One year ago this month, a coal ash pond at the TVA’s Kingston, Tennessee, coal-burning plant breached, sending a wave of toxic material onto 300 acres of neighboring property. Piled as much as nine feet high in some areas, the wave of coal ash toppled houses, destroyed property and poured into the nearby Emory River. No one was killed when the wave tumbled in, but the lives of many residents were changed forever by the event some environmentalists call the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.

The coal ash displaced several residents, but damaged homes and property are just one of the concerns residents have. Coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been found to cause serious health complications in humans, such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. Several residents in the area have reported heightened anxiety following the spill. Some have reported breathing problems. A few, including a toddler, have tested positive for heavy metals in their bloodstream. Many of those residents are now asking the TVA to pay up.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, attorneys for 11 plaintiffs filed six lawsuits in U.S. District Court in Knoxville against the TVA between Nov. 16 and Nov. 23, bringing the total to 14. More lawsuits are expected.

Meanwhile, the TVA is undergoing what is expected to be a three-year, $1 billion cleanup process to restore the land. But whether the land can be completely restored remains unclear.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › More coal ash lawsuits filed against TVA

The spill, one of the largest environmental disasters in our country’s history, knocked houses from their foundations, damaged property, and contaminated nearby waterways, hindering water recreation activities in the area and diminishing nearby property values. While the TVA is engaged in what will amount to a near-$1 billion cleanup of the damaged land, plus a litany of lawsuits related to the spill, Roane County officials say that the city’s public image has also been scarred and the TVA needs to pony up the funds to help restore it.

The TVA had said it would help compensate the city and county and considered two different proposals submitted by local governments. One proposal asked for $40 million to cover upgrades to water lines, sewer lines and schools as well as the construction of nature trails and a hefty public relations campaign.

“That bell has been rung and you can’t unring it,” said Mayor Troy Beets of Kingston to the New York Times. “We can’t unring the fact that we had the ash spill on Dec. 22; we can’t unring all the negative publicity that came out about it. You try to ring some more bells, just as loudly, that are positive.”

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA to spend $43 million to improve county where coal ash spill occurred

Walt Dickson and New Homes Construction Co. Inc. have filed a lawsuit in Knoxville federal court asking for $17 million for alleged damages to the Lakefront Estates development in neighboring Rhea County. Lakefront Estates is located on Watts Bar Lake, located about 25 miles downstream from where the TVA’s coal ash impoundment pond broke and poured more than a billion gallons of coal ash onto neighboring property. The spill pushed houses off their foundations and destroyed property in its wake. It also poured into Emory River and traveled downstream.

Following the spill, signs were posted along the river warning people to stay out of the water and not consume any fish caught in the waters. Coal ash contains dangerous materials such as arsenic, lead, barium, chromium and manganese, which have been linked to serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

The lawsuit claims that the toxic material poured downstream into Watts Bar Lake, where it hurt water recreation and decreased property values in the 90-acre Lakefront Estates development. According to the lawsuit, “As a result of TVA’s conduct described herein, Plaintiffs have lost the sale of multiple lots, the development has diminished in value, the recreational amenities afforded by the development have been substantially affected and the whole development and its purpose herein described, has been unreasonably interfered with by TVA as a result of the spill.”

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Community developer files lawsuit against TVA