The goal of the two-day event is to identify areas of collaboration among those conducting coal combustion product research; to call attention to gaps in current research and technologies; and to inform the public of current and future research initiatives, according to ORAU, a university consortium that partners with national laboratories to enhance scientific research and education enterprise.

Topics include site characterization; geochemistry; exotoxicology; cleanup, remediation and recovery; ecological studies; and environmental risk management. The symposium is geared toward researchers.

The symposium will include a general session and four concurrent breakouts sessions. A poster exhibit focusing on research pertaining to the six major content areas will be on display for both symposium participants and the general public. Free viewing sessions are from 4-7 p.m. on March 11 in the student lounge of the Dunbar Building.

Anyone can submit a poster abstract for consideration. Those who submit abstracts that are chosen to be on display as part of the symposium’s poster session will be exempt from paying the $50 registration fee. For more information, contact Steve Roberts at (865) 241-0831, or e-mail steve.roberts@orise.orau.gov. For guidelines on submitting a poster abstract, visit www.orau.org/flyashsymposium/posters.htm.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA to host symposium on fly ash research

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

More than a billion gallons of toxic material poured on to 300 acres of an east Tennessee neighborhood late last year when a coal ash impoundment at the TVA’s Kingston, Tennessee, plant failed. The spill destroyed homes and damaged property, and has raised serious concerns about human safety not only among residents but also with environmental groups. Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic and lead that can cause serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

As a result, residents in the area are cautious. “We need more information and increased communications,” said resident Sarah McCoin, a member of the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network. “Many families fear they are poisoning their children by remaining in their homes and they do not have the resources to pay for testing those children. They need help, they need answers.”

ORAU is an education and research consortium of 100 universities including Georgia Tech, Duke, Tennessee, Tulane, Johns Hopkins and Vanderbuilt. According to the TVA, ORAU will bring in toxicologists to design medical tests to identify health problems that can be caused by the toxins in coal ash. The group also will review the results of air, water and soil tests to determine whether the cleanup has been thorough enough not to pose a risk to those living in the area.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Research consortium to guide coal ash cleanup, health monitoring