TVA is closing and capping 10 coal ash ponds at power plants in Tennessee and Alabama, against the urging of environmentalists who want the ash dug up and removed. TVA issued its decision on Friday, affirming plans to keep the coal ash at six fossil plants where the ash was dumped over the past half century. TVA says the best, fastest and cheapest method of cleaning up the ponds is to close them and put a cap on the wastes to prevent leakage. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports environmental groups denounced TVA's decision, warning that it keeps toxic materials stored at riverfront plants near drinking water supplies. Scott Banbury, conservation program coordinator for the Sierra Club's Tennessee Chapter, says TVA should clean up, not just cover up, the ash pond sites.
Editor's Note: Click below for Alabama Public Radio's multi-part series on the health of Alabama's water supply, including the threat of coal ash. Pat D.