Tennessee and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfill

The document details the presence of 18 coal ash ponds across 8 plants in Tennessee, noting that 14 are rated as either 'high' or 'significant' hazards. It highlights widespread groundwater and surface water contamination linked to Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) sites and the 2008 Kingston Coal Ash Spill, arguing that Tennessee's dam safety laws specifically exempt coal-ash dams, leading to inadequate oversight.

• Tennessee ranks 13th in the United States for coal ash generation, producing over 3.2 million tons annually.
• Of the 18 coal ash ponds in Tennessee, the EPA has classified 3 as 'high hazard,' where failure would be expected to cause loss of life, and 11 as 'significant hazard,' where failure would cause significant infrastructure, environmental, and economic damage.
• The majority of Tennessee's coal ash ponds are old and likely lack modern safeguards; 17 ponds are over 30 years old, and 12 are over 40 years old. A 2007 EPA risk assessment identified 11 unlined ponds in the state.
• Significant environmental contamination has been documented at multiple sites, including the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, various TVA plants (Bull Run, John Sevier, Cumberland, Gallatin, and Johnsonville), and the Trans-Ash CCW Landfill, involving pollutants such as arsenic, cadmium, beryllium, and mercury.
• The 2008 Kingston Coal Ash Spill in Harriman, TN, is described as the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history by volume, releasing 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash into the Clinch and Emory Rivers.
• Tennessee's regulatory framework is deficient because state dam safety laws specifically exempt coal-ash dams from their scope, and the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has broad discretion to waive landfill provisions.

APA

Earthjustice (n.d.). Tennessee and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfill. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/tn-coal-ash-factsheet-1111.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Tennessee and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfill. n.d. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/tn-coal-ash-factsheet-1111.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=Tennessee and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfill |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/tn-coal-ash-factsheet-1111.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjusticendtennessee, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Tennessee and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfill}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/tn-coal-ash-factsheet-1111.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }