TVA Coal Ash Sampling Trip

Sandra Diaz, National Field Coordinator for Appalachian Voices, Hurricane Creekeeper John Wathen and Watauga Riverkeeper Donna Lisenby paddle up the Clinch and Emory Rivers to record the conditions after a 5.4 million cubic yard spill of coal waste from the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Coal Plant.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• #coal
• Allia
• Appalachian
• ash
• Clinch
• coal
• Emory
• River
• Riverkeeper
• spill
• TVA
• Voices
• waste
• Watauga
• Waterkeeper

[YERTians]

Way to go you all! Nice video and THANK YOU for taking the time to take independent samples. A huge service to the community. Please keep us posted on the results of the tests and if the Coast Guard ever makes that delivery...

Best,

Mark from YERT

[RiverFox911]

Hey Mark,

Thanks for the comment. We went back to the Emory River for two days on January 8th and 9th. There still wasn't a single buoy anywhere on the river indicating that the Coast Guard has officially closed a public navigable waterway. There was one cheap little plastic sign posted by TVA at the boat ramp claiming the river was closed. It did not cite the Coast Guard nor any law or legal authority for the alleged closure.

[mgtillyer]

Hi Donna and Sandra,

I'm working on a follow-up video and would like to use portions of some of your documentation video/s. I will provide credit, of course. Please let me know if this is okay. I'll send you a copy, prior to posting for your review.

[RiverFox911]

Of course you can use any portion of my videos. I can't wait to see your next creation.

Donna

[mgtillyer]

Sandra,

I know you've seen the video but I'll mention it here. To see what the area USED to look like - click on my username. I only have one video posted and it's the before and after of the damaged area.

[RiverFox911]

Hi Mgtillyer,

This is Donna Lisenby-the Riverkeeper's YouTube site. Thanks for putting together such a great video that shows the before and after images. Very powerful. Sandra posted it to her Huffington Post today.

A lot of people think that TVA owns the water. They don't. Waters of the United States are public trust assets. They belong to the people in common. Government is supposed to act as protector of the public's interest in clean water. Often they utterly fail-hence Riverkeepers.

[revco68]

I can't believe this is not a bigger story in the media - Tennessee's public officials have failed their state.

[bmwbruno]

This is an important video. I encourage everyone to send the link for this, and all follow-ups, to your friends so they too can join in the outcry for justice and accountability from TVA. Don't let TVA get away with this!

Thanks to Donna for an excellent job in reporting and to all involved on the ground there.

[WaterkeeperGulf]

great job Donna!!!!

[waterloggeddog]

Great work! If society had it's priorities straight, there would be many more than 20k views. I'll pass this on!

[Rubenleesims]

It's too bad it takes this kind of tragedy to bring attention to something that should have been resolved decades ago. For decades toxic coal ash waste has polluted Black neighborhoods in the south with virtually no attention at all.

[gragor11]

Well produced documentary. A good primer for other groups seeking to publicize and document other situations.

gragor

[richard200923322]

so what

[LaviStrikesBack]

Ashbergs, I thought of that word seconds before s/he mentioned it XP.

[JawLeee]

is that a guy or a girl talking?

[abbot124]

Storing fly ash isn't a viable solution. The TVA seem unaware of the new RockTron technology, designed to recycle 100% fresh and stockpiled fly ash to produce industrial eco-minerals. The $5 billion celanup budget could build 100 RockTron recycling plants instead, saving power plants millions, preserving the environment and protecting our valuable natural resources. Check out RockTron fly ash on search engines!

[junkyardnut]

The stark reality is that practically everyone is nutty enough to pollute air, water, land everyday. But we like to pick on coal producers all on their lonely aloneness!! We crave to find a scapegoat for all the inconventional truths that we kept on hearing about ! There is no such single scapegoat! Everyone is the scapegoat under God!

[junkyardnut]

I bet every one of you already drove through smoky farms , huh? those mindless farmers burning crop waste instead of chipping or compsoting it.. They are rushing the release of carbon into the atompshere instead of allowing them to rot naturalyy and slowly releasing CO2 into the air.. hurry hurry make profits!!