TVA
-
Major victory for clean air
Earlier today the Board of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) voted to approve a settlement that provides for the single largest coal retirement announcement in the nation’s history. The settlement requires the permanent retirement of 18 coal units, totaling 2,700-megawatts of TVA’s coal fleet. In addition, it requires the retirement or clean up of an […]
-
New coal ash hotline and video
The comment period for the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed coal ash safeguards is winding down, with the deadline being next Friday, Nov. 19. (Have you submitted your comment yet?) But just because the deadline is approaching does not mean we’re slowing our action on coal ash. It’s toxic and must be treated as such. That’s […]
-
The Aftermath of the TVA Coal Ash Disaster
This is the latest in our series of community coal ash profiles. This was written by Sierra Club Apprentice Philip Hawes. Tennessee’s Emory River has long been treasured for its natural beauty. In 1867, when a young man by the name of John Muir decided to walk from his home in Indiana, all the way […]
-
Toxic Coal Ash Threatens At Least 137 Sites In 34 States
A new study by three top environmental groups reveals another 39 coal ash threats in 21 states, bringing the total number of known coal ash threats to 137 in 34 states. The report by the Environmental Integrity Project, Earthjustice, and the Sierra Club details the newly identified slurry ponds and impoundments filled with toxic coal ash […]
-
Renewable energy: the power of positive feedback loops
When you design a national green energy system, the benefits of each part are increased and reverberate through the economy, creating a virtuous cycle
-
Tennessee fines TVA $11.5 million for coal ash spill, but is it enough?
The state of Tennessee has assessed an $11.5 million penalty against the Tennessee Valley Authority for the December 2008 coal ash spill from a holding pond at its Kingston power plant in Roane County. The fine is the largest ever imposed by the state’s environmental regulators — but some affected residents say it’s not enough. […]
-
Disaster in east Tennessee
The coal ash that spilled from a failed impoundment at TVA’s Kingston plant in eastern Tennessee filled the Emory River, creating huge mounds of toxic waste that locals called ashbergs.Photo: Sarah McCoinA special Facing South investigation. Shortly before 1 a.m. on Dec. 22, 2008, a dike holding back an 84-acre pond of wet coal ash […]
-
Coal’s dirty secret
The December 2008 impoundment failure at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Kingston plant inundated a nearby community with toxic coal ash.Photo: United Mountain DefenseA special Facing South investigation. When a billion gallons of coal ash broke loose from a holding pond at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Kingston power plant near Harriman, Tenn. in December 2008, registered […]
-
When will the EPA enforce coal ash laws in Alabama?
What is the EPA’s excuse now? Waiting for more torrential rain to host Olympic Black Water rafting competitions? As heavy rains and snow worsen landfill conditions, this is the sentiment of besieged residents in Perry County, Alabama, who have been designated as the official keepers of toxic coal ash from the nation’s worst environmental disaster–the […]