Listen Exactly 10 years ago, one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history happened near Kingston, Tennessee. Over a billion tons of coal ash spilled from a pit at a Tennessee Valley Authority plant into the Emory and Clinch rivers and surrounding land on Dec. 22, 2008.
Curious Nashville: A Question About Magnolia Trees Can Tell You A Lot About The City
Listen Look around Nashville and they’re hard to miss: Magnolia trees grace the Nashville City Cemetery, Vanderbilt and Belmont universities, Sevier and Centennial parks, and the grounds of the Hermitage, Grassmere and Glen Leven Farm.
Amazon Says Its Nashville Hub Will Be ‘Energy Efficient’ But It’s Not Clear What That Will Mean
Amazon says its new operations hub in downtown Nashville will include 1 million square feet of “energy-efficient office space.” But it’s still unclear how the facility will be powered.
TVA Facebook Contract Shows Solar Growth, But Environmentalists Say There’s A Catch
Listen TVA unveiled a new solar project this month that’s split across two sites in Tennessee and Alabama. It will provide over 300 megawatts of power to Facebook’s new data center in Huntsville.
Inspectors Find Safety And Leadership Concerns At TVA’s Gallatin Plant
Listen Gallatin Fossil Plant, one of several coal-fired power plants in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s network, has been cited for ineffective leadership and safety concerns. That comes from TVA’s Office of Inspector General, an independent arm that looked into the utility’s business operations and interviewed employees over a four-year period.
State Tries To Decide: Should Paddle Companies Have To Pay To Use Tennessee’s Rivers?
Listen Complaints of longer wait times and crowded rivers around the launches used by boaters and kayakers have created conflict among commercial outfitters and individuals. But a law passed to unclog the ramps is already creating some concerns.
Workers Who Cleaned Up The Kingston Coal Ash Spill Say They Were Misled About The Danger
Listen It’s been a decade since the Kingston Coal Ash Spill became the worst disaster of its kind in U.S. history. More than 1 billion gallons of the byproduct — made by burning coal to produce electricity — poured out over hundreds of acres in Roane County. Now the workers tasked with cleaning up the […]
From Deadly Gas To A ‘Supermaterial’ — Vanderbilt Researchers Make Breakthrough
Listen Nanotubes are tiny cylinders of carbon atoms, thousands of times smaller than a single human hair. They are stronger and lighter than steel, more conductive than copper and have thermal properties that are competitive with diamonds. Efficient and low cost carbon nanotubes would usher in a quiet revolution. The supermaterial has applications with nearly […]
Rutherford County’s Newest Court Will Tackle Environmental Issues
Listen Rutherford County is opening a special court, starting this week, to streamline how the county deals with environmental issues. Six departments will refer their citations to the court, including Fire and Rescue, Building Codes, Animal Control, Solid Waste, Engineering and Emergency Management.
Tennessee Lawmakers Try To Eliminate Vehicle Emissions Tests
Listen State lawmakers are considering a proposal that might mean the end of vehicle emissions testing in Tennessee. Critics say the tests today are an unnecessary hassle and expense for car owners. But stopping them is not going to be simple.
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