Another Toxic Spill in Appalachia

There has been another coal related spill in Appalachia. This time it is coal ash, the toxic residue that is left over from the burning of coal. Coal ash contains arsenic, lead, mercury, and selenium. Today 50,000 to 82,000 tons of coal ash and up to 27 million gallons of water flowed into the Dan River near Eden, North Carolina.

The water and ash were released from ponds at a retired Duke Energy power plant through a 48-inch pipe that drained a 27-acre coal ash holding pond. Coal ash has washed up on the banks of the river and the river is now tinted gray. Water districts downstream have been notified, but no reports of water problems have cropped up yet.

Will this be another ho hum disaster? Tens of thousands of tons of toxic ash drains into a river. I think that’s a big deal.