Coal Ash Spill Complaints Investigation

Environmental Hazards

There are several risks associated with coal ash disposal and the toxins found in the ash. Duke University and Georgia Tech published an article on the Kingston Ash spill in Tennessee in 2009.

Exposure to dust and river sediment containing toxic metals and radioactivity from a coal ash spill at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Kingston power plant last December could pose risks to local communities and aquatic ecosystems, according to a new study led by Duke University scientists. “Our findings emphasize the fact that although you may stop the emission of toxic elements from coal-fired power plants into the air, they remain in the fly ash that gets stored in power plants’ containment ponds, and may still end up in the environment,” said Avner Vengosh, associate professor of earth and ocean sciences at the Nicholas School.

“There are hundreds of similar coal-ash storage ponds located in the United States, and all are located next to rivers,” Vengosh said. “Yet the water in these containment ponds is not regulated.”(http://today.duke.edu/2009/08/toxiccoal.html)

Professor Vengosh from Duke University issued the following statement regarding the spill that occurred on the Dan River earlier this year in North Carolina:

“Even without a spill, these settling ponds have been releasing continuous contamination into the rivers downstream from coal-fired power plants.”

The Environmental Protection Agency is set to finalize the first federal regulations for the disposal of coal ash by December 2014. In response to litigation and a settlement reached, the EPA was ruled to have a mandatory duty to review the waste regulations under the Resource and Conservation Recovery Act. (http://earthjustice.org/news/press/2014/epa-agrees-to-deadline-for-first-ever-u-s-coal-ash-regulations)

Contact the Law Office of D. Hardison Wood

We are interested in learning of any alleged problems you have faced due to the coal ash spill in your area. Please use the form on this page to contact us. We will review your claim without charge or any obligation on your part.