Assessing the potential for downstream release of contaminated sediments associated with a recent fly ash spill

评估与最近的飞灰泄漏相关的受污染沉积物向下游释放的可能性

• 批准号: 0929154
• 负责人: Ellen Cowan
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Appalachian State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-01 至 2011-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0929154&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Assessing; potential; downstream; release; contaminated

ABSTRACTThis award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). In the early morning of December 22, 2008, a breach in the retaining pond at Tennessee Valley Authority?s (TVA) Kingston Power Plant near Harriman, Tennessee, released about 4.13 million m3 of coal fly ash slurry, about 20% of which directly entered the Emory River. Within about 3.2 km the Emory River discharges into the Clinch River, which in turn flows into the Tennessee River after several kilometers. Our objects are to evaluate the downstream impacts of this fly ash spill with emphasis on: (1) spatial characterization of fly ash within the downstream river sediments and waters and changes with time; (2) characterization of the total and labile heavy metals in the fly ash in these sediments; (3) predictions of changes in changes in fly ash sediment transport and associated heavy metals; and (4) development of effective strategies for remediation in consultation with TVA. Given the background data TVA has collected on river bathymetry, will we conduct two surveys (one immediately and one about 4 months later following the hurricane season) with the Edge Tech 3100-P portable sub-bottom profiling system to estimate the amount of fly ash deposited on the bed of downstream reaches. Concurrent river bed sediment samples will be collected for particle size and heavy metals analysis. These data will provide the basis for dynamic sediment and geochemical budgets for the affected reaches of the river systems. To further extrapolate these data, we will conduct 3-D modeling that couples flow and sediment transport, including bedload, suspended load, and dissolved solids transport. As such, reasonable predictions of fly ash transported both as bedload and suspended sediment, along with associated heavy metals, can be obtained within the impacted reach of the Emory River and, if necessary, into the Clinch-Tennessee fluvial systems without making unnecessary assumptions about the hydraulics and geophysical/geochemical history of the system. Findings from this rapid response investigation will help guide rehabilitation efforts at the affected site and assist with priority setting of these efforts.

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。2008年12月22日凌晨，田纳西河流域管理局的蓄水池出现了一个缺口？s（TVA）田纳西州哈里曼附近的金斯顿发电厂排放了约413万立方米的粉煤灰浆，其中约20%直接进入埃默里河。埃默里河在约3.2公里处汇入克林奇河，克林奇河在几公里后又流入田纳西河。本研究的主要目的是评估这次飞灰泄漏对下游的影响，重点是：（1）飞灰在下游河流沉积物和沃茨中的空间分布特征及其随时间的变化;（2）飞灰中总重金属和易变重金属的特征;（3）预测飞灰沉积物输运和相关重金属的变化;（4）飞灰沉积物中重金属含量的变化。（4）与TVA协商制定有效的补救策略。鉴于田纳西河流域管理局已收集到河流水深测量的背景数据，我们是否将使用Edge Tech 3100-P便携式浅底剖面系统进行两次调查（一次是立即进行，另一次是在飓风季节后约4个月进行），以估计沉积在下游河段河床上的飞灰量。同时将收集河床沉积物样品进行颗粒大小和重金属分析。这些数据将为河流系统受影响河段的动态沉积物和地球化学收支提供依据。为了进一步外推这些数据，我们将进行三维建模，耦合水流和泥沙输运，包括推移质，悬移质和溶解固体输运。因此，合理的预测输送的粉煤灰作为推移质和悬浮泥沙，沿着与相关的重金属，可以在埃默里河的影响范围内，如有必要，到克林奇-田纳西河流域系统，而不作不必要的假设系统的水力学和地球物理/地球化学的历史。这次快速反应调查的结果将有助于指导受影响地点的恢复工作，并协助确定这些工作的优先次序。