via
NYT:
In short, it seems that the ash produced by Kingston Fossil Plant was stored in a pond. That is, until about two days ago, when a dam or levee burst.
Beyond the simple kinetic problem of a sludge-flood, apparently there is some question as to exactly how toxic the material is.
Quote:
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The Tennessee Valley Authority has issued no warnings about the potential chemical dangers of the spill, saying there was as yet no evidence of toxic substances. “Most of that material is inert,” said Gilbert Francis Jr., a spokesman for the authority. “It does have some heavy metals within it, but it’s not toxic or anything.”
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On the flip side, Tennessee Valley Authority did provide a really nice fly-by video of the spill area. Their website probably has the
highest resolution .wmv, but you can also find it on the NY Times website and, most-streamable,
this copy on youtube.