Saturday, January 3, 2009

Arsenic Levels Near Spill Site Far Surpass Federal Limits

KINGSTON, Tenn. -- Federal data show arsenic levels more than 100 times the acceptable amount in a river near a massive coal ash spill in eastern Tennessee.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said water samples from near the spill were above federal maximums for contaminants. Data released Friday showed total arsenic levels in one sample were 149 times the maximum level.

The data also showed that samples taken near the Kingston water treatment plant -- which is upstream from the spill site -- were found to be within the federal limits, except for thallium.

A retention pond burst at the Kingston Steam Plant last month, spreading more than a billion gallons of sludge. The plant is run by the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation's largest government-owned utility.

Bush to Host U.N. Leader

President Bush and first lady Laura Bush will host a White House lunch Tuesday for U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his wife, Yoo Soon-taek. White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the meeting will be a chance for the president to thank Ban "for his leadership of the United Nations and his cooperation on key issues over the past two years." Johndroe said the two leaders will discuss the future of the United Nations, the Middle East, Somalia, Darfur and Burma, also known as Myanmar. Bush will push for a "United Nations that can act effectively to promote freedom, democratic governance, human rights, and a world free from terror," Johndroe said.

Disabled Man Allegedly Left Overnight

NEW YORK -- A bus matron eager to get to an appointment knowingly stranded a disabled man on a bus where he spent an icy night alone in Brooklyn, authorities said. Linda Hockaday did not enter a plea at her arraignment on reckless endangerment charges. A court complaint says 22-year-old Edwin Rivera was stuck on the bus for more than 17 hours after being picked up from his special-needs school. He has cerebral palsy and can't communicate verbally. The complaint says Hockaday knew Rivera was asleep on the bus when she got off but didn't tell the driver because she didn't want to go back to Rivera's East Harlem home.

Japanese, S. African Nominated to Head IAEA

VIENNA -- The International Atomic Energy Agency says a Japanese diplomat and a South African official are in the running to become the U.N. nuclear watchdog's next chief executive. The IAEA says Yukiya Amano of Japan and Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa are candidates to succeed Mohamed ElBaradei when he steps down as director general at the end of November. Wednesday was the deadline for nominations. ElBaradei, who has headed the agency since 1997, announced last year he would not serve a fourth term.

-- From News Services