Tennesse Power Utility Dam Bursts, Floods Homes and Land

Hundreds of acres of rural land and a dozen homes are partially buried under a pile of ash, water, and mud, as a result of the failure of an earthen retention dam giving way early Monday. A road and railroad tracks leading to the plant are also buried under the sludge. One woman's house was pushed off its foundations and carried 30 feet onto a nearby road.

The dam was used to hold a 40 acre slurry pond containing waste from coal-burning power plant in Harriman, Tennessee. The facility is the nation's largest public utility.

At least 100 people and 30 pieces of heavy equipment are involved in the clean-up, and the Environmental Protection Agency has been notified.

The suspected cause of the dam failure is weather-related.

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Published on Dec-22-08