I agree—the remediation assures there is no aerial exposure to fugitive dust and we have a very beautiful park. However, I’m not ready to say it’s over. There will be monitoring of environmental media and wildlife for the foreseeable future.

Understanding exposure pathways is one key. At the last public meeting (closeout of the remediation project), it was acknowledged that aerial exposure to particulate matter in coal ash is a human health risk (respiratory and pulmonary effects.) The most likely exposure pathway for toxic elements is consumption of aquatic biota (fish, turtles, crayfish, and mussels.) There were fish consumption advisories prior to the coal ash spill, and the need for these advisories was confirmed in research at the spill site. There are multiple sources of legacy contaminants of concern in our waterways: the coal ash spill, historical releases from Oak Ridge and the old paper mill upstream on the Emory River, as well as unknown historical sources.)

The workers’ experience early on was extraordinary. There is no debate that aerial exposure to particulate matter in coal ash is a human health risk, but the science of linking the exposure to specific health conditions is not well established. For those of us who live here, the fact that there are multiple sources of toxic elements in aquatic biota that people eat makes it difficult to pinpoint the coal ash spill as the loan cause of observed health conditions.

There are many unanswered questions about the human health effects of exposure to coal ash, and there is much to be learned about site-specific contamination. I for one look forward to studying future monitoring and research results. I like to think there will come a time when it will be safe to eat the fish and lift the ban on commercial fishing. This is going to take a while.

WC is right. If you have access to Facebook, watch the 2015 video showing the beautiful park. Count your blessings! (link...)