On December 22, 2008 approximately 1 billion gallons of fly-ash sludge spilled from its containment area at a TVA coal run factory. The sludge spilled into the adjacent Emory River, overflowing and contaminating the river, killing the fish, and destroying nearby houses and yards. Ash sludge contains dangerous chemicals, and the spill was spreading further downriver threatening local water supplies.

Members of Laborers Local 818 are an integral part of the effort to clean up this mess and restore the area to the beautiful way it was prior to the spill. LIUNA members are using all available materials and machinery to decontaminate the water, clear the roads and railways, clear the yards and other land affected, and protect the water supplies to local neighborhoods. The cleanup is expected to cost approximately $975 million.