TVA logoTVA faces suit over coal ash
A coalition of environmental groups plans to sue the Tennessee Valley Authority over violations of the Clean Water Act.
The Southern Environmental Law Center says the Colbert Fossil Plant in Tuscumbia, Ala., has been illegally discharging pollutants into the Cane Creek -- a Tennessee River tributary -- and has been polluting groundwater as well. In a letter providing TVA 60 days' notice of the impending suit, SELC officials say coal ash from the facility seeping into nearby waterways contains arsenic, selenium, lead, iron, cadmium and other pollutants. The Tennessee Riverkeeper, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Shoals Environmental Alliance and the Waterkeeper Alliance are among the groups suing TVA.
Mullis, Anderson among top 100
Georgia state Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, and Brian Anderson, CEO of the Dalton Area Chamber, are among the 100 most influential Georgians, according to Georgia Trend magazine. The monthly magazine picked Anderson based upon his efforts in building an economic development strategy in the Dalton-Whitfield community, which was hit hard by the downturn. Anderson, 48, was also recently selected as chairman of the Thrive 2055 Coordinating Committee, which is working to engage citizens in developing a long-term strategic plan for the region. Mullis, 53, has been a state senator since 2001 and serves as chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, chairman of the Transportation Subcommittee of Appropriations, Secretary of Rules, and a member of Banking & Financial Institutions and Economic Development committees.