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Coal Ash Spill

Draft Public Health Assessment for Public Comment

The Tennessee Department of Health’s Environmental Epidemiology Program, under a cooperative agreement with the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), has completed a draft Public Health Assessment (PHA) for the TVA Kingston coal ash release and now is accepting public comments through March 9, 2010.

For questions and clarification, please call us at 615-741-7247 or toll-free 1-800-404-3006 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. All comments about the draft Public Health Assessment need to be submitted in writing. You can send comments by e-mail to EEP.Health@tn.gov or write to:

Environmental Epidemiology Program
Tennessee Department of Health
1st Floor Cordell Hull Building
425 5th Avenue North
Nashville TN 37243

Initial Release of the Public Health Assessment

Initial release of the public health assessment occurred on October 30, 2009, when the Environmental Epidemiology Program provided the draft to government agencies that provided environmental sampling data related to the coal ash spill. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), as well as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), all received the draft at the same time. Additionally, the initial draft was sent to Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) and to the Tennessee Poison Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center because of their expertise in adverse health effects from exposures to chemicals. The purpose of this draft, called the Red Cover edition of the Public Health Assessment, was to check the facts, to make sure the assessment included the correct verified and validated data.



June 11, 2009, ATSDR & TDH Public Meeting

TVA Kingston Ash Spill On June 11, 2009, the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) held a public meeting at Roane State Community College. Several citizens had previously petitioned ATSDR for a Public Health Assessment. The purpose of the meeting was two-fold: (1) to explain the roles of each agency following the TVA coal ash release and (2) to explain the Public Health Assessment process.

TDH is preparing a written Public Health Assessment. ATSDR is providing scientific assistance and review. Later this year, the report will be released for public comment.

Presentations about the PHA process:

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), in conjunction with Vanderbilt University Medical Center toxicology experts, will be conducting free medical screenings this summer for Kingston/Roane County residents affected by the Kingston Fossil Plant fly ash spill. To learn more about the program please visit their website atwww.orau.org/kingstonproject

Link to the Watts Bar Recreational Advisory.

Coal Ash Spill Information and Resources

TVA Kingston Ash Spill

Fact Sheets

Other Resources