Retention Pond Dike Collapse

Emergency Management officials in Roane County, Tennessee say a dike at an ash retention pond collapsed Monday morning (12-22), sending water, ash and rocks from the forty acre pond over a widespread area. No injuries have been reported but emergency officials say more than a dozen homes were damaged when the structure gave way.

An emergency management spokesman said some homeowners had to be rescued. But it appears that everyone has been accounted for and no one sustained any major injuries. The first 9-1-1 calls had begun coming shortly after midnight.

The ash in the pond is a byproduct of Tennessee Valley Authority coal burning operations. TVA President-CEO Tom Kilgore says the cause of the accident is under investigation but the freezing and thawing cycle of the structure may have been a contributing factor. Kilgore says TVA does a full annual inspection of the ash pond containment facilities. Other similar structures will probably be checked again in light of today's accident.