Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

More pollutants and carcinogens were dumped into waterways near the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston, Tenn., plant in 2008 than were released to waterways by the entire U.S. power industry in 2007, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency. The report showed as much as 140,000 pounds of arsenic and nearly 60,000 pounds of metals poured into the Emory River, which runs near the plant.

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.

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed an enforceable agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to oversee the removal of coal ash from its east Tennessee fossil fuel plant where a coal ash impoundment breached and dumped more than a billion gallons of toxic coal ash on to a neighboring community and into the Emory River. The TVA was also ordered to reimburse the EPA for any costs associated with its oversight of the cleanup.

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When the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) coal ash impoundment pond burst last December, it did more than dump a billion gallons of toxic material on to peoples’ property and into Emery River where people from all around would fish, boat and swim. It destroyed homes in its wake, and quickly diminished property values. And it created a nuisance not just to those who had to flee the area, but to the ones who stayed who now live with the 20-hour-a-day, continuous cleanup effort by the TVA.

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

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The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) this week released to state regulators its plan to clean up the mess it left behind when its Kingston, Tennessee, plant dumped 1.1 billion gallons of toxic mess in east Tennessee last December. The plan outlines a detailed disposal plan that includes turning the Kingston coal ash ponds into dry ash storage and capping the existing pond, to “limit chances of another ash pond leak,”according to the Times Free Press.

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Residents of Roane County, Tennessee who experienced property damage or suffered health complications following the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) coal ash spill last December continue to give testimony to members of the Tennessee State House Environment Committee, according to MSNBC. Lawmakers are trying to make sure the TVA is doing everything possible to right the situation.

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A team of scientists involved in the testing and cleanup efforts in Kingston, Tennessee, following the massive coal ash spill at a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) impoundment pond, are proposing that the TVA turn the site into an independent educational and research center rather than try to clean up the sludge, according to the Knoxville Business News. The scientists say that spending $1 million per day to clean the site and restore it to its pre-spill condition is simply not practical.

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Duke University scientists have confirmed the fears of most residents in the east Tennessee community that fell victim last month to the massive TVA pond coal ash spill that dumped more than a billion gallons of toxic waste on to their property and into nearby rivers. Scientists have concluded that sludge in the area contains high levels of arsenic and elevated levels of radioactive radium – enough to cause harm to humans if the cleanup isn’t done with extreme caution, according to MSNBC/Associated Press.

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Two small leaks that preceded December’s Kingston, Tennessee coal ash spill by years went largely ignored by the Tennessee Valley Authority, according to Forbes/Associated Press. The spill dumped more than a billion gallons of toxic ash and mud on to 300 acres of a rural east Tennessee neighborhood, pouring into nearby rivers and destroying property and wildlife in its wake. What remains are remnants of dangerous materials including arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium.

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The coal ash spill last month that dumped more than a billion gallons of toxic material onto 300 acres of rural east Tennessee may threaten wildlife for years to come, according to National Geographic. The ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury and thallium that can lead to health problems in humans such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. Wildlife can suffer serious consequences as well.

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