When most people thing of a coal power plant, pollution comes to mind. Most people, however, think of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases. There's another side to the equation: solid waste. Some of it is left over residue from the furnace, while the rest is small particulate matter and remains from the cleaning process.

Unsurprisingly, the solid material has to be disposed of in some manner. For the King Fossil Plant, operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, remnants of an ash spill are being transported over state lines to the Arrowhead Landfill in Perry County (North Alabama).

Why would officials in Perry agree to it? The TVA is paying a per-ton fee that will surpass $3 million, augmenting the county's budget of $4.5 million, not to mention it provided a new source of jobs in a work starved area. The EPA even signed off on it.

There are, however, some dangers in hosting such material. Fly ash, the particulate matter that is removed from the flue gases, can contain heavy metals including lead, antimony as well as a plethora of other contaminants. Furthermore, toxic chemicals like sulfur are usually removed from the gases (no more acid rain) and stored as solid waste.

So all of this fun stuff is now going to end up in Alabama in a rural landfill. The EPA has assured the local residents that the Arrowhead Landfill can safely contain all the waste safely. This isn't particularly unlikely considering that the modern landfill is hardly a hole in the ground, but a well engineered containment facility.

Still, some people in the region remain concerned. While the technologically savvy may criticize them for their ignorance, mistakes can happen — look at the titanic or better yet, the ash spill that led to the waste being shipped to Alabama in the first place. In the end, county officials are taking a calculated risk, hoping the gains offset potential risk.

This is a political gray area. The EPA, TVA and Perry County have all signed off on it, leaving the average resident with little to do to respond. Everything will probably be fine, but who knows?