Kingston, TN Spill Information

We know that many of you have read about the settling pond spill that occur in December at the Kingston steam plant.  Unfortunately like any natural/manmade disaster there are two sides presented.

TVA sees the glass as more than half full and the media sees the glass as shattered.  The truth seems to lie somewhere in between.

What we know at the present, besides what you have already read, is that the water, both drinking and the lake, is being tested by nearly  everyone with a lab.  So far all drinking water is safe and the only lake water of concern is right at the sight itself. 

TVA has constructed a wier dam and will be pumping the sludge out of the lake and removing it from the local area.  The wildlife biologists have begun a fish testing program and will be monitoring them for quite awhile.  No one can reasonably speculate (not even the media) how long this may take and exactly the path that it will take.  If anyone has read about the similiar spill in the Delaware River in 2005, you will notice that this has had a happy ending and all parties seem to be satisfied with the outcome.

While the entire incident is serious, it is being handled rather quickly.  TVA has begun clearing the roads and railroads to facilitate additional help, and the waterways are being diked off in order to pump out the sludge that reached the Emory River.  It is important to realize where the spill is located in relation to Arrowhead.  It is 25 miles from Arrowhead to the mouth of the Clinch River.  Another 4.5 miles to the mouth of the Emory and another 2.5 miles to where the spill occured.  That kind of sludge would have a hard time getting to the mouth of the Clinch let alone further downriver. 

The weather has actually helped keep everything where it is and that has made containment easier.  However, your concerns are our concerns, and we will try to keep the information updated as we find out more.

We at Arrowhead are as concerned as anyone about this problem, but we have seen nothing on the lake in our area to indicate anything.  We do not see anything at this time to make us think this summer will be any different than previous ones.  We will continue to monitor the local scene and update this section when we have new information.  Feel free to email us your concerns at any time.

If you are looking for additional information, the following web sites that might help.

www.epa.gov/Region4/kingston

or

www.state.tn.us/environment/kingston/index.shtml

or call 1-865-717-4006 (County Information Line)

The Bennetts 

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