Public Health Assessment Final Release TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY (TVA) KINGSTON FOSSIL PLANT COAL ASH RELEASE 714 SWAN POND ROAD HARRIMAN, ROANE COUNTY, TENNESSEE Prepared by the Tennessee Department of Health SEPTEMBER 7, 2010 Prepared under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Division of Health Assessment and Consultation Atlanta, Georgia 30333 THE ATSDR PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT: A NOTE OF EXPLANATION This Public Health Assessment was prepared by ATSDR’s Cooperative Agreement Partner pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) section 104 (i)(6) (42 U.S.C. 9604 (i)(6)), and in accordance with our implementing regulations (42 C.F.R. Part 90). In preparing this document, ATSDR’s Cooperative Agreement Partner has collected relevant health data, environmental data, and community health concerns from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state and local health and environmental agencies, the community, and potentially responsible parties, where appropriate. In addition, this document has previously been provided to EPA and the affected states in an initial release, as required by CERCLA section 104 (i)(6)(H) for their information and review. The revised document was released for a 30-day public comment period. Subsequent to the public comment period, ATSDR’s Cooperative Agreement Partner addressed all public comments and revised or appended the document as appropriate. The public health assessment has now been reissued. This concludes the public health assessment process for this site, unless additional information is obtained by ATSDR’s Cooperative Agreement Partner which, in the agency’s opinion, indicates a need to revise or append the conclusions previously issued. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Additional copies of this report are available from: National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia (703) 605-6000 You May Contact ATSDR Toll Free at 1-800-CDC-INFO or Visit our Home Page at: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Final Release Kingston Fossil Plant PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY (TVA) KINGSTON FOSSIL PLANT COAL ASH RELEASE 714 SWAN POND ROAD HARRIMAN, ROANE COUNTY, TENNESSEE Prepared by: Tennessee Department of Health Under Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Public Health Assessment: KIF Coal Ash Release Foreword This document summarizes an environmental public health investigation performed by the State of Tennessee Department of Health’s Environmental Epidemiology Program. Our work is conducted under a Cooperative Agreement with the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. In order for the Environmental Epidemiology Program to answer an environmental public health question, several actions are performed: Evaluate Exposure: Tennessee health assessors begin by reviewing available information about environmental conditions at a site. We interpret environmental data, review site reports, and talk with environmental officials. Usually, we do not collect our own environmental sampling data. We rely on information provided by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other government agencies, businesses, or the public. We work to understand how much contamination may be present, where it is located on a site, and how people might be exposed to it. We look for evidence that people may have been exposed to, are being exposed to, or in the future could be exposed to harmful substances. Evaluate Health Effects: If people could be exposed to contamination, then health assessors take steps to determine if it could be harmful to human health. We base our health conclusions on exposure pathways, risk assessment, toxicology, cleanup actions, and the scientific literature. Make Recommendations: Based on our conclusions, we will recommend that any potential health hazard posed by a site be reduced or eliminated. Reducing or eliminating the health hazard will prevent possible harmful health effects. The role of the Environmental Epidemiology Program in dealing with hazardous waste sites is to be an advisor. Often, our recommendations will be action items for other agencies. However, if there is an urgent public health hazard, the Tennessee Department of Health can issue a public health advisory warning people of the danger, and will work with other agencies to resolve the problem. If you have questions or comments about this report, we encourage you to contact us. Please write to: Environmental Epidemiology Program Tennessee Department of Health 1st Floor Cordell Hull Building 425 5th Avenue North Nashville TN 37243 email: [email protected] Or call us at: 615-741-7247 or toll-free 1-800-404-3006 during normal business hours i Public Health Assessment: KIF Coal Ash Release Table of Contents Foreword ....................................................................................................................................................... i List of Figures at the back of the Document ............................................................................................ vi List of Tables within the Document ......................................................................................................... vii List of Tables at Back of Document ....................................................................................................... viii Acronyms and Glossary ............................................................................................................................. x Summary .................................................................................................................................................. xvii 1. Background ............................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Response of Governmental Agencies ................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Potential Routes of Exposure ............................................................................................................ 5 1.4 Health Comparison Values ................................................................................................................ 7 1.4.1 Proper Use of Health Comparison Values ................................................................................. 8 1.4.2 Child Health Considerations ...................................................................................................... 9 1.4.3 Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure .............................................................................. 9 1.4.4 Drinking Water Regulatory Limits ........................................................................................... 10 1.4.5 Tennessee Water Quality Criteria ............................................................................................ 11 1.4.6 Criteria Air Pollutants .............................................................................................................. 11 1.5 Tennessee Department of Health’s Mission for this Public Health Assessment ............................. 12 2. Discussion.............................................................................................................................................. 13 2.1 Coal Ash .......................................................................................................................................... 14 2.1.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 14 2.1.2 Routes of Exposure to Coal Ash .............................................................................................. 14 2.1.3 Sampling .................................................................................................................................. 14 2.1.4 Analytical Results .................................................................................................................... 15 2.1.4.1 Soil .................................................................................................................................... 15 2.1.4.2 Ash .................................................................................................................................... 16 2.1.5 Discussion of Arsenic and Health Comparison Values for Metals without Applicable Comparison Values ............................................................................................................................ 16 2.1.5.1 Arsenic .............................................................................................................................. 17 2.1.5.2 Other health comparison values ........................................................................................ 18 2.1.5.2.1 Calcium and magnesium ........................................................................................... 18 2.5.1.2.2 Iron ...........................................................................................................................