No clean coal: Tennessee disaster

Luckily, we have clean drinking water and my house isn’t surrounded by dead fish and toxic sludge. This isn’t the case for Tennessee residents (and in Alabama and Kentucky) where two different spills in Tennesse have released a total of 300-500 MILLION gallons of toxic sludge between 22 December and 9 January (mapping out the destruction below and attached video). 

Although the entire accident could have been averted with proper storage of the coal ash byproduct, it magnifies the massive problem with coal fired plants. Like popping a primordial pimple, this disaster surfaces disgusting byproducts of having an energy diet that includes coal.

On 31 December, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen called the accident, a “disaster”.  There is no clean coal; the byproducts are serious and until we stop using coal, we are all to blame.

~ by Erica Grigg on 10/01/2009.