EPA: Rivers High in Arsenic, Heavy Metals After Sludge Spill
http://www.truthout.org:80/123108EA
Kingston, Tennessee - The Environmental Protection Agency has found
high levels of arsenic and heavy metals in two rivers in central
Tennessee that are near the site of a spill that unleashed more than
a
billion gallons of coal waste.
The agency said it found "several heavy metals" in the water in
levels that are slightly above safe drinking-water standards but
"below concentrations" known to be harmful to humans.
"The one exception may be arsenic," the agency said in a letter
to
an affected community. "One sample of river water out of many taken
indicated concentrations that are very high and further
investigations
are in progress."
However, arsenic was not detected in a water intake facility near
Kingston, Tennessee, where the spill happened, said EPA spokeswoman
Laura Niles.
The metals were found in the Emory and Clinch rivers, near the
site of a major spill last week that unleashed enough sludge to fill
1,660 Olympic-size swimming pools.
The EPA's letter comes as the head of the largest public power
company in the nation pledged to clean up the massive spill.
"This is not a time where TVA holds its head high," said Tom
Kilgore, president and CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority. "But we
won't hang our head, either, because that won't get the job done. I'm
here to tell you that we will clean it up, and we will clean it up
right."
The sludge is a byproduct of the ash from coal combustion. A
retention site at the Tennessee Valley Authority's power plant in
Kingston, about 40 miles west of Knoxville, contained the waste until
a wall breached last Monday, sending the sludge downhill to damage 15
homes and cover at least 300 acres.
All residents in the area were evacuated, and three homes were
deemed uninhabitable, according to the TVA.
The TVA's initial estimate for the spill tripled from 1.8 million
cubic yards, or more than 360 million gallons of sludge, to 5.4
million cubic yards, or more than 1 billion gallons.
The plant sits on the Clinch River, which is a tributary of the
Tennessee River. Video footage from the river, a popular fishing
site,
reveals piles of dead fish on its banks. The TVA says that has
nothing
to do with the toxicity of the sludge, though environmental advocates
say the ash contains concentrated levels of mercury and arsenic.
TVA officials have said water quality tests from a nearby water
treatment facility have shown that the water from the river intake
meets federal and state guidelines for potable water. But coal
operation critics remain concerned about the long-term effects of the
spill, and residents have expressed concerns about drinking water,
especially from wells.
Roane County Emergency Management Director Howie Rose said the
county has asked the state and the federal Environmental Protection
Agency to monitor groundwater from wells around the area. He and
Kilgore spoke at a town hall meeting Sunday.
Rose said the county has also requested air quality tests from
the
state and federal agencies.
Steve Ahlstedt, an independent aquatic biologist, told CNN that a
spill of this magnitude probably will affect the area's ecological
balance.
"Once the ash has settled to the bottom of the rivers, all heavy
metals will hang around for a long time," he said. "When coal
releases
into the water, the mussel population goes into deep freeze. They are
the 'canary in the coal mine.' They are the main indicator of how
healthy our water is."
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