Coal ash cleanup order goes before federal appeals court
CINCINNATI (AP) — A federal appeals court reviewing a coal ash cleanup order in Tennessee has heard legal arguments from attorneys for environmental groups and the Tennessee Valley Authority in a case drawing interest from states and business groups.
The arguments were made Thursday to a panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.
David Ayliffe, an attorney representing TVA, said a judge's cleanup order was "wholly disproportionate" when considering the "scant evidence of harm" the court found. The judge's cleanup order cited Clean Water Act violations of pollutants leaking into the Cumberland River near Nashville.