Exxon Valdez hits Tennessee

A fly ash retention pond at a Tennessee coal-fired steam plant
failed, spreading 2.6 million cubic yards of the stuff over about 400
acres of the surrounding landscape. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/de...-covers-acres/
No doubt the company media folks will spin this as just a big mess;
but the fact is there's a good deal of heavy metals & other bad ****
in that stuff.

I know its a comfortable distance west of the good streams in western
NC; but what's the overall impact going to be on local streams in that
area?

"rb608" wrote in message
...
A fly ash retention pond at a Tennessee coal-fired steam plant
failed, spreading 2.6 million cubic yards of the stuff over about 400
acres of the surrounding landscape.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/de...-covers-acres/
No doubt the company media folks will spin this as just a big mess;
but the fact is there's a good deal of heavy metals & other bad ****
in that stuff.

I know its a comfortable distance west of the good streams in western
NC; but what's the overall impact going to be on local streams in that
area?

Does that fly ash really contain much in the way of heavy metals? Coal is
carboniferous I would have thought not so very much aluminium, Iron
compounds , Calcium oxides and silicates seem to be the most common
constituents pretty much like cement which is a secondary use hopefully it
won't impact too much but an alkaline flush has to be a possibility thats
not going to be good unless it can be contained.
DerekW

In article ,
"Derek" writes:

"rb608" wrote in message
...
A fly ash retention pond at a Tennessee coal-fired steam plant
failed, spreading 2.6 million cubic yards of the stuff over about 400
acres of the surrounding landscape.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/de...-covers-acres/
No doubt the company media folks will spin this as just a big mess;
but the fact is there's a good deal of heavy metals & other bad ****
in that stuff.

I know its a comfortable distance west of the good streams in western
NC; but what's the overall impact going to be on local streams in that
area?

Does that fly ash really contain much in the way of heavy metals? Coal is
carboniferous I would have thought not so very much aluminium, Iron
compounds , Calcium oxides and silicates seem to be the most common
constituents pretty much like cement which is a secondary use hopefully it
won't impact too much but an alkaline flush has to be a possibility thats
not going to be good unless it can be contained.
DerekW




Coal fired power plants are a major source of mercury contamination ...

--- Craig

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Craig A. Gullixson
Instrument Engineer INTERNET:
National Solar Observatory/Sac. Peak PHONE: (575) 434-7065
Sunspot, NM 88349 USA FAX: (575) 434-7029