"CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- TVA is closing and capping 10 coal ash ponds at power plants in Tennessee and Alabama, against the urging of environmentalists who want the ash dug up and removed.

TVA issued its decision on Friday, affirming plans to keep the coal ash at six fossil plants where the ash was dumped over the past half century. TVA said the best, fastest and cheapest method of cleaning up the ponds is to close them and put a cap on the wastes to prevent leakage.

"We believe that TVA's coal combustion residuals' management activities are not harming human health or the environment," John McCormick, TVA vice president of safety, river management and environment, said in a statement Friday. "We also found that digging up the coal ash and moving it someplace else has more potential environmental and safety impacts than closure-in-place and adds significantly more time and costs for our ratepayers." "

The Associated Press had the story July 30, 2016. [2]