yesterday. The report says U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data shows power plants are disposing of high volumes of toxic metals in open lagoons.

There is a lot of attention on this issue now, following a December 22, 2008 disaster when the retaining wall at a coal-fired electric plant in Kingston, Tennessee, failed, dumping more than 1 billion gallons of toxic coal ash and other waste over 300 acres in East Tennessee. The event is being called the worst environmental disaster since the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

But the Tennessee disaster is just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to its official report, which listed Birmingham-area facilities Gaston Steam Plant in Shelby County and Gorgas Steam Plant in Walker County at No. 2 and 3, the EIP issued a press release stating that other toxic coal pollution dumps around the United States pose a greater potential danger than the Tennessee coal ash spill disaster site.

According to the release, at least 13 states have three or more under-regulated “wet dumps” on the “Worst Of” list for toxic chemicals. One coal pollution dump in Orlando, Fla., is reported to have TEN TIMES more arsenic than the Tennesee disaster site.

The release says the Tennessee facility was found on five of the six toxic chemical lists for the 50 worst coal-fired power plant pollution “wet dumps.”

EIP evaluations were based on industry-reported data collected by the EPA Toxic Reporting Inventory (TRI) data system for 2000-2006. EIP looked at the presence of arsenic, chromium, lead, nickel, selenium and thallium in the waste at Tennessee-style pollution dumping sites across the nation.

Eric Schaeffer, director of the Environmental Integrity Project, says, “The Tennessee eco-disaster has cast a spotlight on what is a very serious national problem – the existence of under-regulated toxic pollution coal dump sites near coal-fired pwoer plants that pose a serious threat to drinking water supplies, rivers and streams.” He said the Tennessee disaster is a warning sign of more trouble to come.

The EIP is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization established in March 2002 by former EPA enforcement attorneys to advocate for more effective enforcement of environmental laws. Read the full news release and official report:

EIP News Release

EIP Report: Disaster in Waiting

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Ash ponds at two Birmingham coal facilities top list for arsenic

MONTGOMERY, ALA. – Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., is currently evaluating claims on behalf of property owners affected by a devastating coal ash spill in Tennessee. The disaster spilled thousands of pounds of coal ash and toxic waste across more than 300 acres. The event occurred when an earthen retaining wall at the Kingston Fossil Plant failed, creating one of the largest coal fly ash spills in the United States. The plant is located 40 miles west of Knoxville, Tenn.

Coal-fired power plants produce coal ash and other toxic waste byproducts. The waste contains such heavy metals as arsenic, lead, barium, chromium and manganese, which have been shown to cause cancer, liver damage, and neurological complications. The material is usually stored on site at the energy-production facilities in retention ponds or dams. A failure in the dam’s retaining wall, or an overflow, can result in an environmental disaster contaminating surrounding waterways, soil, and wildlife, and endangering human health and life.

There are coal ash retention ponds at nine locations in Alabama, including six coal-fired steam plants operated by Alabama Power Company. The Tennessee Valley Authority (T.V.A.), which operates the Tennessee plant that failed, also has two coal-fired plants in north Alabama that have ash retention ponds; and PowerSouth Energy Cooperative has a coal ash pond at Lowman Power Plant in southwest Alabama.

“Given that the Tennessee Valley Authority has similar ponds at its two coal-fired plants in Alabama, we hope that they are making certain that those ponds are sound so that we will not have another tragedy like the one at TVA’s Kingston Steam Plant,” said Rhon Jones, an attorney with Beasley Allen who specializes in Environmental law. “Residents and property owners near all nine coal ash retention ponds in Alabama are counting on these ponds to be safe and secure. No property owner should have to go through the disaster facing those persons in Tennessee near the Kingston Steam Plant.”

According to Alabama’s Department of Environmental Management, all nine coal-fired power plants in Alabama were inspected following the Tennessee disaster, and all passed inspection with no problems. However, there is some debate about how coal ash is stored and regulated. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate these types of retention ponds or the materials contained in them. Surprisingly, the EPA does not consider the coal ash hazardous material. There is a great deal of debate over whether state regulations are sufficient to regulate these retention ponds, as evidenced by this most recent disaster. For the greatest protection to the public, we recommend coal ash should be buried in lined landfills rather than retention ponds or dams, to prevent it from leaking out and contaminating waterways, groundwater and soil.

SOURCE: Beasley Allen Press Release

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Beasley Allen evaluating claims resulting from Tennessee coal-ash spill disaster, eyeing safety of Alabama plants

A coal ash spill in eastern Tennessee that experts were already calling the largest environmental disaster of its kind in the United States is more than three times as large as initially estimated, according to an updated survey by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Officials at the authority initially said that about 1.7 million cubic yards of wet coal ash had spilled when the earthen retaining wall of an ash pond at the Kingston Fossil Plant, about 40 miles west of Knoxville, gave way on Monday. But on Thursday they released the results of an aerial survey that showed the actual amount was 5.4 million cubic yards, or enough to flood more than 3,000 acres one foot deep.

The amount now said to have been spilled is larger than the amount the authority initially said was in the pond, 2.6 million cubic yards.

A test of river water near the spill showed elevated levels of lead and thallium, which can cause birth defects and nervous and reproductive system disorders, said John Moulton, a spokesman for the T.V.A., which owns the electrical generating plant, one of the authority’s largest.

Mr. Moulton said Friday that the levels exceeded safety limits for drinking water, but that both metals were filtered out by water treatment processes.

Mercury and arsenic, he said, were “barely detectable” in the samples.

The ash pond was adjacent to the Emory River and near a residential area, where three houses were destroyed by the tide of muddy ash. Water sampled several miles downstream from the spill was safe to drink, but its iron and manganese content exceeded the secondary drinking water standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency, which govern taste and odor but not potential health effects, Mr. Moulton said.

Neither the authority nor the E.P.A. has released the results of tests of soil or the ash itself. Authority officials have said that the ash is not harmful, and the authority has not warned residents of potential dangers, though federal studies show that coal ash can contain dangerous levels of heavy metals and carcinogens.

“You’re not going to be endangered by touching the ash material,” said Barbara Martocci, a spokeswoman for the T.V.A. “You’d have to eat it. You have to get it in your body.”

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation also released a statement saying there was no indication of risk unless the ash was ingested.

But residents like Deanna Copeland were thinking further into the future.

“Our concern is, what happens if this liquid dries out?” Ms. Copeland said. “There are huge health concerns. It’s going to get in our house. We’re going to breathe it in. It would be like walking through a dust bowl, and we don’t know what’s in the dust.”

A round-the-clock cleanup effort continued on Friday, much of it clearing roads and railway tracks that were blocked by the sludge. Several booms, or skimmers, were installed on nearby rivers to catch floating cenospheres, a valuable component of the ash used to make bowling balls and other manufactured goods. A weir, or underwater dam, that would keep settled ash from moving downstream was about one-fifth completed, T.V.A. officials said.

Some nearby residents said that the authority had done little to address their concerns.

“We’re terribly frustrated,” said Donald Smith, 58, a laboratory facilities manager who lives in the affected area. “It seems like T.V.A. is just throwing darts at the problem, and they don’t have a clue how to really fix it.

“It was nice that they came by to talk to us. They’re making an effort. But what upsets me is they didn’t have a plan in place. Why hadn’t anybody thought, ‘What happens if this thing bursts?’ ”

Residents said they were stunned by the new figure for the size of the spill.

“That’s scary to know that they can be off by that much,” said Angela Spurgeon, whose dock and yard are swamped with ash. “I don’t think it was intentional, but it upsets me to know that a number was given of what the pond could hold, and the number now is more than double.”

Authority officials offered little explanation for the discrepancy, saying the initial number was an estimate based on their information at the time.

Ms. Spurgeon said the scope of the disaster was difficult to fathom, even from photos.

“This is not a thin coating of ash,” she said. “These are boulders. There’s one in our cove that’s probably the size of our home.”

The spill has reignited a debate over whether coal ash should be federally regulated as a hazardous material.

Environmentalists have long argued that coal ash, which can contaminate groundwater and poison aquatic environments, should be stored in lined landfills. The ash ponds at Kingston were separated from the river only by earthen dikes. Coal plants around the country, most near rivers that supply the water they need to operate, store coal ash in unlined embankments and ponds, and in some areas coal ash is recycled as fill material.

The T.V.A. is still investigating the cause of the breach, but officials have suggested that unusually heavy rain and freezing temperatures may have been factors.

SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Tennessee Ash Flood Larger Than Initial Estimate

December 30, 2008

Water samples near a billion-gallon spill of coal ash in eastern Tennessee have found levels of arsenic and other heavy metals higher than drinking-water standards, prompting a warning against using private wells in the area.

Samples taken at the site of the spill in Harriman, 35 miles southwest of Knoxville, “slightly exceed” the standards for some metals, according to a statement from the Tennessee Valley Authority, owner of the coal power plant where the Dec. 22 accident occurred. Results from well-water and air tests won’t be known until later this week, the utility said.

The spill at the utility’s Harriman Fossil Plant deluged more than 300 acres of rural Roane County, destroying three homes and damaging 42 other properties. In nearby Kingston, that raised fears of fouled water and air, while 13 families wait to see if their homes can be salvaged, said Carolyn Brewer, finance director for the city of 5,300.

“Some of them are staying with families; some are working with real estate agents, leasing homes, buying homes,” Brewer said in a telephone interview today. “There’s two or three that will just never be able to get back in their homes. They’re just destroyed.”

The sludge-like spill, a mixture of water and residue from burned coal, escaped from a 40-acre holding pond after a retaining wall burst last week. After repeatedly saying the spilled material isn’t toxic, the TVA cautioned residents in its latest statement against touching or stirring up the material.

Samples from the Tennessee River, near the intake for Kingston’s water plant, found no violations of drinking-water standards, and any harmful levels of arsenic likely would be removed by treatment, the TVA said in its statement, issued jointly with state and local authorities and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The plant serves about 10,000 people in and around Kingston, Brewer said.

Well Warning

“Water from other sources that are not normally treated, such as private drinking wells or springs, may be contaminated if impacted by the release of the fly ash,” the agencies said in their news release. “These areas should not be used until they have been evaluated.”

Arsenic, a byproduct of coal burning that also occurs naturally, can cause a variety of ills when ingested, including nausea, numbness and partial paralysis, according to the EPA’s Web site. The metal has been linked to bladder, lung and kidney cancer in some studies, the EPA said.

Authorities are testing air quality in the area and “currently evaluating the potential for health effects,” the agencies said in the TVA’s statement. Anyone who touches soil, sediments or water affected by the spill should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water and wash clothes separately from other items, according to the statement.

Generating Units Shut

The Kingston plant, completed in 1955, produces 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to supply 670,000 homes. The authority said today that seven of the plant’s nine generating units had been shut down, calling that a result of reduced demand due to warm temperatures and not the ash spill.

The TVA is a federal corporation that was created by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Congress in 1933. The public power company provides electricity to industry and about 9 million people in an area covering 80,000 square miles of the southeastern U.S., according to the TVA’s Web site.

Source: Bloomberg

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Coal Ash Spill Leads to Arsenic Warnings for Tennessee Wells