n, the earthen dike that held back the pond of ash ruptured, and the muck flooded a nearby rural town, 40 miles from Knoxville. Clean up processes have begun, costing the utilities company nearly $1.1 million per day.

"I am committed to making sure this spill is cleaned up and doing everything we can to prevent any similar situation in the future," said Gov. Phil Bredesen. "I’m also committed to make sure Tennessee taxpayers don’t foot the bill."

Even so, many locals are frustrated with the Tennessee Valley Authority’s slow response to the accident, and even slower release of test results on the ash.

"They think the public is stupid and can’t put two and two together," said resident Sandy Grupton. "It took five days for the TVA to respond to us."

Indeed, it took nearly a week for the TVA to release the first set of test results on the ash, and cautioned locals to stay away from the ash based on its results.

The tests showed elevated levels of thallium and lead, and "very high" levels of arsenic in the ash. Typical tests such as these take between two to eight hours.

"There’s no reason why you couldn’t have test results within a day," said Peter Schulert, the chief executive of the Environmental Science Corporation.

A typical year’s worth of ash waste contains 2.2 million pounds of toxic heavy metals, known to cause cancer, liver failure, and neurological complications. The pond that burst contained several decades worth of wastes. Despite this, the Tennessee Valley Authority official retained for several days that the ash was not hazardous, and only changed their stance after the tests were released to the public.

This spill has reignited the debate of whether or not coal ash should be regarded as hazardous waste. The E.P.A had backed down in 2000, when faced with heavy industry opposition, but promised to set regulations on proper care of the material, though it never followed through.

Another concern involves what happens when the sludge dries out. With the ash now airborne, residents are fearful of the health problems that bound to occur.