Tennessee Is More Than Coal Ash
But first the disaster. Tennessee Clean Water Network went the sludge spill to see the devastation first hand.
I have seen dozens of photos- but they do not do justice to the devastation of the area. We were on Swan Pond Circle, looking out onto Swan Pond and then, the Emory River. It is amazing.
When the spill first happened, Crappieman on Roaneviews gave this first hand report saying “The lake is completely and eerily grey.”
TVA has ruined beautiful Watts Bar Lake. As my user name suggests I love fishing for crappie on Watts Bar Lake, which includes portions of the Emory and Clinch Rivers. I’m saddened to report that today the lake has been transformed into a reservior of suet and debris. Dead fish are washing ashore by the thousands. From my deck I can see waterfowl such as ducks and heron covered in ash suet. The lake is completely and eerily grey. A TVA spokesman stated earlier today that the dying fish are possibly due to colder temperatures. What a joke! Only a government agency could make such an assenine statement. Undoubtedly TVA’s water testing initiatives will come back completely safe for humans, animals, and various marine life. TVA will lead us to believe that the dead and dying marine life are due to factors other than ash contamination. Furthermore, I do not trust the great City of Kingston to be forthcoming with the quality of our drinking water. Make no mistake about it – this is a TRAGEDY of epic proportions.
On more up-to-date news, Enclave reports that TVA won’t be cleaning up ash sludge in the coves along the river, Cup of Joe Powell tells us of more releases of ash sludge into Tennessee’s waterways. and Russ McBee has more on the other releases, while at the community blog RoaneViews, Whitescreek tells us that there is an American Coal Ash Association and Southern Beale gives Lamar Alexander the Wanker Du Jour award (I’m quoting the whole post here):
It was really nice of Sen. Alexander to spend his time at these TVA hearings boosting the TVA board he helped create and touting the cost-effectiveness and other wonderful properties of “clean coal.”
No questions to Kilgore at all about how this is going to increase our utility bills. No questions about whether Mr. Kilgore might want to forego his million-dollar “incentive” bonus.
I guess Lamar has forgotten who he represents in the Senate. It sure isn’t us.
And finally, let’s move to some up and coming news. Tennesse is also gearing up for a Governor’s race and it seems that many of the progressive/liberal blogs are like the possibilities of State Senator Andy Berke may run for it.
Newscoma writes, “I don’t know Sen. Andy Berke, but I like some of the things he is doing. I know personally that he is accessible, he has an air of transparency about him that seems refreshing and Tennessee needs something different.”
Nashville21 writes, “Sen. Berke is young, progressive, intelligent and most importantly humble (to the extent any politician can be humble).”
Silence Isn’t Golden writes, “I’ve met Senator Berke several times, and I have to say that I think he’s exactly what the doctor ordered for Tennessee Democrats.”
Some miscellaneous news as Spiderman meets Obama, h/t Cup of Joe Powell (TN)
The following blogs were not harmed in this post: Enclave, Cup of Joe Powell, RoaneViews, Russ McBee, Newscoma, Nashville21, Silence Isn’t Golden, Tennessee Clean Water Network Blog, and Southern Beale.
Tags: Tennessee
Coal ash contains lead, arsenic and mercury. Apparently these coal ash dumps are unregulated and are scattered throughout the country.
UI
You are so right,
Man-made lagoons in 32 states hold millions of tons of ash trapped by equipment designed to reduce air pollution from coal-fired power plants. are threatening drinking water and human health
The states storing the most coal ash in ponds are Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama.
The federal government has long recognized this risk to human health and the environment but has left the matter totally unregulated.
The dike, which was constructed predominantly with coal ash sludge, was unlined, has had seeps since the 1980s. THIS IS FREE ENTERPRISE AT THE COST TO HUMAN LIFE. We need regulation here
Not much interest here I see. But
Congress has oversight of TVA. Ask your congressman to send a letter to Mr. Kilgore, TVA Board of Directors Chairman, and to the head of the Center for Disease control, insisting that CDC immediately come in and do a comprenensive free testing, today. People are being piosoned (Not much of a chance that Mike Castle would even care)