Water Contamination in Tennessee from Coal Ash Spill
The Tennessee Valley Authority and the EPA reported that levels of pollutants such as lead and arsenic were below safe levels for drinking water in areas affected by the Kingston coal ash spill. An environmental group’s tests had dramatically different results.
[Creative Commons photo by Andrew Ciscel]
Appalachian Voices teamed up with scientists at Appalachian State University to test water samples downstream from the spill. They found contaminant levels far above what is considered safe for drinking.
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These tests results are only preliminary, but the group released them because they raise a public health concern. A sample close to the coal-fired power plant had over 300 times the allowable level of arsenic.
Activists are afraid that the TVA and EPA are not being up front about the extent of damage from the spill. TVA police detained two activists from United Mountain Defense just for taking pictures of the spill site. Residents and environmental groups complain that the agencies have been dragging their feet on releasing water toxicity results from the December 21st spill.
The real tragedy in this story is that this disaster in Tennessee could have been avoided if the Kingston plant had taken preventative measures. Greenpeace is calling for a criminal investigation into the spill, saying that the Kingston plant should have had a spill contingency plan in place.
Wonder why no one is talking about eating the fish? Sure, we can filter drinking water but can we filter toxins out of fish?
That’s a really great question! I think it’s going to be years before we know the full effects of what happened in Tennessee.
Me too!
You can see the longterm effects in eastern ky and wv along the Big Sandy River. 300 million gallons in 2000. Outpatient care centers everywhere, huge beautiful hospitals, no fish , no deer, scarce wildlife, and “friends of coal”.
Minimal cleanup and a whopping $5,500 fine on Massey Energy.
Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship vacations in the south of France with WV Supreme Court Justice.
ABC, CBS , NBC , CNN and FOX , “All the news your allowed to hear.”
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