Tennessee Coal Sludge Disaster Essay - 1906 Words

Tennessee Coal Sludge Disaster What Happened? The largest environmental disaster in U.S. history occurred on December 22nd, 2008 when a 84-acre pit containing toxic coal combustion residue at the Tennessee Valley Authority Fossil Plant in Kingston, Tennessee gave way. According to a report by AECOM, the firm hired to perform the root cause report, a â€Å"combination of the high water content of the wet ash, the increasing height of ash, the construction of the sloping dikes over the wet ash, and the existence of an unusual bottom layer of ash and silt were among the long-evolving conditions that caused the ash spill at Kingston Fossil Plant† (TVA, 2010). The resulting slide sent a wave of over a billion gallons of sludge out on the†¦show more content†¦On top of emitting 1.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year, coal-fired power plants in the United States also create 120 million tons of toxic waste. That means each of the nations 500 coal-fired power plants produces an average 240,000 tons of toxic waste each year. A power plant that operates for 40 years will leave behind 9.6 million tons of toxic waste† (2009). Coal Combustion Residue despite containing toxic metals such as arsenic, mercury, lead, selenium, and cadmium that are proven to cause cancer, kidney problems, birth defects, and wreck havoc on the nervous system. Coal Combustion Residue can is disposed by either being land filled, used to reclaim mine shafts, or are stored in pits on-site of coal burning plants. Even without a spill these contaminants can leach into the ground and pose a health risk if they are not disposed of properly. What was dangerous about this spill? The Tennessee Coal Valley plant in a press release detailing the extent of the disaster showed the sheer magnitude of this spill, â€Å"In just one year, the plant’s byproducts included 45,000 pounds of arsenic, 49,000 pounds of lead, 1.4 million pounds of barium, 91,000 pounds of chromium and 140,000 pounds of manganese. Those metals can cause cancer, liver damageShow MoreRelatedunnatural disaster coal1169 Words   |  5 Pages Glg 111 Unnatural Disaster? Coal project Research Questions 1) Explain the following: Coal an Unnatural Disaster? An unnatural coal disaster is one caused by human error or negligence, there have been many unnatural coal disasters from past to present such as Turtle Mountain in Canada .Normal erosion due to weather changes played a part in this unnatural disaster but the biggest factor was inadequate support beams .which in turn caused gigantic slab of limestone rock weighing 75millionsRead MoreThe Hazards of Coal Use683 Words   |  3 PagesThe Hazards of Coal Use: Coal has been combusted for fuel for thousands of years. However it was not until the last few decades that the consequences of coal use have been fully realized and effort has been taken to lessen the severe environmental harm that can come from the combustion of coal. The fact of the matter is no matter how much we may dislike coal and the detrimental effects of it we, as a nation, depend on coal to live our lives. When we flip a switch and a light turns on we don’t giveRead MoreThe Effects Of Drinking Water On The Water1989 Words   |  8 Pagesisn’t a topic that it’s given that much attention even though there have been events and statistics that have impacted our drinking water. There have been important events such as the chemical spill in Charleston, West Virginia and the ash sludge in Kingston Tennessee in 2008, these kind of events even though they have happen a few years ago still have an impact on our drinking water today. Lauren Russell is an importa nt person because she stated that climate change is another factor that can affectRead MoreWater Pollution2810 Words   |  12 Pagesmany groundwater sources in the US. Animal studies suggest that ingestion of MTBE causes gastrointestinal irritation, liver and kidney damage, and nervous system effects. Mercury Mercury finds its way into water primarily through air pollution from coal-fired power plants and some other industrial processes. In the water, the elemental mercury is converted to methylmercury by certain bacteria, after which it moves up the food chain of fish gobbling each other up. In then end, the larger fish may end