EPA Approves Fly Ash Shipments to Perry County, Alabama

Thursday the Environmental Protection Agency approved shipping 3 million tons of spilled coal fly ash from Kingston to Perry County, Alabama.

Dredge operators at the TVA spill site are still scooping fly ash out of the Emory River 20-hours a day. So there’s a growing need for somewhere to permanently store the material, which contains arsenic and lead.

EPA on-scene coordinator Leo Francendece says the decision of where to send 85 rail cars a day for at least the next year was rushed. But he says public input from residents surrounding the Alabama landfill will be considered.

“The public is of course encouraged to comment after the decision is made, and if there is substantial objection, the agency can revisit its decision.”

The Arrowhead landfill sits in one of the poorest parts of Alabama. Accepting the ash could create as many as 50 jobs there, but Perry County also stands to make $3 million in dumping fees charged to TVA.

Rail shipments could begin as early as this week.

The 3-million cubic yards of fly ash heading to Alabama comes from the Emory River, but there’s another 2.4-million yards on dry land that’s waiting for disposal. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has approved landfills in Knox, Loudon, Scott and McMinn counties for small test shipments to begin July 15th.