TVA ash spill leaves fish in danger

[BlueJessamine]

Source: The Tennessean

An independent report on water, sediment and fish samples collected after the Dec. 22 Kingston Fossil Plant ash spill shows high toxin levels and a fish population at the toxic "tipping point" of losing the ability to reproduce.

The report estimates the ash sludge contains 3,380 tons of the 10 most toxic elements in fly ash.

"Overall, these test results indicate much more severe impacts to water, sediment and fish than has been previously reported by TVA, which tells us they haven't been sampling in the right places," said Watauga Riverkeeper Donna Lisenby of Appalachian Voices, an environmental organization based in Boone, N.C.

Scientists with Appalachian State University, Wake Forest University, the Tennessee Aquarium and Appalachian Voices released the study Monday online and in a telephone conference call.


Read more: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090519/NEWS01/905190326/TVA+ash+spill+leaves+fish+in+danger

[Buzz Clik]

1. The real concerns are arsenic and selenium.

Selenium is acutely toxic to aquatic organisms and bioaccumulates. The data quoted show that selenium is twice the acute toxicity level and 8 times chronic for aquatic organisms.

Arsenic is an amazing 260 times the drinking water standard.

The extent and impact of these numbers cannot be judged with the little information given in the article. We'd need to know about how rapidly the concentrations dissipate downstream to get the full picture.

[jtrockville]

2. Maybe TVA has a "miracle barrel"?

[pleah]

3. And, yet, this administration has given the go ahead for more

mountaintop removal mining. Environment, we don't need it apparently.