Two Roane County families sued TVA on Friday in U.S. District Court seeking to force the agency to monitor their health in the wake of the Dec. 22 coal fly ash spill from a retention pond at the Kingston fossil plant. The suit was filed Friday in federal court. The suit names several members of the Giltnane family of Kingston and Rockwood as plaintiffs as well as Ian and Sabrina Cullen of Kingston.

"Our primary concern is the health impact of this massive release of toxic materials into our community," said Levi Giltnane in a press release. "We have a young daughter. For her and for the other children in this area, we want the TVA to give us honest answers about what is in this toxic ash and we want the TVA to fund medical testing for our family and other families who have been exposed to the massive amounts of toxic materials the TVA has dumped in our community." The Giltnanes are asking that TVA be required to fund medical testing and monitoring for their family and other families exposed to the toxic coal ash, the release said, as well as any resulting medical treatments.

Learn more about the Kingston coal ash spill and the legal rights of those affected by the spill.