Dec. 28, 2008 - A 2002 report found that Tennessee's Kingston Fossil Plant, the site of the December 22nd coal sludge spilled, has had persistent problems with public health. The report, written by Abt Associates for the Environmental Integrity Project and Rockefeller Family Fund, found that pollution from the plant cut short the lives between 149 and 171 people in 2001.
A 2002 report found that Tennessee's Kingston Fossil Plant, the site of the December 22nd coal sludge spilled, has had persistent problems with public health. The report, written by Abt Associates for the Environmental Integrity Project and Rockefeller Family Fund, found that pollution from the plant cut short the lives between 149 and 171 people in 2001. Pollution levels from the plant since then have remained relatively constant. The report blames poorly-regulated particulate pollution produced by the plant for heart disease, lung cancer, asthma attacks, and other impacts.
"In the last ten years, the Kingston coal plant could be responsible for more than 1000 premature deaths from air pollution," said Rick Hind, Greenpeace Legislative Director. "Sadly, that's typical for coal pollution, which cuts short the lives of at least 24,000 Americans every year and is the leading U.S. source of global warming pollution.
The coal sludge spill is now estimated at over 1 billion gallons (approximately 100 times the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill) and is thought to have contaminated the Emory and Clinch Rivers (which feed into the Tennessee) with toxic chemicals like arsenic, mercury, lead, benzene, cadmium, and others. Dead fish have been washing up on the banks downstream from the spill. Greenpeace has called for a criminal investigation of the spill.
Greenpeace called on Congress to rapidly put a cap on pollution from coal fired power plants and invest in clean energy like wind, solar, and geothermal power.
"There can be no toxic spills from wind turbines or solar panels," Hind said.
