Harriman, TN

[free]

Does anyone on here live near there or have any family there? I saw something about the power plant that had some kind of leak with toxic material. Just curious if it has affected anyone.

[Pastor Chip]

I live about 20 miles away. Haven't heard anything about it yet, but I'll check it out.

[Full Quiver]

It's been in the news. An Earthen dam gave way Monday I believe. The dam was holding back water and byproducts from a TVA Coal Fired Plant. Maybe arsenic and such in the water. Of course several homes were destroyed. I saw one pic where the Earth literally moved its way onto a road and it appeared it had been that way for years.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/23/tennessee-damn-bursts-hun_n_153231.html

[Kenya]

We were there that night (same day it happened) dropping off the girls at the Harriman McDonalds. Oblivious of course that any of this had happened. Weird...

[Pastor Bill]

I have family that live not too far (Rockwood) and we saw them Christmas Day and didn't hear anything about it.

[Full Quiver]

Not a very populated area.
The TVA swears the water is safe to drink; I wouldn't dare take a sip.

[nobodyyouknow]

They are saying that it may affect the water supply all the way to Chattanooga, TN which if quite a distance away. It is quite a mess and much worse than they first thought it would be. Of course, if you have had any dealings with TVA they will "spin it" and downplay it in every way possible to try to avoid taking responsibility for the damage caused.

[Full Quiver]

This waterway feeds the TN River.

[dolfan]

Which waters people from Atlanta, all the way across north Alabama, and back up through your state to the west.

[fezzik]

Which waters people from Atlanta, all the way across north Alabama, and back up through your state to the west.

I believe Atlanta gets its water from the Chattahoochee, not anything in the TVA.

[dolfan]

Saw-ree!

I thought waters from the Tennessee made way to Atlanta through smaller creeks, etc., but not the case. Thanks for correcting me!!!

[pastorables]

Let the lawsuits roll!

KINGSTON, Tenn. (AP) -- A group of land owners sued the Tennessee Valley Authority for $165 million on Tuesday over a dike burst that spilled more than a billion gallons of coal ash sludge.

The six-page lawsuit was filed in state court by Jot and Brenda Raymond, owners and developers of North Lake Estates in eastern Tennessee's Roane County.

It claims a creek running through the development has been damaged and is backed up as a result of the Dec. 22 spill from a power plant.

The Raymonds said in the suit that they can't show prospective buyers their property, which they describe as suffering "significant and immediate damage" to its value.

Also named as plaintiffs are Lea Ann Raymond and Chris Raymond, who own property in the subdivision. The lawsuit doesn't say if the four plaintiffs are related.

TVA spokesman John Moulton declined to comment saying the federal utility hadn't yet reviewed the lawsuit.

"Normally we respond through the courts," he said.

The ash sludge from the storage pond at TVA's Kingston Steam Plant spilled over roughly 300 acres and into the Emory River.

The North Lake Estates subdivision is near but not inside the area that has been closed off because of the ash sludge.

A sign at the development says lot prices start at $20,000. No sludge was apparent from the subdivision road on Tuesday, but the creek at the back of the development wasn't visible.

"TVA possessed or reasonably should have possessed knowledge and data which indicated the retention pond was subject to collapse or breach," the lawsuit says.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs didn't immediately return calls seeking comment on the lawsuit.

TVA, its board of directors, President and CEO Tom Kilgore and other TVA executives are named as defendants. The suit asks for $15 million in compensatory damages and $150 million in punitive damages.

The nonprofit Southern Alliance for Clean Energy said it also notified TVA on Tuesday that it intends to sue under the federal Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.