In December 2008, a dike rupture in Tennessee caused 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash to spill into local waterways. It was the largest industrial spill in U.S. history.
Now, a study from the University of Alabama shows arsenic and cadmium levels in river sediments adjacent to Mobile's Plant Barry are comparable to levels found after the historic disaster.
Samples showed arsenic content as high as 44.6 mg/kg in Mobile. Contaminations following the Kingston spill were recorded at levels ranging from 10 to 57 mg/kg.
High cadmium levels were also recorded near Plant Berry.
"These toxic metals are known to cause cancer, kidney failure, heart disease, neurological damage, and more," Mobile Baykeeper stated in response to the study. "And yet, Alabama Power continues to store 21 million tons of coal ash in an unlined pit directly on the banks of the Mobile River, one of the most ecologically rich waterways in the country."
Mobile Baykeeper is requesting that the power company provide a timeline and plan for recycling the coal ash. The issue has been appealed to the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
The Baykeeper noted that similar contamination levels in Mobile are concerning, as they highlight the impact of the Kingston spill, which "buried homes, poisoned water and exposed hundreds of workers to toxic sludge."
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