Several years ago coal ash from power plants was given a non-hazardous rating. Since then, technology has improved the quality of the smoke released into the air from coal-firing plants. The toxins that used to escape into the air are now kept in the ash left behind. 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.

Environmentalists have tried over the years to have coal ash reclassified as a hazardous material, but little was done to push that effort until last year when a coal impoundment pond in east Tennessee breached, sending a massive wave of coal ash on to a neighboring community. The 1.1 billion gallons that spilled out toppled houses, destroyed property and contaminated the nearby Emory River. Several residents were displaced, but it is the health risk that concerns many of the people affected by the spill. Some have reported respiratory problems and heightened anxiety. Others, including a young child, have tested positive for heavy metal in their bloodstream.

Environmentalists and activists are urging the EPA to carefully consider how it will categorize both wet and dry coal ash impoundments. “Both pose a threat to human health and the environment so it doesn’t make sense to create that dichotomy (between wet and dry ash storage regulation),” said Lisa Evans, an attorney with Earthjustice, in an interview with the Tennessean.“We would not think that would be a protective scheme, with the many cases where dry disposal has caused contamination of groundwater and surface water.”

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › EPA considers hazardous material classification of coal ash

Improvements in coal-burning filtering systems have made the smoke that passes into the air from smokestacks far less toxic than in years past. Meaning, the toxins that once escaped into the air we breathe now settles into the ash that is left behind. That ash is stored in wet or dry landfills at hundreds of facilities across the country. Much of that waste is recycled and used as filler in other products.

But tests have shown that coal ash contains a variety of dangerous materials, such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium – products which have been associated with serious health concerns such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. Which has made many question whether the byproducts widely used in homes, schools, golf courses and even produce farms, can be harmful to humans.

As long as utilities continue to burn fossil fuels and reap profits from the sale of byproducts, the answer may continue to elude public knowledge.

View a clip from the 60 Minutes investigative report.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › 60 Minutes report questions safety of coal ash byproducts

That spill destroyed homes and damaged property and forced officials to hang signs warning people against swimming in nearby waters or eating fish caught in them. The threat of the coal ash drying and flying into the air caused more concern from residents who worried breathing traces of fly ash might harm them.

Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, barium, chromium and manganese which may lead to health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. Currently, the TVA is involved in a massive cleanup that is expected to cost the nation’s largest utility nearly $1 billion. The TVA estimates that the cleanup effort will be completed by spring 2010.

The TVA is also paying for the medical exams for the residents who choose to have them. The tests will be performed at local medical clinics and physicians and the results will remain confidential. Oak Ridge Associated Universities and the Tennessee Poison Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are providing evaluations for anyone who believes they have been affected.

Sources:
The Daily Reflector
WAAY-TV

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Residents near coal ash spill sign up for free medical screenings

“Our findings emphasize the fact that although you may stop the emission of toxic elements from coal-fired power plants into the air, they remain in the fly ash that gets stored in power plants’ containment ponds, and may still end up in the environment,” said Avner Vengosh, associate professor of earth and ocean sciences at the Nicholas School.

The team of Duke researchers analyzed data collected at the site of the massive coal ash spill that occurred after a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) coal ash impoundment pond burst and dumped more than a billion gallons of toxic material on to a neighboring community. The analysis of ash samples revealed high levels of toxic metals and radioactivity, including 75 parts per million of arsenic, 150 parts per billion of mercury, and eight picocuries (a standard measure of radioactivity) per gram of total radium.

Wet coal ash poses less of a risk; however, when the ash dries into fly ash, the risk of humans inhaling the toxic fumes increases. “Our study highlights the high probability that as the ash dries, fine particulates enriched with these elements will be re-suspended in the air as dust and could have a severe health impact on local residents or workers who inhale them,” said Vengosh.

Since the massive coal ash spill last December, the TVA has been working to clean up the mess it caused. The cleanup effort is expected to cost the TVA nearly $1 billion, though some experts say it will be impossible to restore the land and waterways affected.

Source: Duke University

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Those near coal-firing plants at risk for serious health problems

To make matters worse, the “tsunami” of fly ash that poured down the river after heavy rains last month exacerbated Lisa’s auto-immune disorder. In short, the environmental disaster has made a disaster of the life they once had in Kingston.

It’s not much better for Gary Topmiller and his family, who live across from the spill site. “We started getting sick as soon as this happened,” he said. “We just keep getting sick … We’re tired of being sick.”

Residents affected by the TVA coal ash spill spoke to U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, who came to Roane County last weekend to hear first-hand what residents were suffering through. Johnson heads the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, which has oversight of the TVA.

“This is a bit more serious than we anticipated,” Johnson said. “We didn’t know the frustration is at this level. I think we now have a real good understanding of how the community is being affected. I feel like the reports we’ve gotten have been incomplete. I will give you my commitment that we will look into what we heard today.”

Source: Knox News

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Congressional subcommittee chair hears complaints of coal ash victims

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

The cleanup is expected to cost more than $975 million and take years to complete and involves some controversial decisions, such as where to dump the mess it cleans up. TVA officials insist that it will involve the public in the selection process.

Members of the Cumberland County Commission’s Environmental Committee plan to meet next week to discuss the utility’s plan to use its strip mine, according to the Crossville Chronicle. The Crossville Coal Mine is an underground thermal coal mine that is owned by Hillsborough Resources Limited from Vancouver, B.C. Commission officials say that moving the fly ash to the strip mine would require a significant number of trucks occupying space and time on Smith Mountain Road to transport the ash.

“My main concern is about the citizens. I would want to be responsive to the needs of the citizens. We would want to have improvements made on that road and proper monitoring afterwards,” Cumberland County Mayor Brock Hill said.

“TDEC has told me that fly ash is used frequently in reclaiming mines. It could potentially be controversial, but this is a process that’s not new. It’s been being done this way a long time. If TDEC says it’s OK, or if it’s safe then I’m comfortable with it. If they (TDEC) say it’s OK, then we can’t say it isn’t safe,” Hill told the Crossville Chronicle.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA considers new sites to bury coal ash from spill

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

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

Homes were destroyed and property was damaged when the coal ash impoundment failed and poured on to the rural east Tennessee community. TVA announced that it plans to buy the damaged properties, including lakeside homes. It will also end wet-ash storage at the plant.

Other efforts include temporarily holding the recovered ash at the Kingston site to allow it to drain before sending it to landfills or possibly recycling it. Officials vow they will work to keep the fly ash from becoming airborne.

Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium that has been linked to serious health issues such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. A survey of 368 residents living in the area of the spill found a third of them experienced breathing problems and half experienced increased stress and anxiety.

TVA estimates its cleanup efforts to total between $525 and $825 million before the land is restored.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA granted permission to dredge Emory River

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 practice of utilities selling coal ash byproducts is not unusual. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently released a report stating that it sells about a third of the 7 million tons of fly ash, bottom ash, gypsum and boiler slag generated in its plants each year. Those byproducts have been mixed into concrete for roads in bridges and in blocks for buildings. The gypsum has been used in wallboard, granules for roofing shingles and grit for sandblasters. The byproducts even have been used as filler material for recreation areas, ball fields and industrial parks, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Yes, this is the same type of toxic material that spilled on to 300 acres of rural east Tennessee last December when one of the utility’s coal ash ponds failed, destroying nearby homes and causing hundreds of millions of damage to property. Environmentalists say the damage to wildlife and plant life is still to be determined, and many locals who live near the site have already suffered health problems. The coal ash contains 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.

So it comes as little surprise that the Chinese drywall containing coal ash byproducts is also making people sick. The lawsuit alleges that the drywall emits one of several sulfur compounds giving homes made of it a foul odor. Some say those fumes also may cause respiratory health problems, headaches, dry eyes and nosebleeds. The long term affects of exposure are yet to be determined.

Other problems caused by the Chinese drywall include corrosion of air condition coils, putting homes at serious risk for electrical fires.

The class action lawsuit names the Knauf Group, PKT’s parent company; Banner Supply, a Miami-based materials supply company; and Rothchilt International, Ltd. , an export company in China. Legal experts believe many more lawsuits will follow.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Coal ash byproducts used in building supplies making people sick

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

“When I got the results I was horrified,” Penny said to News Channel 5. “It showed that Evan has increased levels of arsenic and lead and other heavy metal in his system. … They said that his problem was due to the airborne fly ash in the community. He was directly impacted, and we were told that we would have to leave the area.”

The toxic mud and sludge that poured on to the east Tennessee community destroying homes and damaging property in its wake, contained potential toxins such as arsenic, lead, barium, chromium and manganese. Problems associated with those materials include cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

Last week, TVA acknowledged that the spill was worse than initially reported, calling it a “catastrophe.” Lawmakers are looking into the cleanup efforts, which some are calling too slow. Those efforts include building temporary dams to stop the flow into neighboring bodies of water and dusting the area with grass seeds to keep the coal ash from becoming airborne. The cleanup could cost the utility as much as $825 million and the toll on wildlife and plant life – and ultimately, human life – is yet to be known. But some, like Penny, say the worst damage already has been done.

“I carry guilt because we stayed, because I was told that we were going to be safe, and I believed them, and it’s not true – we are not safe,” she said.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Toddler near coal ash spill site tests positive for heavy metal

The coal ash spill is being touted as the worst environmental disaster in TVA’s history. Not only were homes destroyed and property damaged by the massive outpour, the material that was dumped on to the land and flowed into the river contains dangerous toxins that could pose a possible health hazard not only to animals and plants in the area, but also to humans.

A massive cleanup is underway, ringing in at about $1 million per day. Estimates on the total cost of the cleanup could be as high as $825 million. Some environmentalists say it is almost impossible to completely rid the area of toxins, suggesting the spill site be converted to an independent educational and research center. However, TVA officials say they would rather continue to follow the cleanup plan rather than consider turning the damaged land into a research site.

While the proposed legislation is a step in the right direction, activists say it doesn’t solve the whole problem. “The issue of keen importance is fly ash needs to be regulated at the federal level as a hazardous waste,” said Sarah McCoin, a member of the newly formed Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Congressional committee considers regulating coal ash ponds, landfills

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 Tennessee Valley Authority still is not sure when the cleanup will end or how much it will cost to resolve the issue. The authority, which will file a report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sometime next month, says its early estimates to clean up the spill have the cost at about $1 million per day.

Tests still show high levels of toxins in the air and water.

As a temporary fix, the TVA has scattered winter rye seed and fertilizer over the ash to keep it from flying around. The weather, too, has helped keep the ash at bay, offering a wet or frozen climate. “One it all starts thawing, I don’t know what it’s going to do,” Self says to the newspaper.

The spill’s damage and cleanup efforts have left the 250 residents in the area taking back road detours to get to and from their homes. Construction is underway on a 2,000-foot weir dam to keep more fly ash from getting into the Emory River. Another, smaller weir dam already was laced at the mouth of the Emory to keep ash from getting into the Clinch River.

As for Self, he says he will just watch and wait. “I don’t know that we’ll be able to stay here,” he says.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Homeowner unsure of home value after toxic spill

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

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

The online environmental community is abuzz with reports of all kinds about the coal ash sludge spill in Tennessee, ranging from first-hand accounts to health concerns to worries about coal in general. Twitter in particular has been a place where people have been posting news stories and concerns.

A local blog also posted before and after photos of the affected area.

Joe Romm blogs at ClimateProgress that the muck has a lot of people worried about how easy it would be for another such spill to happen:

Coal ash deposits in the USA are now under renewed scrutiny after a giant spill just before Christmas released 5.4 million cubic yards of toxic sludge into Tennessee waterways. Water tests near the spill from the Kingston Fossil Plant showed elevated levels of lead and thallium, which can cause birth defects and nervous and reproductive system disorders. The spill muddied the waters in the Emory river and is flowing into tributaries of the Tennessee River – the water supply for Chattanooga and millions of people living downstream in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky.

So now a big question mark hangs over the hundreds of coal plants all across the country which store their fly ash in unlined embankments and ponds — like the one that failed last week. Most are situated near rivers that supply water needed by the coal plants to operate.

The NY Times reported that in the US, coal plants produce 129 million tons of postcombustion byproducts a year. It’s the second-largest waste stream in the country, after municipal solid waste, and it’s storage and handling is unregulated. Who knew?

Source: Huffington Post

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Tennessee Coal Ash Spill Before And After — And What’s Next

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