Report: High levels of toxins in river

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 19 (UPI) -- A study of the environmental impact of a massive ash spill in Tennessee has found fish in the river are close to losing reproductive capacity.

The study was released by Appalachian State University, Wake Forest University, the Tennessee Aquarium and Appalachian Voices, an environmental group in Boone, N.C., the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press reported. The study found elevated levels of arsenic, barium, cadmium, lead and selenium.

"Overall, these test results indicate much more severe impacts to water, sediment and fish than has been previously reported by TVA, which tells us they haven't been sampling in the right places," said Donna Lisenby of Appalachian Voices.

More than 1 billion gallons of sludge spilled from a containment pond at the Kingman Power plant operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The sludge went into the Emory River and over farmland.

Dennis Lemly, a biologist at Wake Forest University, said that selenium levels are almost at the level where they would kill fish eggs and young. That would keep fish from reproducing.