Coal Ash Clean-Up: EPA To Oversee TVA Disaster Recovery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will oversee the cleanup of a massive coal ash spill in Tennessee that brought national attention to the environmental risks of storing the power plant byproduct.

New EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said Monday the federal agency is taking charge and "bringing to bear its resources and expertise" under the federal Superfund law.

So far, the EPA has been assisting state regulators with the cleanup of 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash that spilled Dec. 22 from a retention pond at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Fossil Plant.

The spill covered 300 acres with grayish, toxic muck, destroyed or damaged 40 homes, and stirred a national debate on regulating ash facilities around the country.

Comments

[jsgaetano]

I think we should ship coal ash to every Red State. They love America, and understand the only way to protect the American economy is to keep polluting.

Some call it pollution, we call it life.

[helonias]

Clean up?

Try band aid

[quidam56]

Hope the EPA will step up and stop the environmental impact of mountaintop removal. Appalachia can't stand anymore of the prosperity. http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=138

[Lpeter]

who is going to over see the EPA? They are alreay making scary consolations.

[pickwickianmom]

Glad to see someone is going to oversee TVA. They haven't had any oversight in years---ever?
They didn't even know what disaster protocol to follow initially---had nothing coordinated with the local officials.
Plus, the last inspection had somehow been just fine. They knew these ash walls were failing and had tried to use some cheap sort of drain.