Environmental attorney Sanders says Duke scientists concerned about human health effects from exposure to radioactive materials in TVA sludge spill.

As I reported in December 2009, more than a billion gallons of coal waste spilled from a failed sludge pond at TVA’s coal-burning power plant in Kingston, Tennessee. The catastrophe occurred on December 22. The waste sludge covered more than 400 surrounding acres and spilled into a tributary of the Emory River, which converges with the Clinch River and flows into the Tennessee River, a major source of drinking water for many communities in the region.

I also warned about the potential human health problems from radioactive materials in the waste sludge. Thus, I now point you to a fascinating report by Duke University scientists who analyzed water and ash samples from the massive coal sludge spill. They conclude that “exposure to radium- and arsenic-containing particulates in the ash could have severe health implications” in the affected areas. A summary of their report and a amazing slide show of the impact of the sludge spill on the local community is at: http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/news/ns-vengosh.01.28.09.html.