The nation's worst spill at a coal power plant has devastated acres of land and soiled pristine waterways. My heart goes out to all the Roane County residents who are affected by the recent ash spill at TVA's Kingston Steam Plant.  News of a second leak at the Widows Creek Fossil Plant in Alabama raises more safety and oversight questions about our coal plants.   Members of the community who met with me put a personal touch to a story that has made national headlines. I also attended the TVA Congressional Caucus meeting where top officials from TVA outlined what went wrong and what must be done to prevent this from happening again. 

Holding TVA accountable for this incident and taking care of those affected by it is a top priority for me.  Because heavy rains may have contributed to this disaster, I have made the case that TVA should pursue some emergency funding from the federal government so the direct costs of this massive spill is not added to your power bill.