SELC joins state coal ash lawsuit to protect Nashville’s drinking water

Last November, SELC, on behalf of the Tennessee Clean Water Network and Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association, filed a notice of intent to sue utility Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for the ongoing coal ash pollution of the groundwater and the Cumberland River, a drinking water source for over 1 million people downstream. In response, the State of Tennessee and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) were prompted to file a lawsuit against TVA, and they confirmed under oath that TVA was in violation of its permit and the laws of the state for releases of coal ash into the groundwater. Yesterday, SELC filed a motion asking that its clients be permitted to participate in the state lawsuit against TVA.  

“TVA was responsible for the largest coal ash spill in the country six years ago, and yet it has not learned its lesson,” said Anne Davis, managing attorney for the Nashville office. “TVA can no longer continue to store over 50 years' worth of toxic coal ash waste next to a major river in leaking, unlined pits on unstable ground.” 

Click here to read the full SELC press release

Click here to read the article by Tom Wileman in The Tennessean