July 17, 2026 - Communities in Tennessee are being asked for input on the future of large coal ash deposits located near rivers and groundwater. Critics of the Tennessee Valley Authority say its preferred cleanup strategy would keep millions of tons of that waste where it is.

What's happening?

Across multiple coal plant sites, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation are accepting public input on Corrective Action/Risk Assessment plans, known as CARA plans. According to Appalachian Voices, TVA often favors "cap-in-place," a method that covers coal ash but leaves it in existing unlined pits and landfills instead of excavating it and moving it to lined disposal facilities.

At a recent hearing on Cumberland, a resident of Woodlawn said the Cumberland Fossil Plant is visible from her farm and raised concerns about the Cumberland River, which nearby communities use for drinking water, fishing, and boating. She urged TVA to rely on an existing permit to build a lined landfill at the site.

In her comments, she referenced groundwater monitoring wells at Cumberland that have found arsenic, cobalt, lithium, and molybdenum above protection standards. She later wrote that after she finished speaking, a TVA staff member gave her materials whose first bolded message read: "Coal Ash is Not Hazardous."

The current dispute is unfolding long after the 2008 dike failure at TVA's Kingston Fossil Plant, which released a billion gallons of coal ash slurry onto surrounding land and into nearby waterways. Appalachian Voices says hundreds of workers involved in the cleanup later became seriously ill, and more than 60 died. A CARA hearing for Kingston is scheduled for Aug. 13.

Why does it matter?

After coal is burned to produce electricity, the leftover ash can contain mercury, lead, arsenic, and other toxic substances. That makes unlined storage pits near rivers or above groundwater a major concern for residents who fear continued contamination of water supplies and ecosystems people depend on every day.

The fossil fuel industry harms people and communities through both pollution and cost. Coal and natural gas power plants contribute to air and water pollution linked to asthma, heart disease, cancer, and premature death. 

A decision to leave ash in place could affect water quality, public health, and cleanup risks for decades, especially as stronger storms and flooding put more pressure on aging waste sites.

What's being done?

The CARA hearings offer residents a formal chance to weigh in on TVA's cleanup proposals before those plans are finalized. At Cumberland, one resident used that process to argue that the coal ash should be excavated and placed in updated lined landfills meant to prevent contamination from spreading.

Preventing future harm means cleaning up old waste and moving away from coal, gas, and oil generation that keeps creating it. Replacing aging coal and gas infrastructure with cleaner energy can reduce pollution, lower costs over time, and stop new toxic ash from piling up near communities.

"There are millions and millions of tons of coal ash sitting in unlined ponds and pits right next to our waterways," the Tennessee resident warned.