Looking for information about medical screenings for residents affected by the fly ash spill?BackgroundBackground
In 2007, the coal-fueled electric power industry generated almost 72 million tons of fly ash and an additional 55 million tons of other Coal Combustion Products (CCPs)1. Nationwide, about 40% of CCP production is beneficially used in concrete and cement products, wallboard, highway construction, and other applications. Annually, TVA produces approximately 3 million tons of fly ash, 1.1 million tons of bottom ash and slag, 2.7 million tons of flue gas desulphurization (FGD) gypsum, and 0.2 million tons of other CCPs. About 40% of TVA’s CCPs are beneficially reused.
On December 22, 2008 failure of an earthen dike at the Kingston Fossil Plant led to the release of approximately 5.4 million cubic yards of impounded fly ash onto surrounding land and into the adjacent Emory River. This event most directly affected citizens living in close proximity to the plant and TVA but also indirectly impacted all coal burning utilities and other large coal users. For example, as a result of this event, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) directed plant operators and power companies to conduct on-site assessments to determine the structural integrity and vulnerabilities of all ash management facilities and to order repairs where needed.
EPA determined in 1993 and in 2000 that waste from the combustion of coal and other fossil fuels is to be regulated as nonhazardous; however, many organizations, including Congress, are urging EPA to propose new rules regulating coal combustion waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
Many universities, industry organizations, and companies have conducted research on the commercial use, disposal, and environmental effects of CCPs; however, the Kingston release has focused new attention on all aspects of CCP management. It is TVA’s goal that this solicitation will facilitate the scientifically sound development of new beneficial uses for CCPs and the creation of new environmental information that will benefit TVA, the utility industry, regulators, and the public.
1 American Coal Ash Association 2007 CCP Production & Use Survey Results (Revised), http://www.acaa-usa.org
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