Survey of the Potential Environmental and Health Impacts in the Immediate Aftermath of the Coal Ash Spill in Kingston, Tennessee

Abstract

An investigation of the potential environmental and health impacts in the immediate aftermath of one of the largest coal ash spills in U.S. history at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston coal-burning power plant has revealed three major findings. First, the surface release of coal ash with high levels of toxic elements (As = 75 mg/kg; Hg = 150 μg/kg) and radioactivity (226Ra + 228Ra = 8 pCi/g) to the environment has the potential to generate resuspended ambient fine particles (<10 μm) containing these toxics into the atmosphere that may pose a health risk to local communities. Second, leaching of contaminants from the coal ash caused contamination of surface waters in areas of restricted water exchange, but only trace levels were found in the downstream Emory and Clinch Rivers due to river dilution. Third, the accumulation of Hg- and As-rich coal ash in river sediments has the potential to have an impact on the ecological system in the downstream rivers by fish poisoning and methylmercury formation in anaerobic river sediments.

Content and Distribution of Trace Elements and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Fly Ash from a Coal-Fired CHP Plant

“…Fine-sized fly ash is more persistently available in the atmosphere than coarse fly ash and may cause respiratory illnesses such as asthma, pneumonia and heart diseases (Reynolds et al, 2003;Iordanidis et al, 2008;Harris and Davidson, 2009;Ruhl et al, 2009;Zhang et al, 2012). Particle size distribution of fly ash was measured by a Laser diffraction particle size analyzer.…”

Impact assessment of dredging to remove coal fly ash at the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil plant using fathead minnow elutriate exposures

“…This fly ash has previously been shown to have elevated levels of metals [1]. Recovery of the fly ash from the Emory River was accomplished primarily through the use of hydraulic cutterhead dredges.…”

Environmental Impacts of the Coal Ash Spill in Kingston, Tennessee: An 18-Month Survey

“…The wet coal ash spilled into the Emory River, which joins the Clinch River, and then converges with the Tennessee River (Figure 1), a major drinking water source for populations downstream (2). Previous investigation has shown that the concentration of some leachable coal ash contaminants (LCACs) such as boron, arsenic, strontium, and barium increased slightly downstream of the spill relative to the upstream river concentrations, but remained below the EPA's maximum contaminant level (MCL) (3) and the continuous criterion concentration (CCC) (4) for aquatic life.…”

“…Previous investigation has shown that the concentration of some leachable coal ash contaminants (LCACs) such as boron, arsenic, strontium, and barium increased slightly downstream of the spill relative to the upstream river concentrations, but remained below the EPA's maximum contaminant level (MCL) (3) and the continuous criterion concentration (CCC) (4) for aquatic life. However, areas of restricted water exchange (i.e., the "cove"; Figure 1), where water remained stagnant and in direct contact with coal combustion residues (CCRs), had high levels of LCACs (2).…”