Tennessee Valley Coal Ash Spill Buries 400 Acres,
Damages Homes
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, December 23, 2008 (ENS) -
A retaining wall at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston coal-fired
power plant collapsed early Monday morning, causing 2.6 million cubic yards
of fly ash to be spilled across hundreds of acres.
The Kingston Steam Plant in Harriman, about 50 miles west of Knoxville, at
the confluence of the Emory and Clinch Rivers is owned and operated by the
nation's largest public utility.
The wet gray sludge buried about 400 acres six feet deep. One house was torn
from its foundations, and 11 other homes were damaged and evacuated. No
injuries or fatalities have been reported.
TVA estimates that the cleanup could take weeks to complete and says
long-term plans are being developed. Environmentalists warn that fly ash
contains toxins - mercury, arsenic, and lead among others - that could seep
into the ground and flow downriver.
The wet fly ash engulfed this house, one of 12 damaged
in the spill. (Photo courtesy Tennessee Valley Authority)
TVA President and CEO Tom Kilgore said today, "Protecting the public, our
employees, and the environment is TVA's primary concern as we supply
electric power for the people of Tennessee Valley region."
"We deeply regret that a retention wall for ash containment at our Kingston
Fossil Plant failed, resulting in an ash slide and damage to nearby homes,"
said Kilgore. "We are grateful no injuries have been reported, and we will
take all appropriate actions to assist those affected by this situation."
TVA provided hotel rooms, meals, transportation and other immediate needs
for affected residents who were not able to occupy their homes Monday night.
Additional assistance is being provided by TVA as needed by affected
residents. Electricity, gas and water have been restored to all homes in the
area that are habitable, the TVA said.
The Swan Pond Road past the Kingston plant remains closed except for
residents who live in the area whose homes are habitable. There is no
estimated timeline for when the road will be reopened.
TVA Police are assisting local law enforcement with maintaining security for
the homes in the affected area.
Heavy equipment including bulldozers, dump trucks, and backhoes have been
brought to the site and some clearing of debris has started.
Kingston is one of TVA's larger fossil plants. It generates 10 billion
kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to supply the needs of about
670,000 homes in the Tennessee Valley. An adequate supply of coal is
available and all nine units at Kingston continue to operate.
"This holiday disaster shows that there really isn't such a thing as a clean
coal plant," said Chandra Taylor, staff attorney for the Southern
Environmental Law Center.
"From mountaintop removal mining to smokestacks spewing soot and smog to ash
ponds full of toxins, coal power is dirty - plain and simple. Nobody wants
to find coal in their Christmas stocking, let alone coming through their
home and polluting their river," she said.
TVA says sampling of water downstream of the plant will continue to assess
the possible effects on water quality. TVA continues to manage river flows
on the Clinch and Tennessee Rivers to minimize downstream movement of the
ash. There are no expected impacts to any other TVA facilities downstream.
Staff at TVA's other 10 coal-fired power plants have made visual inspections
of the ash retention dikes to note any changes in conditions. The ash
containment areas at all TVA's plants undergo a formal inspection annually
and other inspections on a quarterly and daily basis, said the government
company.
"The United States Environmental Protection Agency should immediately
establish national safeguards for the disposal of coal wastes and
enforceable regulations," said Taylor. "At a minimum, these safeguards
should include siting restrictions, structural requirements and long-term
financial assurance to clean up any resulting pollution."
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