"Alleging violations of the federal Clean Water Act at the Colbert Fossil Plant, a coalition of environmental groups announced plans to file a lawsuit against the Tennessee Valley Authority on Wednesday."

"Suits filed under the Clean Water Act typically require a letter announcing that a lawsuit will be filed in 60 days. The groups, including the Southern Environmental Law Center, the Tennessee Riverkeeper, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the Shoals Environmental Alliance, and the Waterkeeper Alliance, filed a letter of intent on Tuesday.

Mike Bradley, with TVA, said the company received the notice of intent letter Tuesday and was reviewing the document.

The suit will allege that coal ash ponds at the TVA plant are seeping arsenic, lead, selenium, cadmium and other toxic metals in to the groundwater below the ponds, and into Cane Creek and the Tennessee River."

Ben Raines reports for the Mobile Press-Register February 13, 2013. [2]