July 2

More than half of the coal ash that spilled from the Tennessee Valley Authority´s Kingston, Tenn., power plant will be disposed of in an Alabama landfill.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced July 2 that it has approved the transfer of 3 million of the 5.4 million cubic yards of ash from the site to the Arrowhead Landfill in Perry County, Ala. The TVA received 25 proposals from potential disposal sites.

The Arrowhead Landfill complies with all federal and state technical requirements and is permitted to accept coal ash, according to the EPA. The coal ash from the Kingston site contains low levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel selenium and zinc. The landfill also has the capacity to handle the volume.

On Dec. 22, more than 1 billion gallons, 5.4 million cubic yards, burst through a dike at a coal ash pond at the TVA coal-fired Kingston power plant. The incident destroyed three homes and damaged nine others. No injuries or deaths occurred.

Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Joe Truini at 330-865-6166 or jtruini@crain.com

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