A breach in an earthen dike caused toxic ash from the Kingston coal-fired power plant to devastate over 400 acres in Tennessee. The Tennessee Valley Authority estimates that 3.1 million cubic yards of ash and water leaked from the holding pond. The sludge contaminated the surrounding area and is now moving down the Emory River.
[Creative Commons photo by Daniel Johnson]
Coal plants collect the “fly ash,” a byproduct of burning coal for fuel, in order to bury or recycle it later. The scrubbers collecting the ash are in place to reduce emissions so that plants can produce “clean coal.” Disasters like this certainly call into question how clean that process really is.
The ash is moving slowly down the surface of the Emory River about 50 miles west of Knoxville, TN. The TVA is planning to construct a temporary dike on that river and an oil containment boom on the Tennessee River to try to stop the pollutants from spreading further.
While officials have not declared drinking water unsafe for folks who’s supplies come from the Tennessee river, residents in the areas directly effected by the leak are being advised to boil their water before drinking it. However, fly ash contains contaminants such as lead and arsenic.
The cause of the leak is still under investigation. TVA authorities say that it could be due to the area getting an excessive amount of rain over the last couple of weeks. That combined with freezing temperatures could have weakened the dike.
About Becky Striepe
This is an issue similar to disposal of spent nuclear fuel. While some talk about the benefits of “clean” energy generation, the reality is that we still don’t have viable solutions to deal with the toxic side effects.
Which is why we keep coming back to wind, solar, tides, geothermal solutions as having benefits in the short and long term. We will continue to use coal for decades to come, but this is not a solution that will scale until we solve the toxic aspects of the process.