On December 22, 2008, a coal ash surface impoundment (also called a slurry pond) broke, sending 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash sludge into the neighboring community of Kingston, Tennessee and into the Emory and Clinch Rivers, knocking one house completely off its foundation. It was the largest environmental spill in American history, forty-eight times the size by volume of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The Tennessee Valley Authority, whose impoundment it was, initially estimated cleanup to take 4-6 weeks. Six months later, cleanup is about 3% complete at a cost presently of $1 billion.
In 2002, the EPA did a study of such facilities and released their findings in a report. That report was suppressed by the Bush administration, and even under the Freedom of Information Act, copies were only available which had the hazardous risks associated with such impoundment failures blacked out. That report was finally made available in May 2009, five months after the Kingston spill.
What was the Bush administration so anxious to suppress?
According to the report, which you can read here, the EPA estimated that up to 1 in 50 residents could get cancer from exposure to arsenic leaking into drinking water wells from waste ponds that mix ash with coal refuse. That’s 1 in 50. The EPA considers 1 in 100,000 significant. The rate of 1 in 50 is a cancer risk 2,000 times greater than the EPA finds acceptable.
What was the Bush administration thinking? There is enough toxic waste in these sites to kill tens of thousands of people, and sicken seriously those who are not killed. The cost to the nation’s healthcare system would be staggering. Children who live near these sites are most at risk, even if the impoundments maintain their integrity. And the risk, even after the site is cleaned up, persists for another 75-105 years!
Already, in Kingston, there is sickness. There are multiple reports of headaches, nausea, upper-respiratory problems, fevers, ear infections, runny noses, red eyes. One resident has begun having frequent seizures. Yet the TVA denies that there is a significant health problem.
One resident said, "TVA is denying health issues, yet they tell us 'don't breathe it, don't touch it, don't let kids near it.' " The TVA estimates that it may now be years before the spill is completely cleaned up.
In the meantime…??
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Sparking
Andy Heizeler
CoyoteOldStyle
Sam Post
odetteroulette
F B Smith
Salon.com
Comments
I feel so helpless as one person to do something, anything, to wake people up to what is happening right here in our beautiful and so very ancient mountain range, left barren, to blow coal ash into the wind.
I cry for the families that are basically forced to live in this nightmare everyday. I thank you for being that one person, standing up and shouting about this hell.
I pray that it does not take the sludge dam breaking , right next to the elementary school, before our government is forced into action to save what will be left of our precious innocent children.
Roger, of course it's about the money. No one really believes anything is decided because of the people, do they? If that were true, we'd have a marvelous country to live in...
Myriad, I don't know how to answer your question. Maybe it's the Republican noise that keeps anyone from hearing the truth. Heartless officials? Let them live in these areas for a month, listening to the 24/7 blasting going on, drinking the tainted water, then see how heartless they are. I do honestly believe they have no idea of the consequeces of their actions, and when confronted with them, immediately suppose that it's a political attack and not the truth.
ge, again thank you. I do fear that it will come to the school children being killed before the international community rises up and says to the coal companies and the energy companies, "We have had enough of YOU!!"
Scary. And a cover-up by the media.