Lawsuits Over Tennessee Valley Coal Ash Spill On the Rise

The number of lawsuits filed against the Tennessee Valley Authority over a massive coal ash spill in Roane County has risen to 14.

A breach in an earthen dike at the Kingston Fossil Plant sent 5.4 million cubic yards of ash into the Emory River and onto private property near the plant on Dec. 22, 2008.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that records show attorneys for 11 plaintiffs filed six lawsuits in U.S. District Court in Knoxville against the federal utility between Nov. 16 and Nov. 23.

TVA officials would not comment on the lawsuits. However, they’ve said they expect to get the ash out of the river by spring but the total cleanup, projected to cost $1 billion, is expected to take years.