Browsing by Subject "Tennessee"
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Item Open Access Environmental Impacts of the Coal Ash Spill in Kingston, Tennessee: An 18-Month Survey(2010) Ruhl; L; Vengosh, A; Dwyer; G, S; Hsu-Kim; H; DeonarineAn 18 month investigation of the environmental impacts of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee combined with leaching experiments on the spilled TVA coal ash have revealed that leachable coal ash contaminants (LCACs), particularly arsenic, selenium, boron, strontium, and barium, have different effects on the quality of impacted environments. While LCACs levels in the downstream river water are relatively low and below the EPA drinking water and ecological thresholds, elevated levels were found in surface water with restricted water exchange and in pore water extracted from the river sediments downstream from the spill. The high concentration of arsenic (up to 2000 mu g/L) is associated with some degree of anoxic conditions and predominance of the reduced arsenic species (arsenite) in the pore waters. Laboratory leaching simulations show that the pH and ash/water ratio control the LCACs' abundance and geochemical composition of the impacted water. These results have important implications for the prediction of the fate and migration of LCACs in the environment, particularly for the storage of coal combustion residues (CCRs) in holding ponds and landfills, and any potential CCRs effluents leakage into lakes, rivers, and other aquatic systems.Item Open Access EVALUATING THE SUCCESS OF STATE VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAMS: A PROGRAM ANALYSIS OF ILLINOIS, NEW YORK AND TENNESSEE(2007-05) Herrmann, Keith A.States developed Voluntary Cleanup Programs (VCPs) in the mid 1990s to promote the redevelopment of contaminated properties within state boundaries. Employing a variety of mechanisms and incentives to help overcome barriers to brownfield redevelopment, the primary responsibilities of VCPs involve providing legal liability, technical assistance and economic incentives. Despite diverse approaches and the successful cleanup of brownfields, few programs require routine or systematic methods to collect and record information to determine what aspects of state VCPs are successful (Wernstedt, 2004). This master’s project establishes a conceptual program analysis on the success of state VCPs and evaluates the programs in Illinois, New York, and Tennessee. States were selected based on maturity, size of program, and type of mandate. Evaluation criteria were established using a National Brownfield Association report that identified key elements to VCP success. Each VCP was examined in terms of environmental closure and liability clarity, use of agency resources, cleanup goals to protect human health and the environment, and the availability of financial incentives to meet brownfield needs. An overall score for each criterion was developed and determined by evaluating various sub-criteria. Results indicate that overall the three states incorporate diverse approaches while incorporating elements of success. While Illinois utilizes agency resources well, the financial incentives available in New York provide a creative means for voluntary parties to redevelop contaminated sites. Tennessee does well in providing several of the key elements, but minimal incentives are available for interested parties to overcome financial barriers of redevelopment.Item Open Access Survey of the potential environmental and health impacts in the immediate aftermath of the coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee.(Environ Sci Technol, 2009-08-15) Ruhl, L; Vengosh, A; Dwyer, GS; Hsu Kim, H; Deonarine, A; Bergin, M; Kravchenko, JAn investigation of the potential environmental and health impacts in the immediate aftermath of one of the largest coal ash spills in U.S. history at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston coal-burning power plant has revealed three major findings. First the surface release of coal ash with high levels of toxic elements (As = 75 mg/kg; Hg = 150 microg/kg) and radioactivity (226Ra + 228Ra = 8 pCi/g) to the environment has the potential to generate resuspended ambient fine particles (< 10 microm) containing these toxics into the atmosphere that may pose a health risk to local communities. Second, leaching of contaminants from the coal ash caused contamination of surface waters in areas of restricted water exchange, but only trace levels were found in the downstream Emory and Clinch Rivers due to river dilution. Third, the accumulation of Hg- and As-rich coal ash in river sediments has the potential to have an impact on the ecological system in the downstream rivers by fish poisoning and methylmercury formation in anaerobic river sediments.