The
TVA Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill occurred just before 1 a.m. on Monday December 22, 2008, when an ash
dikeA levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial slope or wall to regulate water levels...
ruptured at an solid waste containment area at the
Tennessee Valley AuthorityThe Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly impacted...
's
Kingston Fossil PlantKingston Fossil Plant, commonly known as Kingston Steam Plant, is a Tennessee Valley Authority 1.7-GW coal-burning power plant located at in Kingston, Tennessee on the shore of Watts Bar Lake....
in
Roane CountyRoane County is a U.S. county of the U.S. state of Tennessee , United States. Its population was 51,910 at the 2000 United States census. Its county seat is at Kingston. The U.S...
,
TennesseeTennessee is a state located in the Southeastern United States. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 6,214,888, an increase of nearly 9.5% since 2000. Tennessee is the 14th fastest growing state in the US and is ranked 17th by population. It is ranked 36th by total land area. In...
, USA. 1.1 billion gallons (4.2 million m³) of
coalCoal is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock normally occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
fly ashFly ash is one of the residues generated in the combustion of coal. Fly ash is generally captured from the chimneys of coal-fired power plants, and is one of two types of ash that jointly are known as coal ash; the other, bottom ash, is removed from the bottom of coal furnaces...
slurryA slurry is, in general, a thick suspension of solids in a liquid.-Examples of slurries:Examples of slurries include:* A mixture of water and cement to form concrete* A mixture of water, gelling agent, and oxidizers used as an explosive...
was released. The
coal-fired power plantA fossil-fuel power plant is a power plant that burns fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas or petroleum to produce electricity.Fossil-fuel power plants are designed on a large scale for continuous operation...
, located across the Clinch River from the city of
KingstonKingston is a city in and the county seat of Roane County, Tennessee, United States, and is adjacent to Watts Bar Lake. Kingston, with a population of 5,264 at the 2000 United States census, is included in the Harriman, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, uses ponds to dewater the fly ash, a
byproduct of coal combustionCoal combustion products are categorized in four groups, each based on physical and chemical forms derived from coal combustion methods and emission controls:...
, which is then stored in wet form in dredge cells. The slurry (a mixture of fly ash and water) traveled across the Emory River and its Swan Pond embayment, on to the opposite shore, covering up to of the surrounding land, damaging homes and flowing up and down stream in nearby waterways such as the
Emory RiverThe Emory River is a stream draining a portion of Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau.-Hydrography:The Emory River rises on the slopes of Frozen Head and Bird Mountain, prominent peaks in that part of the Cumberland Plateau in Morgan County, Tennessee. Frozen Head is the focus of a Tennessee state park...
and
Clinch RiverThe Clinch River rises in Southwest Virginia near Tazewell, VA and flows southwest through the Great Appalachian Valley, gathering various tributaries including the Powell River before joining the Tennessee River in East Tennessee.-Course:...
(tributaries of the
Tennessee RiverThe Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley...
). It was the largest fly ash release in
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
history.
Details
The TVA and
Environmental Protection AgencyThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged to regulate chemicals and protect human health by safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land...
initially estimated that the spill released 1.7 million
cubic yardA cubic yard is an Imperial / U.S. customary unit of volume, used in the United States, Canada, and the UK. It is defined as the volume of a cube with sides of 1 yard in length.- Symbols :...
s (1.3 million m³) of sludge, which is gray in color. After an
aerial surveyAerial survey is a geomatics method of collecting information by using aerial photography or from remote sensing imagery using other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared, gamma, or ultraviolet. It can also refer to the chart or map made by analysing a region from the air. This is...
, the official estimate was more than tripled to 5.4 million cubic yards (4 million m³) on December 25, 2008. The spill covered surrounding land with up to six feet (1.8 m) of sludge. The EPA first estimated that the spill would take four to six weeks to clean up; however, Chandra Taylor, the staff attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, said the cleanup could take months and possibly years.. As of June 2009, six months following the spill, only 3% of the spill had been cleaned and is now estimated to cost between $675 and $975 million to clean, according to the TVA.
The unlined aboveground ash fill, which was situated above the ash pond and above the Emory River winter level, above sea level(needs new reference), contained a watery slurry of fly ash generated by the burning of finely ground coal at the
steam power plantA thermal power station is a power plant in which the prime mover is steam driven. Water is heated, turns into steam and spins a steam turbine which either drives an electrical generator or does some other work, like ship propulsion. After it passes through the turbine, the steam is condensed in a...
. The fly ash, which is the consistency of
face powderFace powder is a cosmetic powder applied to the face to set a foundation after application. It can also be reapplied throughout the day to minimize shininess caused by oily skin. There is translucent sheer powder, and there is pigmented powder. Certain types of pigmented facial powders are meant...
, is the fine particulate pollutants produced by the combustion of coal, which are collected rather than allowing them to escape into the atmosphere, then mixed with water so they can be pumped into the retaining pond. Once the particulate matter settles out, it is dredged to drying cells. The dredge cell was surrounded by 60-foot (20 m) tall earthen walls, which had twice developed leaks since 2002. Although the land surrounding the power plant is largely rural rather than residential, the spill caused a
mudflowA mudslide is the most rapid and fluid type of downhill mass wasting. It is a rapid movement of a large mass of mud formed from loose soil and water. Similar terms are mudflow, mud stream, debris flow A mudslide is the most rapid (up to 80 km/h, or 50 mph) and fluid type of downhill mass...
wave of water and ash that covered 12 homes, pushing one entirely off its foundation, rendering three uninhabitable, and caused some damage to 42 residential properties. It also washed out a road, ruptured a major
gasNatural gas is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with fossil fuels, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills...
line,, obstructed a rail line, downed trees, broke a water main, and destroyed power lines. Though 22 residences were evacuated, nobody was reported to be injured or in need of hospitalization. It was the largest coal-related slurry spill in United States history, more than three times the size of the
Martin County sludge spillThe Martin County Sludge Spill was an accident that occurred after midnight on October 11, 2000 when the bottom of a coal sludge impoundment owned by Massey Energy in Martin County, Kentucky, USA, broke into an abandoned underground mine below...
of 2000, which spilled 306 million US gallons (1.2 million m³) of liquid coal waste. The 1.1 billion gallons of sludge were enough to fill 1,660 Olympic-size swimming pools, and the volume released was about 50 times larger than the 1989
Exxon Valdez oil spillThe Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in the Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989. It is considered one of the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters ever to occur at sea. As significant as the Valdez spill was, it ranks well down on the list of the world's largest oil...
. On December 23, 2008, a TVA spokesman, Gil Francis Jr., stated that, at the time of the spill, the area contained about 2.6 million cubic yards (2.2 million m³) of ash, and that two-thirds of that had been released, which would later be found to cover an area of .
The New York Times noted that the amount spilled is larger than the amount stated to have been in the pond before the spill, a discrepancy the TVA was unable to explain. The containment area affected was one of three; the other two stayed intact, while only the retaining wall for the solid waste containment area was affected.
The spill killed a "tremendous" number of fish, according to the
Chattanooga Times Free PressThe Chattanooga Times Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Chattanooga, Tennessee by Tom Griscom and is distributed in the metro Chattanooga region. It is one of Tennessee's major newspapers.-History:...
. Although residents feared water contamination, early tests of water six miles upstream of the ash flow showed that the public water supply met drinking water standards. A test of river water near the spill showed elevated levels of
leadLead is a main-group element with symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal, also considered to be one of the heavy metals. Lead has a bluish-white color when freshly cut, but tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed to air...
and
thalliumThallium is a chemical element with the symbol Tl and atomic number 81. This soft gray malleable poor metal resembles tin but discolors when exposed to air. Approximately 60-70% of thallium production is used in the electronics industry, and the rest is used in the pharmaceutical industry and in...
, and "barely detectable" levels of
mercuryMercury , also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum , is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80...
and
arsenicArsenic is the chemical element that has the symbol As, atomic number 33 and atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250. Arsenic is a notoriously poisonous metalloid with many allotropic forms, including a yellow and several black and grey forms...
. On January 1, 2009 the first independent test results, conducted at the Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry laboratories at
Appalachian State UniversityAppalachian State University is a comprehensive , public, coeducational university located in Boone, North Carolina, United States. Appalachian State, also referred to as App State or simply App, is the sixth largest institution in the University of North Carolina system...
, showed significantly elevated levels of toxic metals (including arsenic, copper, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel, and thallium) in samples of slurry and river water.
The Kingston Fossil Plant received a total of 6.48 inches (16.5 cm) of rain between December 1 and December 22, plus 1.16 inches (2.9 cm) on November 29 and 30. This rain combined with temperatures were identified by TVA as factors that contributed to the failure of the earthen embankment. An October 2008 inspection report had identified a "minor leak" in the faulty wall, but the report was not finalized. Local residents said that the spill was not a unique occurrence; the 1960s-era pond had been observed leaking, and being repaired, nearly every year since 2001. A TVA news release confirmed that there had been two prior cases of seepage, in 2003 and 2006.
Response
TVA spokesman Gil Francis Jr. said that the TVA was "taking steps to stabilize runoff from this incident." In response to a video that showed dead fish on the Clinch River, which had received
runoffSurface runoff is the water flow which occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water, from rain, snowmelt, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the hydrologic cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint...
from the spill, he stated "in terms of toxicity, until an analysis comes in, you can't call it toxic." He continued by saying that "it does have some heavy metals within it, but it's not toxic or anything." Chandra Taylor, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, called this statement irresponsible, and stated that coal fly ash contains concentrated amounts of mercury, arsenic, and
benzeneBenzene, or benzol, is an organic chemical compound with the molecular formula C6H6. It is sometimes abbreviated Ph–H. Benzene is a colorless and highly flammable liquid with a sweet smell and a relatively high melting point...
. She added, "These things are naturally occurring, but they concentrate in the burning process and the residual is more toxic than it starts." Nevertheless, due to pressure exerted in 2000 by
utilitiesA public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies...
, the
coal industryThe mining of coal in the United States is a major industry, and reached an all-time high of 1.06 Gt in 2008, being mined in 25 states...
, and
Clinton administrationThe United States Presidency of Bill Clinton, also known as the Clinton Administration, was the executive branch of the federal government of the United States from January 20,1993 to January 20 ,2001.-First Term :...
officials, fly ash is not strictly regulated as a toxic pollutant by the EPA. However,
OSHAOSHA may refer to:* Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an American federal agency* Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, a federal law in the United States, the act that created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration mentioned above* Occupational Safety and Health Act...
does consider coal fly ash a "hazardous chemical." Residents and environmental groups expressed concern that the fly ash slurry could become more dangerous once it dries out, but have as yet received no information about this from the TVA. On January 1, 2009, the TVA disseminated a fact sheet stating that the ash is "not hazardous."
Meanwhile, the EPA and
Tennessee Department of Environment and ConservationThe Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is a Cabinet-level agency within the government of the U.S. state of Tennessee, headed by the Tennessee Commissioner of Environment and Conservation, who is currently James H. "Jim" Fyke....
awaited the results of soil and water testing to judge their response, while the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency indicated that barriers would be constructed to stop the ash from reaching the
Tennessee RiverThe Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley...
. By early on December 24, 2008, a flyover by
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record...
did note repair work being done on the nearby railroad, which had been obstructed when of sludge covered tracks. By the afternoon of that day,
dump truckA dump truck or production truck is a truck used for transporting loose material for construction. A typical dump truck is equipped with a hydraulically operated open-box bed hinged at the rear, the front of which can be lifted up to allow the contents to be deposited on the ground behind the...
s were being used to deposit rock into the Clinch River to prevent the further downstream contamination. The TVA has also slowed river flow, for the same purpose. The slurry that was cleared from Swan Pond Road was brought back to one of the plant's intact containment ponds. By December 30, 2008, the TVA had announced it was requesting the assistance of the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the ash-filled Emory River to restore navigation. On January 1, 2009 the TVA announced that rather than attempting to clear away all the slurry, they would be spraying seed, straw, and mulch on top of much of it, "to combat dust and erosion".
Lisa Evans, an attorney for
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of...
-based environmental group
EarthjusticeEarthjustice is a non-profit public interest law firm based in the United States that specializes in environmental litigation.It was founded in 1971 by two volunteer lawyers working with the Sierra Club, Don Harris and Fred Fisher, under the name "Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund", a fully...
, spoke out against the government, accusing them of lax regulations on the issue. She also blamed the industry for ineffective safeguards, citing other similar cases. She stated that "The saddest thing is this is entirely avoidable. These people in these communities don't have to be in harm's way. This is not some complicated problem like nuclear waste. This is something the utilities know how to do." Thomas J. FitzGerald, the director of the environmental group Kentucky Resources Council and an expert on coal waste, told
The New York Times that the ash should have been buried in
linedA landfill liner, or composite landfill liner, is intended to be a low permeable barrier, which is laid down under engineered landfill sites...
landfills to prevent toxins leaching into the soil and groundwater (as recommended in a 2006 EPA report), and stated that "I find it difficult to comprehend that the State of Tennessee would have approved that as a permanent disposal site." Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen, on-site the week of the spill, acknowledged that the
Tennessee Department of Environment and ConservationThe Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is a Cabinet-level agency within the government of the U.S. state of Tennessee, headed by the Tennessee Commissioner of Environment and Conservation, who is currently James H. "Jim" Fyke....
, which regulates coal disposal, may have relied too much on TVA’s own inspections and engineering studies about the ash ponds and dredge cells.“Believe me, there will be a full-bore look at this to understand the causes of this thing and to try to make sure it never happens again,” he said. Concern has also been expressed by environmental groups and local residents that no warnings were issued to residents living in the area about the potential dangers of the site. The site may be slated as a
SuperfundSuperfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites Superfund created the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry , and it provides broad...
site, although no decision regarding this has yet been made. On December 27, 2008 the TVA issued a list of precautions to residents, but did not provide information about specific levels of toxic materials in the ash, although Stephen Smith of the
Southern Alliance for Clean EnergyThe Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is a non-profit, nonpartisan energy watchdog group based in the Southeastern United States . SACE was originally organized under the name Tennessee Valley Energy Coalition in 1985...
and Chris Irwin of United Mountain Defense told
The TennesseanThe Tennessean is the principal daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky....
newspaper that they believe the TVA knows what is in it, due to the TVA having tested it prior to the spill. The TVA released an inventory of the plant's byproducts on December 29, 2008; it included arsenic, lead,
bariumBarium is a chemical element. It has the symbol Ba, atomic number 56, and is the fifth element in Group 2. Barium is a soft silvery metallic alkaline earth metal. It is never found in nature in its pure form due to its reactivity with air. Its oxide is historically known as baryta but it reacts...
,
chromiumChromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24, first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odourless, tasteless, and malleable...
, and
manganeseManganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
. Because the pond contained decades worth of ash from coal of several different types, it is believed that the area of the spill may contain "hot spots" of higher toxicity.
In response to independent attempts at sampling of the water quality and the taking of photos, the TVA illegally detained for approximately one hour two members of the
Knoxville, TennesseeFounded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is also the largest city in East Tennessee. As of the 2000 United States Census, Knoxville had a total population of 173,890; the July 2007...
-based environmental organization United Mountain Defense who were traversing public land in the area of the spill, and cited three other individuals, warning them that any attempt to enter the public waterway again would lead to prosecution.
TVA president Tom Kilgore said that, in light of the spill, the Authority would consider switching the Kingston plant over to "dry" byproduct methods, which would reduce the chances of another spill. Five TVA-operated plants use this method, while Kingston and another five use a "wet" process. The power plant continues to operate, with waste being sent to one of the two remaining intact containment ponds.
On December 26, 2008 the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation stated that it was satisfied with the water quality in the wake of the spill but that it will continue to examine and deal with the potential for chronic health effects. Tennessee governor
Phil BredesenPhil Bredesen is the 48th Governor of Tennessee and a Democrat, first elected in 2002. He previously served as the fourth mayor of Nashville and Davidson County from 1991 to 1999.-Background:...
toured the spill site on December 31, 2008. The U.S. Senate
Environment and Public Works CommitteeThe United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is responsible for dealing with matters related to the environment and infrastructure.-Members, 111th Congress:...
, which oversees the TVA, held a hearing on January 8 to examine the disaster. The environmental activist
Erin BrockovichErin Brockovich-Ellis is an American legal clerk and environmental activist who, despite the lack of a formal law school education, was instrumental in constructing a case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California in 1993...
was invited to Tennessee to survey the disaster site, and announced plans to visit during the second week of January 2009.
At her
SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
confirmation hearing on January 14, 2009,
Lisa P. JacksonLisa Perez Jackson is an American chemical engineer and politician currently serving as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; she is the first African-American to hold this post. Previously, she worked at New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for 6 years, first as...
,
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first president born in Hawaii...
's choice to head the EPA under his administration, stated her intention to immediately review coal ash disposal sites across the country. Also on January 14, 2009, Nick J. Rahall, a U.S. Representative from
West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast...
and the chairman of the United States House Committee on Natural Resources, introduced a bill to regulate coal ash disposal sites across the United States.
Legal actions
On December 23, 2008 the environmental group
GreenpeaceGreenpeace is a non-governmental organization for the protection and conservation of the environment. Greenpeace uses direct action, lobbying and research to achieve its goals. Greenpeace has a worldwide presence with national and regional offices in 46 countries, which are affiliated to the...
asked for a criminal investigation into the incident, focusing on whether the TVA could have prevented the spill. On December 30, 2008 a group of landowners filed suit against the TVA for $165 million in Tennessee state court. Also on December 30, 2008 the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy announced its intention to sue the TVA under the federal
Clean Water ActThe Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases to water of high amounts of toxic substances, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that...
and the
Resource Conservation and Recovery ActThe Resource Conservation and Recovery Act , enacted in 1976, is the principal Federal law in the United States governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste.-History and Goals:...
.
"On February 4, 2009, EPA, pursuant to Executive Order 12088, and TDEC issued a letter to TVA in which EPA provided notice to TVA that EPA considers the release to be an unpermitted discharge of a pollutant in contravention of the Clean Water Act."
On May 11, 2009 "TVA and the federal Environmental Protection Agency announced today an EPA Order and Agreement that documents the relationship between TVA and EPA in managing the clean-up of the Kingston ash spill and further ensures that TVA will meet all federal and state environmental requirements in restoring affected areas."
Mode and mechanism
According to the AECOM report commissioned by TVA and released June 25, 2009, failure occurred due to a variety of causes, primarily due to liquefaction of layers of "slimes" and other water-saturated materials deep within the growing ash pile. Collapse occurred over the course of approximately one hour in consecutive waves of breaking away and sliding.
Plant and spill location
The Kingston Fossil Plant is located on a peninsula at the junction of the Emory River (to the north) and Clinch River (to the south and east), just over upstream from the latter's mouth along the Tennessee River.
Watts Bar DamWatts Bar Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River in Meigs County and Rhea County, Tennessee, USA. The dam is one of nine dams on the main Tennessee River channel operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in early 1940s to provide flood control and electricity and...
, located along the Tennessee downstream from the mouth of the Clinch, impounds a reservoir (Watts Bar Lake) that spans a stretch of the Tennessee (to
Fort Loudoun DamFort Loudoun Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River in Loudon County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority , which built the dam in the early 1940s as part of a unified plan to provide electricity and flood control in the...
), the lower of the Clinch (to
Melton Hill DamMelton Hill Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Clinch River just south of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the early 1960s to extend the Tennessee Valley's continuous navigation channel up the Clinch as far as Clinton and to...
), and the lower of the Emory. The plant, originally known as the Kingston Steam Plant, was built in the early 1950s primarily to provide electricity to atomic energy installations at nearby
Oak RidgeOak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about 25 miles west of Knoxville. Oak Ridge's population was 27,387 at the 2000 census...
.
The plant's ash pond disposal area is located immediately north of the plant along the peninsula's Emory River shore. The ponds were originally created by diking off part of the lake at the Emory's confluence with Swan Pond Creek, which flows down from
HarrimanHarriman is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, primarily in Roane County, with a small extension into Morgan County. It is the principal city of and is included in the Harriman Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Roane County and is a component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La...
(just over the ridge to the northwest). The disposal area consists of the main ash pond (where ash is initially dumped), which is flanked on the southeast by a stilling pond (where water from the main pond is placed to further separate it from the ash) and on the northwest by "dredge cells," where ash from the main pond is placed to further solidify. The dike breach occurred at the northwest corner of the dredge cell area, overlooking the Swan Pond Creek spillway.
See also
- Environmental disasters
- Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites Superfund created the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry , and it provides broad...
- Buffalo Creek Flood
The Buffalo Creek Flood was an incident that occurred on February 26, 1972, when the Pittston Coal Company's coal slurry impoundment dam #3, located on a hillside in Logan County, West Virginia, USA, burst four days after having been declared 'satisfactory' by a federal mine inspector.The resulting...
- Martin County sludge spill
The Martin County Sludge Spill was an accident that occurred after midnight on October 11, 2000 when the bottom of a coal sludge impoundment owned by Massey Energy in Martin County, Kentucky, USA, broke into an abandoned underground mine below...
- Clean coal technology
Clean coal technology is an umbrella term used to describe technologies being developed that aim to reduce the environmental impact of coal energy generation...
External links
Video
on Youtube