Personal Injury Law

Coal Ash Landfill and Sickness Lead to Lawsuit

Many of us across the country and even the residents here in Tennessee expect our counties and states to live up to certain safety expectations. We expect our roads to be easily accessible, our parks to be family friendly and our drinking water to be safe. Unfortunately for one couple in Benton County this was not the case. High levels of mercury were found in their well and it injured them both.

The Gibsons had their ground and well tested for high mercury levels after having severe blisters and sickness after using the water and taking a shower. The state tested the water and found that the mercury was six times the normal drinkable level. In March of 2009, the state shut down the Gibson?s well.

The Gibson?s are pretty positive that the high mercury levels come from the landfill behind their home that has coal ash in it from TVA?s New Johnsonville steam plant. Trucks brought 100 tons of coal ash to the landfill every day and the Gibson?s claim they were not told about what might happen to them because of it. Reports into this case found that this landfill has had other problems including 2,000 tons of ash dumped on an unlined area of the landfill site. The state gave the company Trans-Ash the ones that run the landfill a fine of $160,000. The spokesperson for the landfill says that this is part of the process for dumping ash and they call it a ?wet to dry process?. 1,200 pounds of mercury were found to be put in the landfill by TVA in the last year, some of that was before the new regulations to prevent it from seeping into the ground and in the water. These levels are dangerous and can result in significant injury.

The EPA is reviewing new rules to deal with the proper disposable of coal ash and the Gibsons have hired an environmental attorney to sue Trans-Ash and TVA. The state has made sure they have received safe drinking water from the City of Camden?s water supply.

Full post as published by Tennessee Law Blog on July 02, 2010 (boomark / email).