May 12
The U.S. EPA will oversee removal of coal ash at the Tennessee Valley
Authority´s Kingston Fossil Fuel Plant in Roane County, Tenn., according to
an agreement signed between the two agencies May 11.
The Kingston plant was the site of a 5 million cubic yard coal ash spill in
December 2008 when a dike at an impoundment for coal ash failed. The coal
ash contaminated a branch of the Emory River and almost 300 acres of
adjacent land.
The EPA will oversee the cleanup and the TVA will reimburse the EPA for its
oversight costs.
The EPA´s order requires the TVA perform a comprehensive cleanup of coal ash
from the Emory River and the surrounding areas.
Coal ash at the site contains arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead,
mercury, nickel, selenium and zinc, which are hazardous substances as
defined under Superfund. The EPA order requires the disposal of coal ash
meet protective standards, such as being deposited in landfills with
synthetic liners, leachate collection systems and groundwater monitoring.
Details about the agreement between the EPA and the TVA are available online
at www.epa.gov/region4/Kingston/index.html.
Contact Waste & Recycling News senior reporter Bruce Geiselman at
330-865-6172 or bgeiselman@crain.com
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