Hundreds of coal ash spill victims file lawsuits against TVA

Jennifer Walker-Journey — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:00:14 +0000

Bruce Duncan’s family lives just three miles from where more than a billion gallons of toxic coal ash spilled from an impoundment pond at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) coal-firing plant. They watch trucks loaded with recovered coal ash pass by their house every day en route to other landfills specially equipped to store the toxic waste. The Duncans would like to move away to a safer environment, like many in the area have. Living so close to the cleanup has made them ill. They have frequent nosebleeds, frontal headaches, increased shortness of breath, wheezing, asthma exacerbation and increased chest pain. Their doctor also warned them not to drink the water. But unlike some residents in the area, the TVA hasn’t offered to help the Duncans, and they simply cannot afford to buy another home, especially when their current home has lost value since the spill.

The Duncans – husband, wife, a disabled adult son, and an 8-year-old son – decided to stop suffering in silence. They are among hundreds of people who have filed lawsuits against the TVA claiming gross negligence. The Duncans are seeking $1 million in compensatory damages for personal injuries and losses in addition to unspecified punitive damages to punish TVA as a deterrent, according to the Associated Press.

The TVA is engaged in a years-long, billion-dollar cleanup of the coal ash-covered land. The utility has also given $43 million to the community to help improve city infrastructures and the community’s image, and has agreed to pay settlements to owners of 150 pieces of property. Thirty-three settlement offers were not accepted, and TVA now faces dozens of lawsuits from victims.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Hundreds of coal ash spill victims file lawsuits against TVA

County asks TVA for millions to clean up tattered image after coal ash spill

Jennifer Walker-Journey — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:14:37 +0000

Roane County, Tenn., was once a destination spot for retirees and locals seeking a bit of quiet and some water recreation along the Emory River. That changed nine months ago, when a coal impoundment pond at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) coal-burning plant in Kingston, Tenn., broke, sending a 1.1 billion gallon wave of toxic material on to the neighboring community. The pile of sludge pushed homes from their foundations, destroyed property and contaminated the Emory and other nearby waterways. The TVA is engaged in a near-$1 billion cleanup, but city and county officials say much more will be needed to renew the community’s tattered public image.

“We are not trying to take advantage of anything. We didn’t ask for this. We didn’t go out looking for it. We are not ambulance chasers,” Kingston Mayor Troy Beets told the Associated Press. “We are trying to recover from a hit in the mouth.”

The TVA said it would consider local governments’ request for compensation. Local officials have drafted two options, one of which includes upgrades to water lines, sewer lines and schools, construction of nature trails, and a big public relations campaign that could total as much as $40 million. The nation’s largest utility also faces mounting lawsuits from residents who lost property or suffered injury from the spill.

“How do you recover (from such a huge environmental disaster)?” Roane County Mayor Mike Farmer said to AP. “You do something to make people forget about what today’s news story is — some wonderful announcement that says we are working on a wonderful new Roane County with a new school, new ball fields and a new senior center.”

The TVA is expected to announce this week how much it will pay to compensate the county.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › County asks TVA for millions to clean up tattered image after coal ash spill

Coal Ash Spill » TVA lawsuits

Hundreds of coal ash spill victims file lawsuits against TVA

County asks TVA for millions to clean up tattered image after coal ash spill