Who is responsible for the Kingston coal ash spill?
the Tennessee Valley Authority
In late 2012, a U.S. District Court found the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) fully responsible for the 2008 Kingston coal ash spill. They found that TVA’s negligence makes the utility responsible for the disaster, forcing them to pay damages to more than 500 property owners who sought damages from the disaster.
What caused the Kingston coal ash spill?
Cause. Engineering firm AECOM was hired by TVA to investigate the cause of the spill. A report released in June 2009 identified the main cause of the spill as the result of slippage of an unstable layer of fine wet coal ash underneath the pond.
Who is affected by coal ash spill?
A 2018 study found children and pregnant women are more vulnerable to the effects of coal ash, which include birth defects, developmental delays, various types of cancer, and damage to the heart, lungs, and nervous system.
What was an effect of the Duke Call ash spill?
On February 2, 2014, a Duke Energy coal ash pit spilled more than 39,000 tons of toxic coal ash into North Carolina’s Dan River, creating an emergency and raising concerns about environmental and economic impacts for communities for miles downstream.
Was the Kingston coal ash spill preventable?
An inspector general’s report later concluded that T.V.A. had carelessly stored the coal ash and ignored warning signs about needed modifications to Kingston’s holding pond that could have prevented the disaster. All the same, Clark was proud to be part of the cleanup, and the pay couldn’t be beat.
What is left after you burn coal?
Coal ash is the powdery substance that remains after burning coal. What remains after coal is burned includes fly ash, bottom ash and so-called scrubber sludge, said Lisa Evans, chief counsel to Earthjustice, an environmental law organization.
Is coal ash toxic?
Coal ash, a catchall term for several kinds of waste left over at power plants that burn coal, typically contains a number of substances harmful to human health—arsenic, chromium, lead, and mercury among them. Coal ash is incredibly dangerous.
What is being done to stop coal ash spills?
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a technique that uses bacteria to produce “biocement” in coal ash ponds, making the coal ash easier to store and limiting the risk of coal ash spills into surface waters.
Why is coal ash a major health concern?
Coal ash is incredibly dangerous. Short-term exposure can bring irritation of the nose and throat, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath. Long-term exposure can lead to liver damage, kidney damage, cardiac arrhythmia, and a variety of cancers.
What are coal ashes?
Coal ash is the waste that is left after coal is combusted (burned). It includes fly ash (fine powdery particles that are carried up the smoke stack and captured by pollution control devices) as well as coarser materials that fall to the bottom of the furnace. Most coal ash comes from coal-fired electric power plants.
What is a coal ash pond?
An ash pond, also called a coal ash basin or surface impoundment, is an engineered structure used at coal-fired power stations for the disposal of two types of coal combustion products: bottom ash and fly ash. The pond is used as a landfill to prevent the release of ash into the atmosphere.
What can I do with my coal ash?
Coal ash is commonly re-used in a number of ways. For example, it is used as structural fill or fill for abandoned mines; as a top layer on unpaved roads; as an ingredient in concrete, wallboard, and in school running tracks; as an agricultural soil additive; and as “cinders” to be spread on snowy roads.