The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • B6

6B MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2008 LOCAL NEWS THE TENNESSEAN NewsChannel Today 10 a.m. Sunny, 47 NOOII Sunny, 52 5 p.m. Clear, 55 10 p.m. Clear, 43 Wind SW at 4-8 mph 5-day forecast TVA focuses on ash cleanup TVA FROM PAGE IB sium, because the crowd raw Sunny; nice Colder with Partly Mainly Mostly in the sun, some cloudy cloudy, rain sunny afternoon clouds Wind: Wind: Wind: Wind: Wind: SW at 7-14 Nat 7-14 SE at 7-14 NWat8- SE at 6-12 mph mph mph 16 mph mph 6135 4327 4935 4627 4429 An aerial view shows workers standing near a home that was destroyed when a retention pond wall collapsed Dec. 22 at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Fossil Plant in Harriman, Tenn.

wade payne associated press Ash precautions issued near spill Across Tennessee Today's high tonight's low Memphis 6241 Clark sville 5534 Knoxville 54v Nashville 5733 Chattanooga 5830 Bristol 522 National fOFeCaSt Monday, December 29, 2008 7148 xxT Miami (MILD) was larger than expected. Residents are worried Kilgore fielded some angry questions, responding to all of them in a measured tone. He promised to send TVA staff to follow up with individual property owners. Many residents complained during the meeting that the spill would decrease the value of their homes, many of which sit on the banks of the river or nearby Watts Bar Lake. Others said they were worried their cattle would ingest contaminated grass or water.

Sandy Dickman's home was spared, but his land is covered with several feet of gray sludge. He said he doesn't believe the water is safe. "I don't think I'll be drinking the water," he said. Dickman moved to the area in 1975 and said he's always suspected that the holding pond would fail. Kilgore was asked again Sunday what caused the failure of the pond.

He replied that TVA is still investigating. TVA has said cold weather and above-normal rains contributed to the dike's failure. Dickman said he fears what will happen when the sludge dries out and turns to dust. "Once that stuff dries and the wind picks it up, then the trouble starts," Dickman said. "It will look like a blizzard in the Arctic." Health risks debated Kilgore said TVA is focusing on cleanup, but could not say how long it would take.

A handful of people in the audience carried anti-coal industry signs, including one that said "Clean Coal is a mess." The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy said Saturday that authorities should more strongly warn residents that muck from the spill could pose health risks. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said Friday that the mixture of coal fly ash and water didn't pose an immediate risk to residents unless they ingested it. Elevated contaminant levels were found in water samples in the immediate area of the spill, but not around the intake for the Kingston Water Treatment Plant, which supplies drinking water to residents, state officials said. NNN Showers EH T-storms L.dl Rain f- I Flurries Snow -v -v I Ice Shown are noon positions of weather systems and DreciDitation.TemDerature bands are highs for the day. Forecast Warm highlow temperatures are given for stationary selected cities.

Trawnl fnraract sunnv pc-partly c-cloudy National cury, radioactive materials and many other substances. Those are all materials found in coal that concentrates in the ash when the coal is burned. The levels can vary depending in part on where the coal came from. Coal seams were formed from a variety of different plants that grew hundreds of millions of years ago. They decayed and compacted together, with coal eventually forming.

May cause irritation The gray, powdery coal ash contains silica, a primary component in sand and ash which is often used in concrete and other products. Contact with the damp ash may cause irritation, but isn't considered a serious health risk, according to TVA's information. A concern is breathing the particles if the ash that is swirled and mounded through the area dries and gets airborne. Breathing small amounts of the fine bits of ash for a short period of time is unlikely to be a health concern, TVA's information says, unless a person has lung problems, including bronchitis. Here are the instructions: Avoid direct contact with the coal fly ash.

Avoid walking through the coal fly ash, or handling or disturbing dry coal fly ash to prevent causing the dry ash to become airborne. Avoid breathing large amounts of dry dust. Limit pets' contact with the coal fly ash to avoid bringing it into your home. If you come in contact with coal fly ash, use soap and water to remove the ash from the skin or clothes. If the ash gets in your eyes, flush your eyes with water.

Contact Anne Paine at 615-259-8071 or apainetennessean.com. Alloy Wheels Power Sun roof Do not touch, keep pets away By Anne Paine THE TENNESSEAN Residents around TVA's massive coal ash slide and flood beside the Kingston power plant in East Tennessee had little information for days on what the substance was surrounding them in yards, fields and rivers. The Tennessee Valley Authority released a document Saturday night that gave some basics on the material unleashed early Dec. 22 when a dike broke at a 40-acre settling pond for the potentially toxic coal ash. The 5.4 million cubic yards of ashy waste that poured out lies across almost 300 acres several feet deep in places tainting yards, fields and waterways.

That includes the Emory River, where the ash filled a bay and which flows into the Clinch River. The two run into the Tennessee River shortly after they join. The TVA information outlines precautions for residents, including not to touch the ash, to keep pets away from it so they won't bring it in a house, to wash it off skin and clothes if it's on them and not to breathe it if it gets airborne. 'A good start' "It's a good start," Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy in Knoxville, said in a telephone interview from Kingston where he was attending a city held public meeting on the disaster. "They're at least telling people to avoid contact with it and to wash it off if it does get on them Those are all intelligent things to tell people." What's still needed is data MSRP SALE PRICE 2008 on the levels of toxic materials in the ash, he said.

"It is unacceptable that we are six days into this disaster and TVA has yet to release sampling data from the ash pile," he said. "They know what's in it." TVA sells part of the ash, which can be used in concrete or wallboard, and would have to know what's in it, he said. TVA officials were not immediately available for a response Sunday evening. On Friday, Smith had blasted the agency, which provides electricity throughout Tennessee and parts of six other states, saying neither it nor the state nor the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had adequately cautioned area residents about possible dangers.

The agency has provided results of river water testing, which is continuing. Officials said those showed no problems in relation to human drinking water. Tests disclosed elevated levels of lead, which can cause developmental and nervous system disorders, and thallium, which can cause nervous system and intestinal ailments, in the Emory River around the point of the spill, but not downriver, according to TVA spokesman Terry Johnson. That was not considered a threat to public health because the materials were expected to drop to the bottom of the river before moving downstream, he said Friday. The information from TVA along with the state of Tennessee acknowledges that coal ash generally contains small concentrations of toxic metals, without listing any of them.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the ash can contain trace amounts of arsenic, lead, boron, thallium, mer $34,266. $29,266. IS250 Today Tues. Wed.

Today Tues. Wed. City HiLow HiLow HiLow City HiLow HiLow HiLow Albany 4228pc 3925c 3113sn Salt Lake City 4322c 3021c 3826c Albuquerque 5028s 5328s 5128s San Antonio 6846s 7250pc 6349pc Anchorage 4-7s 7-6s 9-1s San Diego 6550s 6448s 6251 Atlanta 6238pc 6641 5533s San Francisco 5444pc 5645s 5646pc Atlantic City 4734s 4834pc 5018pc San Jose 5841dc 5840s 6045dc Austin 6838S 7246pc 5848pc Seattle 4235r 4238r 4135r Baltimore 5230s 5230pc 4318pc Tampa 7655pc 7254pc 7157pc Billings 3626C 317pc 2819sn Tulsa 6244s 6332s 4730s Birmingham 6232pc 6639s 5330s D.C. 5237s 5337pc 5128pc Bismarck 185c 13-3sn 153pc w. Palm Bch 7858dc 7759pc 7857dc Boise 4428r 3727C 3931 Boston 4634S 4631pc 3721sn InteiTlatlOnal Chrlstn, S.C.

6239r 6843s 6635S Tnriau Wpri Charlotte 6232pc 6339s 5831s Chattanooga 5830s 6336s 5129s ity H.Low HiLaw HiLaw Cheyenne 5428pc 4219pc 3823pc Amsterdam 3929s 4030s 4233s Chicago 4425pc 3819c 2617pc Athens 5040sh 4740c 4640c Cincinnati 5031 pc 5330s 3922c Auckland 7868r 7668c 7562s Cleveland 4631c 4132c 3622sf Bangkok 9073pc 8771c 8568c Columbus 4830pc 4831pc 3523c Beiiinq 2712s 2812s 3014s Dallas 6740S 6940s 5035pc Berlin 3328s 4135S 4226s Denver 5829pc 4915pc 4022pc Bermuda 7263s 6862pc 7061pc Detroit 4228C 4129c 3318sf Bogota 6744t 6644t 6645r Fort Myers 8057pc 7656pc 7658pc Brussels 3729s 41 30s 4327s Hartford 4430s 4327pc 3915sn BuenosAiies 7761s 9163s 7265sh Honolulu 7969sh 7968sh 8067S Cairo 6448s 6347C 6146s Houston 7148s 7356pc 6450c Calgary 263pc 81 11-4sn Indianapolis 4832pc 5026pc 3722c Copenhagen 3530c 3833s 3833r Jackson 6436s 6742s 5735c Dhahran 7454s 7760s 8461 Jacksonville 7340c 7142s 6943s Dublin 4134pc 4537pc 4536pc Kansas City 5233s 5125s 3623pc Geneva 3730s 4133pc 4631s Knoxville 5434s 6034s 4727s Hong Kong 6962sh 6660r 6459sh Las Vegas 6036pc 61 37s 6036s Jerusalem 5948r 5443r 5041 pc Little Rock 6234s 6436s 4830c Johannesburg 7855r 8756pc 7656t LosAngeles 6849s 7248s 7050s Kabul 5025pc 4819s 5321pc Louisville 5435pc 5635s 4028c London 3932pc 4534pc 4737pc Madison 3922pc 3213c 2311pc Madrid 4739sh 5442pc 4639sh Memphis 6241 6539s 4831 Mexico City 7238pc 7437s 7440pc Miami 8065pc 7964pc 7961pc Montreal 3227pc 3014sf 215sf Mitaaukee 3627c 3818sn 2515c Moscow 1615sn 2521sn 2520sn Minneapolis 3618pc 264sn 148pc Nassau 7866s 7765s 7865pc New Orleans 6450sh 7256s 6549c New Delhi 7548s 7447s 7445s New York 4836s 4735pc 4424pc Paris 3729s 3932s 4433s Oakland 5641 pc 5740s 5745pc Rio de Janeiro 8272s 8272s 8373pc Oklahoma City6235s 6229s 4829s Rome 5036sh 5135pc 5037c Omaha 4429s 4019pc 3420pc St. Petersburg 2821 sn 2823sn 2914sn Orlando 7854pc 7448pc 7452pc St. Thomas 8273r 8371s 8373s Panama City 6945sh 6755s 6749s San Juan 8372sh 8370pc 8170pc Philadelphia 4832s 4734pc 4521pc Seoul 3825sf 3122pc 3219s Phoenrx 7042s 7045s 6944s Sinqapore 9077t 8875t 8875t Pittsburgh 4833pc 4528c 3217sf Stockholm 3427s 3227pc 3428sn Portland, Me. 4027s 3825pc 2913sn Sydney 7565t 8563pc 8466s Portland, Ore. 4235r 4138r 4336r Tokyo 5241 pc 5343s 4839s Providence 4430s 4630pc 401 8sn Toronto 3826sn 3420c 251 4sf Raleigh 6136pc 6338s 5731 Vancouver 4233r 4236sn 4032sn Richmond 5735s 5940s 5626pc Vienna 3429s 4135s 4433s Sacramento 5540pc 5437pc 5239c Warsaw 3023pc 3321c 3525s St.

Louis 54738s 6230s 3826pc Zurich 3528s 4026s 4326s Fronts Cold h-showers f-snow flurries cloudy r-rain n-snow t-thunderstorms i-ice Barometer at 7 a.m 30.30 in. Air Quality Index source: id Yesterday's aqi: Particulates Good Moderate Unhealthy Today's aqi forecast source: td.e.c. of of S- RealFeel Temperature3 A patented AccjWeather.com index consisting of effective temperature based on eight weather factors Mon. Tue. 8 a.m 37 38 Noon 55 54 5 p.m 53 53 Precipitation 24 hours ending 5 p.m 0.38' Month to date 6.72' Normal month to date 4.12' Surplus for month 2.60' Year to date 48.17' Normal year to date 47.84' Surplus for year 0.33' Sunriseset Sunrise today ....6:58 a.m.

Sunset today 4:41 p.m. Sunrise tomorrow 6:58 a.m AccuWeather.com8 As of 7 a.m. yesterday Lake Level Winds LakeBarkley 356.90 ft SW 4-8 mph Cordell Hull 501.00 ft WSW 4-8 mph Ky. Lake 356.77 ft SW 6-12 mph For a 5-day forecast in your area, send text message with and your CITY (i.e. nashville) or ZIP CODE (i.e.

37203) to 44636 6 Disc Changer Leather Seating STKN83116 $37,520. MSRP $32,520. SALE PRICE STK N8701 1 MSRP $49,770. SALE PRICE $42,770. STKB90016 MRU Nashville today Cold index An indication of how it feels based on wind speed and actual temperature.

Graph indicates lowest reading for the day. Temperatures (f) Yesterday's highlow 6339 Normal range, today 4629 Record high, today 73 in 1889 Record low, today 2 in 1880 High one year ago 50 Low one year ago 35 Moonriseset First Full Last New Jan 4 Jan 10 Jan 17 Jan 26 Moonrise today 8:31 a.m. Moonset today 6:47 p.m. Tennessee lake levels Lake Level Winds Old Hickory 445.06 ft SW 6-12 mph Percy Priest 485.30 ft SW 4-8 mph Center Hill 628.05 ft SW 4-8 mph La 33 8 a.m. I Lowest 53 noon I 7 a.m.

55 5 p.m. 2008 ES350 2008 GS350 Rain Sensing Wipers Backup Camera Navigation 1 6 Disc Changer Memory Seating 1 Bluetooth Navigation Backup Camera Intuitive Park Assist 2008 LS460 MSRP $73,335. SALE PRICE $59,335. Lexus Link Satellite Radio Mark Levinson Stereo STKB84163 Forecasts and graphics, with the exception of the Channel 5 6-day forecast, provided by Accu Weather, Inc. 2008.