More than a billion gallons of coal ash spilled from an impoundment pond at the plant and poured on to a neighboring community, destroying homes and damaging property. Coal ash contains dangerous toxins that have been associated with serious health concerns such as cancer, liver disease and neurological disorders. Some residents already have tested positive for heavy metals in their bloodstream.

ORAU is developing protocols for testing and questionnaires about exposure and will notify the community about the program and which residents quality for screening. Local physicians and toxicologists from Vanderbilt Medical Center will meet with individuals at local clinics. Any trends discovered in the screening process will be submitted to the TVA.

Critics of the health plan argue that the TVA is still too much involved in the process, and that more should have been done sooner to ensure safety of residents affected by the spill. “TVA reserves all decision-making to itself about whether it will pay for any individual’s medical expenses,” says Sarah McCoin, who lives near the plant. “TVA can use the information obtained from the program it controls to downplay the legitimate health concerns of the community.”

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › ORAU to address health concerns of those affected by coal ash spill

McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations LLC, which submitted a proposal and budget for the campaign, would use social media techniques such as blogs, blurbs and Twitter Tweets to highlight the positive side of Kingston.

The Nashville, Tennessee, firm’s budget also 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.

Kingston Mayor Troy Beets hopes the campaign will restore the luster of the area. “This is the most beautiful municipal lakefront in the state of Tennessee,” he said.

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 that pristine lakefront community. The wave of toxic material knocked houses from their foundations and destroyed property in its wake.

Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which has been associated with 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.

For now, the area is overrun with cleanup crews, blocking streets and creating constant racket – a far cry from the area that once was a destination for water sports and recreation.

“This is the image that we need to project,” Mayor Beets said. “Kingston is whole. There is nothing wrong with our water supply here. There is nothing wrong with putting your boat in at Kingston.”

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › PR firm to use social media to improve image damaged by coal ash spill

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

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

About six weeks ago, a coal ash impoundment at the TVA’s Kingston’s plant failed, pouring 1.1 billion gallons of toxic mud and slush over 300 acres of rural east Tennessee. The massive outpour destroyed homes and damaged houses in its wake. As a result, the utility said it now must staff an unexpected but essential recovery effort.

The changes address three key TVA objectives – establishing project management of the recovery effort; consolidating, standardizing and strengthening engineering efforts across the utility; and ensuring leadership for the ongoing operation of TVA’s nuclear and fossil plants, according to the report.

Oversight for the overall scope and recovery strategy, agency and public interface and overall progress will be handled by Anda Ray. Ray also will oversee all TVA environmental activities. Construction and ash and gypsum mediation efforts at all coal plants will be handled by Bob Deacy. Both Ray and Deacy will report directly to TVA CEO Tom Kilgore to ensure “that TVA effectively coordinates all recovery activities” in the Kingston area.

Preston Swafford was reassigned to be the new executive vice president and chief nuclear officer. Bill Campbell, who currently serves as chief nuclear officer, will now serve as senior vice president of all TVA Fleet Engineering.

The moves help ensure improved focus and execution of engineering across the TVA system, according to a utility spokesman.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA announces changes to ensure proper handling of coal ash spill

The memo was apparently sent to the AP by accident, according to their report. They say the memo shows additions and deletions that change more alarming language to tone down the sense of urgency and threat resulting from the coal ash spill.

An example cited by the AP story says the word “catastrophic” was changed to “sudden, accidental release” when describing the spill that flooded more than 300 acres surrounding the energy production plant with toxic coal ash sludge.

While environmentalists are pointing to the memo as evidence that TVA is trying to cover up the seriousness of the situation, TVA representatives say that they were simply trying to present accurate information as they understood it at the beginning of the crisis, the AP reports. As the situation developed, the TVA says it modified its information to upgrade the severity of the situation, the report states.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Early TVA memo indicates effort to minimize coal ash disaster

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

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