Coal ash spill 'contaminates water' in the US

A coal ash spill that occurred in Tennessee has contaminated surrounding waters with arsenic, it has been claimed.

Water samples taken by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tested positive for the substance, revealed a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) statement, prompting state officials to urge residents using private wells and springs not to drink the water.

The authority operates the power plant from which the chemical spill originated, reported the Associated Press.

Anda Ray, the TVA's environmental executive, stated: "The elevated arsenic that the EPA is referring to is the data that we collected when it was stirred up. It is routinely filtered out through all water treatment plants."

Residents have been assured that the municipal water supply has not been affected.

Elsewhere in the US, the blue crab population of Chesapeake Bay, the country's largest estuary, has declined due to pollution and over-fishing, according to the foundation dedicated to protecting the area.