eye witness to the crime scene in Tenn. [View All]

http://counterpunch.com/landon12262008.html


The Scene at Swan Pond Road
The Great Coal Ash Flood


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As the clock neared 12pm we prepared to see the sight that no other on-the-ground media source had captured since the spill took place 3 days earlier. Most of the media coverage had occurred from the air. The images and angles that we had been seeking since being on the ground on day 1 had finally become a reality for us. This was a reality that the local residents had been living with for nearly 1/2 a week.

Some residents told us TVA had been dealing with leaks in the ash pond walls in 2004, 2006, and a month and half ago in 2008. We were not prepared for the devastation into which we drove. The enormity of the destruction was almost too much for us to handle. We set up the tripod and took the panoramic shots with a slow horizontal pan from left to right. As TVA workers replaced the power lines and local police patrolled to help maintain order in the disaster zone we video taped the legacy that TVA left for the Kingston/ Harriman area of Tennessee.


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We gathered more than 24 water samples. We distributed at least 75 packets of info to coal impacted and local residents.

Today we continued to learn that many of the local residents who were or could be considered "impacted" were not given any type of aid including hotels, fresh water, information, a knock on the door informing them what the heck that big crash was or what had happened. We also learned that the peninsula had become more of a prison camp for impacted residents rather than their home. Granted this is understandable and many residents were starting to complain about the number of cars traveling along their narrow road.

There were serious complaints about the overuse of police force in questioning and turning away family or visiting friends during the holidays. After some citizen complaints to elected officials the local police force decided they could no longer staff a blockade but they increased the patrols throughout the day.

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Yesterday we spoke with one man who had been vomiting for 12 hours after drinking a few pots of coffee made from the tainted water. We informed to go to the hospital and we could not find him again today. Today we met a lady whose dogs had been vomiting after drinking the un-boiled tainted water. This lady had been boiling water all day with one small electric eye in order to water her herd of dogs, have drinking water for her family, and cook the Christmas dinner. She was very happy to receive the multiple gallons of water. We grabbed samples of her tap water. Upon observation we saw large particles floating in the water.

The people working to put in a new water line for these residents had run into complications due to bedrock and had pushed back the scheduled completion of the waterline until Friday January 3, 2009. TVA was informing these residents to boil their water for the next 5 days. If TVA thinks residents need to boil the water first then it must not be safe. Why is it not safe? What are the problems? We need to know!

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As we drove back to Knoxville in the rain we began to plan how TVA's criminal actions would impact our lives over the next few days, weeks, months and years. United Mountain Defense is in a unique situation at this time. This is the work that we have been training for for the past 5 years. This is the time to act. This is the major mistake that the coal industry and TVA does not want the world to know about. We can change the future. Join us please.
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yellow crime scene tape should be placed around the entire area.

HAZMAT teams should be on the ground.

Tenn. has been toxic for ages and now add this disaster - another state down the drain.