In recent weeks, EPA has thrown out four months of Tennessee Valley Authority's air sampling results taken around the ash spill site at the Kingston Fossil Plant.
At the same time, the owners of a landfill in Alabama that has been taking the plant's toxic-laden ash have bankrupted.
EPA and TVA insist that residents should not be concerned. Other air sampling by TVA and state and federal regulators, along with rain 40 percent of the time during those four months from mid-September to mid-January, helped ensure the public was safe, according to a report prepared by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air expert Leo Francendese.
"A root-cause investigation for the air sampling failure is under way," states Mr. Francendese's report, which examined air, water and ash sampling done by TVA.
EPA also is increasing its oversight of TVA air sampling and quality assurance efforts. TVA now must give EPA corrective action plans for upgrading and validating its sampling monitors.
As for ash disposal concerns since the private owners of Arrowhead Landfill in Perry County, Ala., announced the bankruptcy, EPA and TVA spokeswoman Barbara Martocci said the landfill is continuing to operate.
"TVA has a contract with Phillips and Jordan for the disposal of ash and that contract remains unchanged and in place," Ms. Martocci said. "We are continuing to ship ash to the Arrowhead Landfill per our contract with Phillips and Jordan. To date we have shipped about 1.4 million tons of ash to Arrowhead."
repercussions
But residents living at or near the ash spill in Harriman, Tenn., said continuing problems and questions about the ash and the cleanup carry repercussions.
"This coming on the heels of the TVA trying to rebuild trust with the community really dealt them a blow," said Randy Ellis, a resident of the area and chairman of the community advisory committee that was organized, in part, by EPA.
Corrective actions for TVA* TVA will submit an investigative report.* EPA staff will participate in TVA's quality assurance weekly conference calls with its analytical laboratories.* EPA staff will conduct examinations of TVA contract laboratories on a periodic basis.* EPA will continue to conduct periodic independent sampling and performance audits of TVA's air monitoring network.* EPA requires TVA to submit a corrective action plan and schedule for accelerating the validation of raw data in order that it can be released for review on a more timely basis.* EPA requires TVA to submit a corrective action plan for upgrading its perimeter stations to include additional monitors.* EPA notes that TVA has already replaced the type of monitors that resulted in the air samples being thrown out.Source: U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyBy the numbers* 369 -- Flawed air samples* 100,000-plus -- Total air samples taken* 1.4 million -- Tons of ash shipped to Arrowhead Landfill to dateSource: TVA and EPA
Sarah McCoin, another resident and member of the community advisory committee, said she wants EPA to impose still tougher action and oversight.
"What else is not working?" she questioned. "TVA should be removed as the lead agency for the purposes of analyzing reports, gathering of information."
Ms. Martocci said the 369 flawed air samples are but a fraction of those taken during the four-month period.
Ms. Martocci said the air-sampling problem occurred because the laboratory hired by TVA was using a slightly different method for weighing the filters used in the monitors. She said TVA now is eliminating the filter-based samplers and replacing them with automated monitors.
"The issue was self-identified to EPA, and the results of the (overall) audit of the air, water and ash sampling were excellent. The issue was just with this one method," she said.
Mr. Francendese's report said that months of good quality data from different and newer monitors make EPA official confident that the air around Harriman and Kingston is safe.
"The Agency is confident that the public was not put at risk during this period," his report states. "The redundant nature of the air monitoring system coupled with environmental conditions make us confident."