Here Comes the TVA Coal Ash!

The EPA says it's OK for 85 rail cars filed with coal ash from that TVA spill to travel through Alabama to a dump in Perry County ever two days for a year. That's how long the process of transporting about three million cubic yards of the stuff will take. I had wondered on this blog why none of the members of the Alabama Congressional Delegation had spoken up, especially Democratic Rep Artur Davis, who's running for Governor and who's district includes Perry County. But I hadn't heard anything from Davis' only primary election opponent either. Today I caught up with Ag Commissioner Ron Sparks:

The purpose of the Sparks News Conference was to announce his platform in his race for Governor (see previous post), but there was precious little time for questions. In fact mine was the only question after the announced "last question". When I spoke with Sparks, the EPA had already given its approval for dumping the coal ash in Perry County, but I didn't know that, and neither apparently did Sparks. I've criticised the current seven second average length of "sound bites" in TV, but this one doesn't go much beyond that limit. Clearly there are follow up questions, and I'll look for ways to ask them.