TVA Coal is Killing Tennessee

Video--Journalists and Environmental Activist Arrested by TVA Police

2010-01-21T12:17:00.000-08:00

Press Release: January 21, 2010
United Mountain Defense
Bonnie Swinford
(865) 689-2778
umdvolunteerhouse@yahoo.com
www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Journalists and Environmental Activist Arrested by TVA Police

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., January 21 – On Wednesday, January 20, 2010, United Mountain Defense (UMD) volunteer Matt Landon Jones and two journalists who were reporting on the current clean-up efforts of last year's Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) coal ash disaster where arrested by TVA police. Last year, a man-made earthen dam containing 50 years of contaminated coal ash erupted, forcing over 1 billion gallons of toxic ash into tributaries of the Tennessee River and devastated the surrounding community. Marking the event anniversary, the reporters were planning to report on the lives of the residents still living in the area as well as the communities receiving train loads of the toxic waste each week from the disaster site. Noticing the train cars filled with coal ash heading to Perry County, Alabama – a poor, predominately African American community where TVA is currently shipping large amounts of the coal ash for storage in a landfill. The journalists stopped to take photographs, at which point they were approached by TVA police. The TVA police detained all three individuals, confiscated their camera and searched their vehicle. The police officer was going to release the individual after writing up citations. The officer was nearly done writing up the citations when he received a phone call. Upon hanging up the phone, the officer told the three individuals that “things had changed.” Instead of issuing warning citations, the officer then arrested and charged all three individuals with criminal trespassing in what can only be described as a gross overreaction. Just prior to the arrest, Jones called fellow UMD volunteer Bonnie Swinford who heard Jones asking the officer if he was being arrested, to which the officer answered "yes". When Jones then asked the officer what he was being arrested for, the officer replied, "I'll get back to you," and took the cell phone away. All three were handcuffed and held on $2,000 bails.

"These arrests are part of a pattern of harassment of UMD volunteers by TVA," said Jones. "TVA has tried to prevent United Mountain Defense from conducting independent water testing, deploying air monitoring, and working with the community of Roane County and they have consistently harassed me while doing this work." In 2009, Jones helped a partially blind Roane County resident get home from a community meeting. Even though the resident explained to TVA police that Jones was simply driving her home, he was arrested, held in jail for 36 hours, and prevented from traveling near the disaster site for seven months before all charges were finally dropped. Other UMD volunteers, journalist, and scientist have experienced continued harassment from TVA officials as well.

TVA's Community Relations Senior Manager Katie Bell Kline was quick to report the incident online to the Roane County Community Advisory Board, erroneously claiming that "TVA Police found the three offenders in and on top of ash-loaded rail cars located on tracks adjacent to the middle road entrance to plant." Only one individual was anywhere near the train. The other two were in the car, as clearly indicated in both the TVA officer's report and in video footage recorded by Jones before his camera was roughly confiscated.

The pattern of harassment that concerned citizens and members of the media have experienced from TVA is unacceptable and has gone on for far too long.

For more information, please contact Bonnie Swinford at 865 689-2778 or Matt Landon Jones by email at umdvolunteerhouse@yahoo.com.

Video Footage of TVA police arrests on Jan 20, 2010
TVA Arrests UMD volunteer and two reporters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxDy2n3Sk94

Video Footage of past TVA harassment of UMD volunteers

Mountain Justice Spring Break Students Harassed by TVA Police - March 15, 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGtD-_iOv3c

UMD volunteer arrested for helping grandmother - March 6, 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2ltonE1IdM

TVA police harass UMD volunteer while setting up air monitor –March 3, 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frr-e8C5k6Y

TVA worker harassment of United Mountain Defense volunteers Kingston Power plant disaster - Dec 29, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flo5HXvqHsw

Hurricane Creekeepper John Wathen speaks about TVA disaster and TVA police repression.- Dec 28, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmihsLzT7XQ

TVA has roadblocks set up on the main roads leading to the Swan Pond neighborhood, preventing volunteers from bringing clean water and information. - Dec 27, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujSElW0iG74

###

About United Mountain Defense
United Mountain Defense (UMD) is a Knoxville based non-profit dedicated to protecting Tennessee's watersheds, air, mountains and communities. We have many years of experience working on issues relating to surface mining and its impacts on communities. A primary focus of UMD has been in scientific data collection, community organizing, and data collection and analysis from federal and state agencies. www.unitedmountaindefense.org/

Citizen Groups Claim VICTORY Against TVA!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

Here’s the article-------http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/aug/24/tva-may-shutter-aging-coal-fired-plants/?local

August 20,2009 TVA board meeting link http://www.tva.gov/abouttva/board/index.htm#820

Today it was reported that at TVA's board meeting on August 20, 2009 that TVA will most likely be closing down at least two coal burning power plants including Rogersville, TN and Widow's Creek, Alabama. This is such good news and a victory for United Mountain Defense, Mountain Justice, and Three Rivers Earth First! that have all been shining light on TVA's dirty little secrets, their coal burning power plant fleet. As I type this TVA has been buying up property around Widow's Creek to provide a safety buffer around the coal ash piles and gypsum ponds. They are also supposedly digging giant holes around the Rogersville Power Plant for some unknown reason. These closure actions are unprecedented in the history of the struggle against coal burning power plants and specifically against TVA. TVA has caved to public pressure and is closing down their old coal burners. As the largest purchaser of coal in the country TVA is a trend setter and we will continue to push for the conversion of ALL of TVA's dirty power plants to clean safe renewable energy. For now let us celebrate but also keep up the pressure as our protests are obviously working.....

Within our grassroots struggle for justice, clear and measurable victories are not always apparent and plentiful. As keepers of the long term agenda and volunteers of the earth, our labor is continuous but often overlooked. Not today. Never in the history of this struggle has a coal- fired power plant been stopped, not in the permit process, but in the peak of its life span.

From the number one purchaser of coal in North America, this means thousands of tons of coal that would have been ripped from the mountains of central Appalachia will not be. This means billions of dollars that would have been wired into the pockets of Coal Executives will not be. This means millions of gallons of coal ash and slurry that would have been generated over the next decades will not be.

This means the long standing campaign against the Tennessee Valley Authority by United Mountain Defense, Three Rivers Earth First!, and Mountain Justice has been not only valuable, but priceless. The hours spent in public hearing, submitting complaints, spreading awareness, writing press releases, making signs, planning actions, chanting, singing, crying, demanding, and pleading, were not in vain. They were in victory!!

UMD, Mountain Justice, and Three Rivers Earth First! organize the Mobilization for Clean Air July 26, 2009

2009-08-24T16:01:00.000-07:00

TVA has been polluting the air of more than 7 states across the Southeast with filthy coal for more than 50 years now and it is time to stop them! Residents from across East Tennessee and Appalachia converged on Knoxville, TN to show their support for clean air and to tell TVA to stop burning coal. We had speakers from Knoxville, Roane County, and Eagan, TN. There were musical performances, poets, street theater, larger than life puppets, and a drum corp called Cakalak Thunder that all added to the energy of the event. The rally was followed by a lively march around the TVA towers and through downtown Knoxville. TVA is the largest public utility purchasing coal in North America and they should use this leadership role to move toward renewable energy generation and phase out old coal burning powerplants. We made a video about the Sunday action and here it is-----www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekoWkRx9K8M

EPA & UMD Conference Call

2009-05-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

May 13, 2009
Today United Mountain Defense had a conference call with the Environmental Protection Agency about the agreement they recently entered with TVA to oversee the cleanup efforts of the coal ash disaster.
This agreement was entered under the Administrative Order Superfund Law also known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or CERCLA.

Below is a summary of the questions asked by UMD on this conference call and paraphrased answers from the EPA.

Question - Is the TVA disaster site a superfund?

Response – It is not listed on the national priority list because it is a removal and cleanup effort.

Question – Is the EPA the lead agency for the cleanup effort in the TVA disaster site.
Response – EPA is overseeing all cleanup efforts and has the final approval in all decisions since the order has been signed.

Questions – Does this mean that the EPA is replacing TDEC as the lead regulatory agency?

Response – We have the final approval on all decisions.

Questions – What is your plan for public participating?

Reponses – You can read this on our question and answer press release.

At this time we explained that we had read the statement they release and we had some concerns about the way they are approaching the public participation component of Superfund law. We expressed concern that public participation would not be part of certain “time critical actions” such as dredging, dust suppression, ash storage, etc.

The EPA said that it was true that many of these “time critical action” would take place before public comments are collected but that they would allow for public input and this input could be taken into consideration for specific actions.

They also said the permanent storage of the coal ash is not considered a “time critical action” and that they would wait until public hearings take place before they begin storing the coal ash. At this point we asked them about the coal ash that has already left the site on railcars and been transported by train south into Georgia and possibly other areas. They said this was part of a “pilot project” and they did not know where the coal ash was going but they would get back to us with details.

Questions- When will the first public hearing take place?

Response - We just recently arrived on site and need some time to get our feet on the ground.

At this point we let the EPA know that arranging public participation also needs to be a “time critical action” and should happen as soon as possible so that those who have had their lives changed by this disaster can be involved in decisions that impact their health and environment.

We also explained that we have been on the ground at the disaster site since it first happened and we are interested in making sure any agency in charge of cleanup efforts are transparent in their actions and open and responsive to the concerns of the community.

Emory River Dredges Itself

2009-05-07T00:23:00.000-07:00

Locals in Roane County reported on Monday, May 4th that there was a large amount of coal ash flowing out of the disaster site and downriver. There were heavy rains from Friday to Sunday and some parts of Roan County received up to 5 inches of rain.
The rain caused a massive flow that picked up debris and sediment from inlets and the bottom of the river and sent it all down stream into the Clinch and Tennessee rivers. On Monday the flow peaked at 70,000 cubic feet per second and the usual flow is between 700 to 1,000 cubic feet per second.

Video of Emory and Clinch rivers the day after the massive rain event.
Tuesday, May 6th Roane County TN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOHk95wbcGs

Pictures from the day after the rain event
http://s725.photobucket.com/albums/ww257/umdvolunteerhouse/

Clinch River on April 27th

2009-05-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

On Monday, March 27 I went for a boat ride near the TVA disaster site and below is an update of what I saw.

We put in at Ladd’s Landing right at the confluence of the Clinch and Emory rivers. TVA had posted restricted access to the Emory River just across from Ladd’s Landing and extending all the way to the coal plant 2 miles upstream. Not being able to get close enough to document the cleanup effort we decided to explore downriver.

We saw cenospheres (a by-product of coal burning power plants) collecting in inlets and near banks of the Clinch River.

We also saw cenospheres floating in the middle of the Clinch River.

As we explored downstream we had the opportunity to view wildlife enjoying the warm weather. East Tennessee is one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet with a plethora of aquatic species living in our beautiful river habitats. With a background in wildlife and fisheries biology I have always found reptiles fascinating and relish the chance to see a snake in nature.

When we came across this water snake it was a treat to watch.

It is a shame that is was basking in the sun on top of this boom designed to collect the ash and debris floating down from the disaster site.

This Osprey is nesting with babies on a channel marker downstream from the coal ash disaster. The Osprey has earned the nickname “Fish Hawk” because they feed exclusively on fish and hunt by diving beneath the surface of the water to capture fish with their barbed padded feet. Not long ago Ospreys were considered endangered, victims of pesticides such as DDT, illegal hunting and habitat loss. The unregulated use of pesticides was the largest contributor to their decline. By eating contaminated prey, the birds ingested the toxins which then caused them to lay eggs so thin they would break when sat upon.

Watts Bar was the site of an osprey reintroduction project and today there are estimated to be 130 active osprey nests on the Watts Bar Reservoir which makes this area (a few miles downstream from the coal disaster) the most densely populated osprey habitat in East Tennessee.

The wildlife weren’t the only ones enjoying this unusually hot and sunny east Tennessee spring day. Some people were using the river for recreation.

Sailing

Fishing(the bird and the people)

Playing on jet skies(they were waiting for our boat to make a wake for them to play in)

Even swimming at the Kingston City Park

All of these pictures were taken less than 5 miles downstream from the worst coal disaster in US history.
This is what the river looks like today a few miles upstream from where these pictures were taken.

According to TVA recreation in the area should not be impacted by the disaster and the Tennessee Department of Health’s fact sheets says that people should not come into contact with the coal ash but that it is safe to recreate in the water and eat most kinds of fish in the river. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has issued a fish consumption advisory against eating striped bass and a precautionary advisory for catfish and sauger.

Our government agencies are telling us the water is safe to swim in and the fish are safe to eat. However this advice goes without taking into consideration that there is already scientific water monitoring data showing high levels of arsenic and other heavy metals near the disaster site. This advice also goes without taking into consideration the evidence that shows the toxins in coal ash build up in bodies over time, sometimes with lethal effects. The bioaccumulation of heavy metals in fish and other aquatic life happens over time and the metals can slowly move their way up the food chain.

TVA Coal Ash Disaster Truck Tracking with Bob Alexander of TDEC and Gil Francis of TVA

2009-04-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

Dear folks,
Here is another video of the TN state regulators, TDEC doing a less than fine job of keeping TN's environment safe from coal fly ash.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_3XCH1mWzg

Thanks, matt landon full time volunteer staff United Mountain Defense and dedicated Roane County Volunteer

Feb 3, 2009 TVA Coal Ash Dust Storm Video

2009-04-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

This is the only footage in the world of TVA's Coal Ash Dust Storm.

It made international media yet people in east TN didn't know it had happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyX5rEb4vqg

Tennessee's Dirty Data The NATION

2009-04-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090420/hearn

The Tennessee Valley Authority manipulated science methods to downplay water contamination caused by a massive coal ash disaster, according to independent technical experts and critics of the federally funded electrical company.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090420/hearn

People March, Speak and protest TVA on a rainy day.

2009-03-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

This is the first of three videos of the TVA protest. On March 14 2009 a protest (which was organized months before the TVA ash spill disaster occurred) at the TVA headquarters in Knoxville. TVA is the largest purchaser of coal in North America--the message was that king coal is a dangerous, depleting and destructive 19th century technology that has no part in our century. From the cradle to the grave from strip mining to global warming AND the toxic ash coal is filthy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0jqUpdxtYE

On March 14 2009 a protest when had been called for months before the TVA ash spill disaster occurred at the TVA headquarters in Knoxville. TVA is the largest purchaser of coal in North America--the message was that king coal is a dangerous, depleting and destructive 19th century technology that has no part in our century. From the cradle to the grave from strip mining to global warming AND the toxic ash coal is filthy. Shout out to Mountain Justice Spring Break organizers and participants--yall helped us in Tennessee exactly in the way we needed it exactly when we needed it and we will never forget.

The March

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3xtX62kPfY

The arrest

March 14 2009 14 people stood up to the largest purchaser of coal in North America and were arrested for it. From the cradle to the grave coal is destructive, depleting and dangerous. This is a shout out to all of those who got arrested to block this coal addict with their bodies. Coal is a 19th century technology that has not part in this century no matter how many public relations companies they hire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hZhjd2dNBg

UMD swipe test

2009-03-12T08:51:00.001-07:00

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-31a35227.html

Hey yall, we have our air monitoring stations up and rolling now and expect results in next week. We did a prelim "swipe" test where we put out glass and swiped it with sterile cloth as per instructions of the scientist we are working with at three sites. This is just to give us a baseline and fingerprint. UMD is open source so here are the results of the swipes. If anyone has any input on what this initial data means please email me at christopherscottirwin@yahoo.com

Within a week we should start having data rolling in from our monitoring stations--this is bombproof and admissible in court. We will make that data available as well.

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-31a35227.html

1000 UMD stickers--free for swan pond area folks.

2009-03-09T18:57:00.001-07:00

Bumper stickers--we now have a 1000 bumper stickers that say UNITED MOUNTAIN DEFENSE

We are offering them free to anyone that wants one that lives in or near swan pond and deals with the ash. Lets give the TVA a hundred cars that say UNITED MOUNTAIN DEFENSE on the back of them.

If you want a free one mailed to you email unitedmountaindefense@yahoo.com with your address and we will mail it. We will also bring them to meetings to pass out.

unitedmountaindefense@yahoo.com

$3 bux if you don't live in the area but just want one. Email above.

UMD volunteer arrested for helping grandmothers

2009-03-06T00:17:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2ltonE1IdM

On March 4 2008 two grandmothers from Swan Pond asked UMD volunteer Matt for a ride home cause they didn't drive. Matt agreed and dropped the last one off at her home when TVA police came onto her property to arrest Matt. In the video the officer first tells Matt that he warned him that he had to have a resident with him when he drove on the public road. When the resident came out and Matt explained that he DID have a resident with him the officer changed the rules and arrested him for something else. Matt was polite, was not breaking any traffic law--he was simply giving to Swan Pond Grandmothers a ride home--one who is half blind. The officer knew who Matt was--this is part of the pattern of non stop harassment of UMD volunteers.

UMD volunteer arrested by TVA for driving 2 grandma's home.

2009-03-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

This is so insane I cannot believe I am typing this.

I just got off the phone with UMD volunteer Matt Jones--he left me on speaker phone as the TVA police dragged him off. What was he doing?

He was literally dropping off 2 Swan Pond Grandmothers--one of which is blind in one eye--home. He had two grandmothers in the car that could not drive and he was giving them a ride home from the TDEC public meeting.

We hope to have video up on this asap. Matt is being taken to the Roane County Jail.

We are going to find out what bail is when he is arraigned. This was purely 100% TVA arrest--Roane officers had nothing to do with it.

More information to come as we get it.

Chris Irwin

TVA police delay start of independent air monitoring program

2009-03-04T21:04:00.000-08:00

March 3, 2009 4 PM

Dear folks and TVA employees,

TVA Office of Inspector General consider this as an official complaint and file it as such.

The Tennessee Valley Authority Police detained Matt Landon and Tom Swinford of United Mountain Defense after the two UMD volunteers deployed the first air quality monitor on private property around TVA's coal ash disaster in Harriman, TN. United Mountain Defense was on site with the residents at this time. Swinford and Landon legally mounted the air monitor on a power pole located on private property. Tom Swinford is an electrical journeyman and supervised the work today to make sure everyone was safe while working near the electrical wires.

After being detained for nearly 2 hours the Police ordered the United Mountain Defense volunteers to remove the monitor delaying the start of the air monitoring program. Landon video taped the whole event until an officer confiscated his camera. At this point the police began searching Landon's pockets and person for weapons without reasonable or easily articulated cause.

After the first camera was confiscated Swinford turned on his video camera and kept the film rolling. At various times the TVA officers pulled Swinford to the side and stated that he would not be allowed into the area again. TVA seems to forget that all the roads that UMD travels on are public or private roads not owned by TVA. TVA forgets that UMD volunteers have relatives in the Swan Pond Community and have an open invitation to visit residents or their property near the disaster site at any time day or night and UMD WILL visit these people whenever we want to.

One TVA officer told Swinford that he was so embarrassed because he couldn't actually arrest Swinford for being on private property with permission of the land owner.

Unfortunately these officers are only following orders from Tom Kilgore and we hold him personally responsible for the delay of the community's independent air monitoring program. Today's actions show that TVA will use any means to keep independent sampling from occurring including violating private property owner’s rights and threatening volunteers with unjust arrest, search, and seizure. TVA is so invested in keeping the truth about the air quality from reaching the public that they would violate civil rights in order to keep the data a secret. TVA may have delayed the program for one day but they DID NOT stop it. United Mountain Defense will continue to travel anywhere that we want to and will gather lots of air samples with or without TVA's permission. Keep your eyes open for fresh YouTube videos as we crank up UMD's web presence.

In order for TVA to stop generating so much negative publicity by hassling United Mountain Defense volunteers we request that the TVA leadership make some decisions that will permeate the whole TVA organization informing all employees to begin completely cooperating with UMD volunteers. There isn't much that can help TVA's public image at this point but this small step would help TVA greatly because UMD will get ANY footage, samples, data, access, or anything else that we need or want in dealing with this disaster and it is in TVA's best interest to allow this access and monitoring to occur un inhibited.

Seriously, matt landon United Mountain Defense Volunteer Staff

March 3rd 2009 more harassment of UMD volunteers

2009-03-04T15:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frr-e8C5k6Y

March 3rd 2009 UMD volunteers began setting up air monitors around the TVA ash disaster. We found one spot downwind that was perfect--and go permission from the local that lived there. Within minutes TVA and Roane County police came and detained our volunteers, questioned the person that lived on the land, questioned the owner of the land, read the lease agreement, questioned all of our volunteers and took their ID--snatched a camera out of one of our volunteers hands and ordered us to take down the air monitoring station. Why doesn't TVA want independent air monitors around the site?

Ash spill linked to breathing problems

2009-03-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

A third of the people living near the toxic coal ash spill from a TVA power plant in East Tennessee are reporting respiratory problems, and about half have experienced increased stress and anxiety, according to a Tennessee Department of Health survey.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090228/NEWS01/902280330

Yall from DAY 1 UMD has been handing out material handling sheets and advocating people be careful breathing this ash.

TVA published their Corrective Action Plan TODAY!

2009-03-03T08:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.tva.gov/kingston/cap/TVA_Corrective_Action_Plan_Draft_D5.pdf

TVA published their Corrective Action Plan TODAY!

A good Slide Show Documentary

2009-02-27T21:25:00.000-08:00

see this story by Carlan Tapp....

http://www.carlantapp.com/tva1/index.html

Feb 12- Feb 24, 2009 UMD updates TVA Coal Ash Disaster

2009-02-25T21:01:00.000-08:00

Feb 24, 2009 Tuesday
Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=

Bonnie Swinford worked on an article for the Resist Foundation about the TVA Coal Ash Disaster. Resist gave UMD $500 in 2008 to help with general support. Thank you Resist!!!! Bonnie also attended an online training about board development.
Tom Swinford took an environmental impact specialist who was concerned about the impacts to wildlife in Harriman, TN for a tour of the disaster site.

Reader’s Digest sent down a free lance writer to cover TVA’s Coal Ash Disaster. During the interview Matt Landon and the Reader’s Digest reporter were hasselled by the TVA police. Landon had his vehicle pass confiscated by Lieutenant Gregory W. Roberts of the TVA police. Landon was ordered to evacuate the property and was denied access.

No matter how hard they try TVA will not be able to keep UMD out of the disaster site. No matter how hard they try TVA will not keep UMD from working with community members who have been impacted by this coal ash. No matter what TVA does UMD will be there on the scene with video cameras rolling to catch their actions on tape.

Within 1 hour of having his pass taken away Landon drove back through the road block and proceeded to video tape dirty dump trucks and other vehicles leaving the disaster site without being properly washed to remove the coal ash contamination.
Upon setting up the video camera TVA miraculously began washing some vehicles and spraying large jets of water onto each dump truck load of rock being dumped to avoid creating large dust clouds. Landon also called Bob Alexander of TDEC to ask for a description of how the truck washer was working. Landon videotaped Bob Alexander going through the truck washer and exiting the work site with coal ash on his vehicle. Alexander pulled over before proceeding further down the road to chat with Landon. Landon immediately began documenting the coal fly ash on Alexander’s tires and wheel wells. At this point Alexander became very flustered and called Landon a knucklehead and drove away tracking coal fly ash down the road to Nashville. Landon called Paul Sloan of TDEC, Bob’s boss to report the incident. Landon then called the National Response Center to report Alexander’s vehicle and was able to give many details because of video taping the whole event. The report went out to 15 different federal agencies.

Later that evening there was a TCASN meeting. The survivors decided to have another citizen’s press conference on March 5, 2009 just before the TN Department of Health and TDEC gave their presentations about the TVA Coal Ash Disaster at Roane State College. A few more of the members decided that they would like to speak with the media about their health impacts from the coal fly ash.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 23, 2009 Monday
Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=

Matt Landon and Bonnie Swinford spent the day making a presentation for 2 middle schools and 2 highschools about the TVA coal ash disaster. This presentation occurred at Laurel Highschool in Knoxville, TN. There was a television news station that showed up and interviewed an administrator of Laurel Highschool and taped Bonnie Swinford giving her portion of the presentation. This was the first time that Swinford and Landon had given a presentation. They projected the Youtube videos on a screen to visually describe what they were describing during the presentation.

Tom Swinford and Chris Irwin took three structural engineers to the disaster site to figure out how to properly clean the coal ash up and remove it from the area. The engineers evaluated how much coal ash was distributed around the area.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 22, 2009 Sunday
Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=

United Mountain Defense had a board meeting this evening. We invited some prospective new board members to attend and ate vegan chili and cornbread for dinner. We spoke about the upcoming Mountain Justice Spring Break camp located southwest of Harriman, TN. We spoke about the March in March and the open call for civil disobedience at the TVA towers in Knoxville, TN March 14, 2009 at 1PM.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 21, 2009 Saturday
Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=

United Mountain Defense volunteers did computer work today.

We got this email from Penny Dodson concerning her testimony media coverage following the hearing.

Since our testimony at the State Capital last Tuesday, and my "run in" with Mr. Kilgore on Wednesday in which he let me know he "knew who" I was, our lives have become even more stressed.

I am not sure at this point what is the best choice for Evyn and I as far as what our part will be in how to continue to keep this TVA disaster in the media.

I have been approached at the Post Office, the Doctor's office & in the grocery store. Yesterday a car pulled up next to mine, and after a long stare this man yelled something I don't want to repeat here and gave me the "one finger wave". I have been asked if I was coached on what to say... if i was working for a group of attorneys... why am I the only one complaining.....and some other not so nice questions have also been asked. Other things too... and it's only Saturday....

One of my children thinks i'm over-reacting. One wonders why I cry at the most inopportune times... The other one doesn't seem to care at all.

I wish this disaster never happened. I wish I could go back home. I wish my head would quit hurting, i could stop crying, and our health was perfect.

Evyn is sick again. Up most of the night and started running a high temp today. I can't shake the bronchitis, and maybe i'm just overwhelmed and sleep deprived.

My phone ran out of time yesterday... I did put more minutes on it, but haven't brought myself to turn it on. I most likely will be turning off the computer too, hoping that maybe tomorrow things will be better.

Penny & Evyn
Tennesse Coal Ash Survivors Network

We live in the reminders of the disaster...
In the shadows of the stacks...
In the grayness of our surroundings...
In the filth of Coal Ash...

But we are SURVIVORS!

Just for the record United Mountain Defense does not coach people in what to say. We merely provide a media messaging training that helps them turn their concerns and messages into media soundbites.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 20, 2009 Friday
Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=

Chris Irwin, staff attorney for United Mountain Defense went in a helicopter to capture aerial photos and video of TVA’s Coal Ash Disaster.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 19, 2009 Thursday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=

Today Matt Landon of United Defense traveled around the disaster site with Robert C. Tanner the Majority Senior Investigator for Senate Committee On Environment & Public Works. Tanner is working with U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. On the previous day Tanner went on a site tour with TVA. As we drove around the perimeter of the disaster site he was amazed to see UMD’s description of how TVA has inadequately responded to the disaster. He witnessed the non operational truck washing station. It was kind of interesting that there was absolutely no activity going occurring on the disaster site for those two days. I guess TVA didn’t want to stir up any dust!!!

Here is a request from a local resident who gathered stories to report Tanner.

Hi all,
This morning, I met with Bob Tanner and the meeting went very well. He was very impressed with all the emails submitted telling him of Your story. I encourage each of you to tell you friends and neighbors to submit "Their Story, Post 12/22/08 TVA Ash Disaster" to me for transmittal to Bob as the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works IS LISTENING! Remember, if we do not hear your voice, your independent voice, our mission will be lost.

Your voice will not be altered, your subject of your story will not be edited, the words will be your words relayed directly to Senator Barbara Boxer's chief Majority Senior Investigator. This is the Staffer WE NEED TO REMAIN IN COMMUNICATION, please submit your story as quickly as possible. Washington, DC is working for us!

UMD volunteer, Tom Swinford drove around with a damn engineer today to inspect the disaster from all of the available vantage points.

Here are also some more interesting links.

Did you see the Center for Public Integrity's Press Release today and their new coal ash investigation portion of their site?

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/02/19-6

http://www.publicintegrity.org/articles/entry/1144

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 18, 2009 Wednesday
Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=

UMD volunteer coordinator Bonnie Swinford helped restore the Ten Mile Volunteer house to the clean state that it was before our stay. There was another round of hearings in Nashville of the TN Joint House/ Senate Environment Committee. TVA and TDEC testified at this hearing. Penny Dodson and Diana Anderson were interviewed by the media again today as they sat front and center in the audience of the hearing.
Here is a report back from Diana Anderson of TCASN

See the following event recorded here. http://tnga.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=14&clip_id=289

I am very proud of Penny with her grandson Evyn at the Env. Subcommittee Hearing in Nashville. She was genuinely tearful, and we needed that, because that is what makes big news. Little Evyn was adorable on the tapes that were taken. He made a huge impact on the Legislative Committee and the TV crews. I was so glad We handed out booklets that contained: pictures of dust storm, dirt falling from trucks, sea gulls eating dead fish that float to the top of the lake, uncovered trucks with rock in them. Also included in the booklets were: your stores, TVA MSDS sheets for coal fly ash, 7 results of heavy metal testing to 7 people from our area, and ways to cover the fly ash. There are 7 people whom I have helped to read the heavy metal test results, and they all, including myself, which makes 8 who have Porphyrin Skin Disease along with toxic heavy metals over the limits. This makes me mad. I bet that many more of you have the same disease.

We asked the committee to have TVA set up heavy metal testing for those impacted all around the Kingston area. We asked for TVA to set up a clinic for chelation therapy for those who have heavy metals in their body. We asked for it to be free to the people. We asked for the fly ash to be regulated and recertified as a hazardous waste. We asked for the fly ash to be covered with a heavy tarp-like material. Dennis Ferguson, said that he is going to dive in and try to take care of the list of people we gave him to get them removed from the area. He said this in front of all the other Legislative Committee Members.

My daughter, Angie Giblin, who lives in Nashville, just pulled up an article that TVA says that their health clinic cannot see anyone who has gotten a lawyer. They say that comes under another protocol. Well then our lawyers needs to contact TVA about the health tests and how to immediately take care of it. This is something that needs immediate attention. The longer these toxic heavy metals are in our bodies, the more unreversable damage in being caused. I will be forwarding this email to my lawyer. I need chelation myself ASAP. My daughter and grandson, who live with me, need the heavy metal testing. Thanks to United Mountain Defense, some of us got this testing done. Without them we would have gotten no where. Many Many Many THANKS to them.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 17, 2009 Tuesday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=

The United Mountain Defense and TN Coal Ash Survivor Network volunteers loaded up in their cars and traveled to Nashville, TN to speak before the TN House Environment Committee. Traffic was crazy and we thought that we would not make it but we did. Thank you to Mary Maston for asking the legislators to have this hearing. Matt Landon of UMD, Penny Dodson of TCASN, and Diana Anderson of TCASN. Penny Dodson spoke about the impacts to herself and her grandson Evyn. Both Penny and Evyn were evacuated by TVA. Diana Anderson spoke about the results of the heavy metal screening that herself and 49 other local residents took part in Jan 2009. Through speaking with other residents Diana found out that 13 of the 50 people had a rare disease called porphyrin. This disease can be directly related to heavy metal exposure.

After the hearing there were a few media outlets that spoke with Penny Dodson about her testimony. Also after the hearing we were invited to speak with Represenative Dennis Ferguson about the health impacts of local residents. At this point we delivered a list of 8 families that either had doctor’s evacuation notices or were having major health impacts directly related to coal fly ash. Ferguson promised to take action to get these people out of the area. As of Feb 25, 2009 no one off the list has been contacted by Ferguson.

Penny Dodson and Matt Landon drove back to Harriman for the weekly meeting of the TN Coal Ash Survivors Network at 6PM. This goal was very productive as the group adopted the goals and tactics generated at a previous meeting. TCASN began working on putting together its first fundraiser. They chose to do a chili/ hotdog/ cornbread dinner.

The following is a report back from Penny Dodson about her testimony in Nashville.
VIDEO From Speaker Kent Williams and the Tennessee House of Representatives

This is the video of the testimony yesterday in Nashville! Mary from Sierra Club, Matt Landon from UMD, Me (haha) and Diana were given the opportunity to testify. We had a GREAT response. The actual testimony starts around the 12 Minute mark

http://tnga.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=14&clip_id=289

This is the entire testimony... please forgive my crying on the video.

please share this link with others.

Here are links to news stories on the hearing:

http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=9860849

http://www.wsmv.com/news/18732399/detail.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29240157/
http://www.wsmv.com/news/18732399/detail.html
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/feb/18/lawmakers-hear-complaints/
http://www.newschannel5.com
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=76651.com/global/story.asp?s=9860849

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 16, 2009 Monday
Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=

UMD volunteer Matt Landon video taped the non operating truck washer today at the TVA disaster site. UMD provided a media messaging training to local residents who were planning on attending the TN House Environment Committee Hearing in Nashville, TN. The main idea behind these training is to help the residents turn their message into soundbites. UMD organized a meeting that helped the residents coordinate what each person would say so that they would not be repeating each other.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 15, 2009 Sunday
Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=

UMD volunteer Tom Swinford has taken the reins on duplicating the more than 100 hours of footage UMD has taken of the TVA Coal Ash Disaster. UMD now has a machine that will make 3 copies of each DVD in about 8 minutes.

Chris Irwin and many other volunteers helped create this massive list of questions to be asked to regulatory agencies.

1. Does the Out Reach Center only use an answering machine
and do they return the calls?

2. Does Kingston Coal Plant plan to cover the Ash with a
tarp type cover until removed? (nothing grows on ash, it
dries out too fast.)

3. Does TVA plan to set up a free Chelation Therapy Center
for heavy metal laden victims in this area?

4. Does TVA even care about the people's health in the
area and their workers?

5. Where does the fly ash blowing in the wind go?

6. Prove that the ash is not toxic.

7. Are people carrying fly ash dust into their homes on their shoes, clothes, and bodies?

8. Are the MSDS Sheets provided by TVA current? They
are dated June 2001. If the type of coal processed, or the
process itself changed since then then these MSDS Sheets are
inaccurate.

9. What was done by TVA once it was noted in the data
logs "Dredge Cell Seep Area" that there were
visable areas of seeps being reported?

10. Since our community is considered a "non-attainmnet area" by EPA as related to the
Air Quality, how will this effect how air quality testing is done since the disaster?

11. What standards are in place for Air Monitoring of Particulate Matter 2.5? (Fly ash is considered a Particulate Matter when airborne. Particulate matter is considered pollution by EPA and is heavily regulated).

12. Does the current Air Quality Monitoring provide for 24 hour, continuous monitoring of Particulate Matter 2.5?

13. Are our Children safe from the toxins in the air & water? Our future children?

14. If there is "no danger" from the fly ash regarding heavy metals, then why are heavy metal testing results showing problems (high elevations) with lead, mercury, arsenic as well as other metals ?

15. Why was Harriman Utility put on "stand by" or "on-call" the day BEFORE the disaster but the residents not notified of any potential problems?

16. When will the report be available related to the inspection that was done on the site in October 2008? Why was this inspection done?

17. When will TVA provide mental health counseling for this disaster?

18. Is TVA going to allow FEMA to assist? FEMA can't assist unless advised/invited by TVA. (it's a federal agency thing)

19. Will TVA set up a clinic (un-biased) for residents who's health has been impacted by this disaster? (the Department of Health has only completed questionaires and not offered actual health services) Or will TVA provide assistance (vouchers, etc) so that individuals can be seen by practitioners of their own choice ?

20. When did TVA first know of the spill.

21. Did TVA have any advance knowledge there was a problem.

22. Are TVA workers wearing respirators

23. What disaster experience management experience does TVA have?

24. Is the sampling for heavy metals of the local wells and spring in Swan Pond been
ongoing? What are the results.

25. Did TVA notify the Red Cross when the spill happened?

26. Did TVA notify the railroad before the spill happened?

27. Did TVA give the Widows Creek dam an inspection and “clean bill of health” before it blew out?

28. How many high volume air monitoring stations is TVA setting up in Swan Pond.

29. Has TVA evacuated everyone that has requested evacuation?

30. How long is TVA’s response time to evacuation request?

31. Has TVA tested the residents for heavy metal exposure?

32. Is the rye grass TVA planted for dust control growing?

33. How do they do dust suppression with water when its 13 degrees?

34. What is your exact timeline for full removal of all the ash in the Emory River ?

35. Is TVA harassing volunteers from NGO’s gathering samples?

36. Are TVA workers who handle ash in the Kingston Coal Fired Plant required to wear respirators?

37. Are the TVA workers who handle ash in the Kingston Coal Fired Plant required to wear eye protection?

38. Are you requiring your workers handling the ash outside of the plant to wear eye protection and respirators?

39. Did you tell people to “boil their water” the first few days of the disaster?

40. How many gallons of water did TVA distribute the first 4 days of the disaster?

41. How many trauma councilors did TVA make available to the victims of the disaster afterward?

42. Is TVA negotiating land settlements with impacted residents without the benefit of council?

43. Is TVA having the residents they reach settlement with sign non-disclosure forms?

44. What medical testing program does TVA have in place to assure that residents and workers do not become contaminated with heavy metals from the dust?

45. Please provide a map of the exact locations of air monitors relative to the community surrounding the disaster site and the specifications indicating what emissions those monitors are analyzing as well as the frequency with which they are monitoring for those emissions. Are there any specific thresholds of particulate pollution under TDEC's air sampling plan, other than presumably the violation of National Ambient Air Quality Standards, that will be the basis for installing additional air monitors?

46. Please explain why none of the seven river sampling locations on TDEC's sampling plans or eleven TVA river sampling points have been located close to the embayments that were inundated with ash or immediately off the side of the Emory River closest to the collapsed embankment. If there are sampling points in these areas, please provide the data collected from these sampling points.

47. TDEC's web site and sampling plans have explained that effected river sediment samples were collected immediately after the disaster, and fish tissue samples have been collected from the effected rivers by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency in the week of January 5. What are the results of analyses done on the sediments and fish tissues and where are the locations from which these samples were taken? Also, according to TDEC's updated water sampling plan, TWRA will collect its next fish tissue samples in October. Why is the TWRA apparently only planning to collect fish tissue samples on a twice a year basis as a result of this disaster? Is there other aquatic life sampling underway and if so what are the results?

48. Please explain if there are only four downstream sampling locations to monitor the effects of TVA's Phase 1 Dredge, and if so why. Please explain whether the sampling at these locations will take place at only single depths and points in the river or at multiple depths and points from bank to bank. Please provide the rationale for this extent of monitoring.

49. Please explain why Total Dissolved Solids and boron, a well known indicator parameter for coal ash leachate, are not being sampled for at the public water supply intakes at Kingston and Rockwood or in river water under TDEC's sampling plan. Please explain why highly soluble ash indicator parameters such as calcium, magnesium and potassium are not being sampled for in river water under TDEC's sampling plan. Why is TDEC not sampling for molybdenum or strontium, two other more soluble trace elements in many ash leachates, in its river water sampling? UMD samples contained high concentrations of boron, strontium, molybdenum, calcium, magnesium and potassium in samples inside and close to the disaster area.

50. Does TDEC have any plans to sample for radionuclides or radioactivity in river samples or well samples? Explain why not, given the Duke data.

51. What are the analytes that TDEC is analyzing well water for? Please indicate if all residential wells that have been sealed off on the Swan Pond peninsula across from the collapsed embankment, have been sampled. Pursuant to TDEC's well sampling plans, please indicate if TDEC has selected the locations of wells for which TDEC plans to conduct repeat sampling. Indicate whether and how the public might review any of those sampling results, even if the locations are kept nonpublic. Please indicate if TDEC plans to drill any monitoring wells.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 12, 2009 Thursday
Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=

Before TVA’s Coal Ash Disaster United Mountain Defense was cutting its teeth on companies that are surface mining for coal. In an effort to keep up the pressure on these companies James Kane went on a mine site visit with the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) to Kopper Glo Fuel’s refuse area #2 in Claiborne county in East TN. During the site visit James took UMD’s new YSI digital water monitor and found conductivity results varying from extremely high to just below the permit limits. He also found one holding pond at the toe of the coal fines refuse area with a pH of 3 which is very acidic. The OSM employees were so impressed with the digital water monitor that they posed for pictures with the monitor and stated that the monitor was nicer than the ones OSM used. Thanks for the monitor NRDC!!!

As part of the regulatory process UMD requested an informal conference on the permit revision which will occur on Feb 26, 2009. UMD will present their water quality data to OSM at this time with recommendations about how to protect the waters of the state.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Eva J. Hewitt's Story (Swan Pond Resident)

2009-02-15T12:49:00.001-08:00

By Eva J. Hewitt

This is a true story that concerns us.

On December 22, 2008 at 1am while people were sleeping the TVA retaining wall for coal ash broke. On December 22, 2008 our friend came by and told us about it. She saw it on the news . On Monday evening TVA came by and took us to a motel. We have no water and could not use the bathroom nor do dishes. We stayed one night at the Quality Inn in Harriman. They came and got us and our little dogs.

TVA brought us back home as they had water coming to our place. . They told us to boil the water. Before we boiled any I gave our little dogs a drink of water from the faucet. This was on Tuesday December 23, 2008. All three dogs got sick and threw up all the day. They could not even eat. It scared me.

United Mountain Defense brought us some spring water. My mouth was sore and I could not eat much. I went to the hospital over my mouth. At first they said it was a chemical burn. But when they wrote on my chart they wrote fungus or virus. The medicine they gave me was a mouth wash followed by a medicine that numbed my whole mouth. My granddaughter, Jessica’s hands break out in a rash every time she showers. I only use the water from the faucet to bath in, do dishes and was our clothes. When I wash clothes they come out rough as sandpaper.

My breathing had gotten bad since the ash slide. The road in front of where we live had ash on it from dump trucks going by every 5 to 6 minutes. We have to stand up there by the road and wait for the school bus, Monday through Friday. We were told those trucks are washed before going into the city. Ha that is a fib. For we have to walk to the store and into town. We see the trucks going and coming. They have a check point down the road from us when coming in Swan Pond Road. Also down by the railroad at the other side of us. If you don’t live up here or know the address where you’re going, you don’t come up Swan Pond Road. If you have trash and they see it at the check point, you are allowed to come and throw your trash away. But they time you. As I said we walk to the store. When we do I can’t hardly breath. Before the ash spill I could walk 5 miles without a breathing problem. They put an air monitor in our yard. To me that shows the air is dangerous.

We have been to the hospital 4 times sense the slide. I have breathing problems, Jessica with a rash. The slide destroyed this once nice place. We had a little deer that played in the field beside the house. There were rabbits and other small animals also around here.

But we have not seen those animals since. Also there were birds that flew over the trailer park, but since the slide we don’t see them. The lakes that were nice fishing places are no longer.

We used to walk by the lake and would see birds on the water and turtles. But that’s gone. A lot of people are leaving the area due to the air and water and the coal ash. Some of us have breathing problems and have to leave. This is very upsetting having to leave when you are settled in. Some own their houses others rent. It hurts everyone concerned. The slide could have been prevented if they would have checked the retaining wall like they should. They knew it was dangerous.
It is now January 2009. They are cleaning up the mess.

There is nothing to see except mud and ash. Where there once was a beautiful scene. Big trucks and machinery go up and down the road. A water truck waters the road about every 45 minute. That says it isn’t safe here. It is awful.

The other end of Swan Pond Circle has roads that are no longer, houses that got destroyed. Boats look like a child has gone mad and tore them up. Boat docks are no longer. Even the river was affected. Fish are floating on the water covered in ash. Yeah they put out water into home hoses from there. Is it safe? NO!

TVA sent our papers saying the water is safe. How can that be when there are dead fish floating on the water’s surface. They (TVA) are not telling us the truth. Holding the true goals from us. We were tested for arsenic and heavy metals in our system. The water company sent out a statement to the people saying the water is being tested for arsenic and heavy metals. So, you know, they know the water is not right. This place will never be the same. Even the land will never be the same. The ash that has been washed into the soil will not let anything grow on it. The land will never be the same again. If it is safe again, when? Who knows? It may never be the same like it was in 2008 when they were deer, rabbit, and birds of all kind flying around, plus small animals. No. This ash slide has destroyed a quiet neighborhood and upset a lot of lives.

Feb 3- Feb 10, 2009 UMD Updates about TVA Coal Ash Disaster

2009-02-11T21:24:00.000-08:00

Feb 10, 2009 Tuesday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=en

Tonight there was a meeting of the TN Coal Ash Survivors Network(TCASN). Volunteers from United Mountain Defense traveled to Harriman, TN to help facilitate this organizational meeting. One of the goals of the evening meeting was to choose an organizational structure. The group chose to continue using the consensus based decision making process. Next TCASN decided on goals for the group. They came up with a list of 5 goals and decided on one goal to add to the website immediately with the others to be discussed over the next week and decided on at the next organizational meeting. The one goal they decided on was to “Support and help evacuate families with health impacts directly related to TVA’s Coal Ash Disaster”. The group then decided on some various tactics they would use. They then decided to work on their first fundraiser. TCASN has been very successful to date in making group decisions and using the consensus process. The next meeting is set for next Tuesday at Penny Dodson’s house.
There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 9, 2009 Monday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=en

For the past week United Mountain Defense volunteer Tom Swinford has been making copies of the video documentation of the TVA coal ash disaster. Thank you Tom!!
UMD board member and volunteer coordinator, Bonnie Swinford worked on balancing UMD’s budget by going through the stack of receipts to figure out what the state of the organization’s financial situation. It appears to still be in the black.
Matt Landon, UMD volunteer staff person continued to work on the catalogue of disaster videos.
There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 8, 2009 Sunday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=en

United Mountain Defense volunteers were tasked with getting more medical release forms from residents who got free heavy metal exposure screenings. Their medical results are being analyzed and will be released as an anonymous pool of data. UMD volunteers got two more residents to sign release forms.
UMD volunteers also video taped the changes to the disaster site. It was a mostly quiet day with only a few machines working at the disaster site.
One of the most shocking bits on knowledge UMD volunteers learned today was that workers on site have been having uncontrollable and repeated nose bleeds since beginning to work at TVA’s coal ash disaster site.
There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 7, 2009 Saturday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=en

United Mountain Defense volunteers started working on compiling a comprehensive list of all of the video tapes they have recorded to date. UMD volunteer Tom Swinford has volunteered to start the task of converting the Mini DV tapes into DVD’s and has begun reproducing the DVD’s for distribution.
United Mountain Defense has the most comprehensive video documentation of TVA’s response to the Coal Ash Disaster of Dec 22, 2008. United Mountain Defense has more than 60 hours of footage including two aerial videos and hours of local interviews.
There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 6, 2009 Friday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=en

Today was a very busy day. United Mountain Defense volunteers traveled to Lad Landing at the convergence of the Emory and the Clinch Rivers where they met with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency and the Al Jazeera International Television News Network. The Emory River was so cold this morning that Bobby Brown of TWRA was steering the boat through a 1 inch layer of ice. Landon got another chance to use the YSI digital water monitor purchased with funds from the Natural Resource Defense Council. Thank you NRDC!!
As Bobby Brown steered the boat back to Lad Landing the United Mountain Defense volunteers met up with the graduate students from Duke University for a second round of water sampling. UMD volunteers also met up with Matt Powell of WOUT Radio based at the University of TN in Knoxville. WOUT wanted to do a radio interview about the health impacts and the Massive Coal Ash Dust Storm that occurred on Tuesday.
The volunteers traveled down Emory River Rd and helped the Duke University graduate students reach their next sampling location. The next stop was Diana Anderson’s house, the location of the first air monitoring sample tray. While Diana was helping to prepare the sampling trays she was also giving a radio interview with WOUT.
The next step was deploying the cleaned air monitoring tray outside on her property. While Diana was outside deploying the sampling tray and talking with WOUT, a TVA representative drove up and hand delivered a letter outlining a flood warning to all residents living 10 miles upstream along the river.
It seems that TVA coal ash has created a plug in the original river channel of the Emory River. If there are any heavy rains that fall in the water shed there may be flooding of the area. The representative stated that TVA will provide the flood insurance to any resident who doesn’t have flood insurance and gets impacted by flooding during TVA’s coal ash disaster and the dredging project.
The rest of the day was spent helping the Duke University graduate students find their way back to previously tested locations. We got to hand deliver water quality data to one local resident with a drinking spring located on his property. He stated that all of the tests including EPA’s, TDEC’s, and finally Duke Universities’ data shows that the water is safe. Of course this quality assurance is only as good as the testing. These results are only for one spring/ ground water source in the area. The Emory River water continues to have very high levels of arsenic and other toxic heavy metals. Don’t drink the water!!
There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 5, 2009 Thursday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=en

Members of United Mountain Defense and the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network attended a meeting with a few other environmental organizations in Knoxville, TN today. There was a local citizen’s panel discussion including Matt Landon of United Mountain Defense. The residents gave updates on the situation in Roane County and Landon gave an update about the progress and projects that UMD has started with the community.
A TDEC representative and a TN Department of Health representative provided updates about the work they were doing at the disaster site. TDEC shared some information about the Emory River dredging plan. The TN Department of Health spoke about how they were done traveling out into the field to interview locals. When Landon brought up the fact that the situation had greatly worsened over the last three weeks since the TN Department of Health’s visit the representative did not react at all and instead ignored the statement and question of when his department would get back to the disaster site.
During the meeting Matt Landon received a phone call from the ABC National Evening News asking permission to air the TVA Coal Ash Dust Storm footage on national television. Of course Landon obliged and returned to the meeting. The story also made world news with readers in China, Russia, and Europe.
There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 4, 2009 Wednesday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=en

Matt Landon, United Mountain Defense volunteer staff person, escorted Jeff Stant of the Environmental Integrity Project and Lisa Evans of Earthjustice to the TVA Coal Ash Disaster site in Harriman, TN. It was an interesting tour.

Matt Landon had a run in with the TVA police today and had an opportunity to honestly and openly speak with the officer to convey his concerns for everyone’s safety around the disaster site. The officer informed Landon that they had not received a copy of TVA’s Material Safety Data Sheet for Class F Fly ash or Bottom Ash. When Landon informed the officer that he had video taped a huge coal ash dust storm coming from the site during the previous day the officer seemed shocked. Everyone on site and around the world has been reassured that this toxic coal ash is safe as long as it wet. Well the reality of the situation is beginning to hit home now as it dries out. TVA did not tell all of its employees about the coal ash dust storm of the previous day and this officer was truly shocked and stated that they would ask for the MSDS sheets.
Landon videotaped dust devils beginning to form on the disaster site.
Landon called the regulators to file complaints after witnessing vehicles cross contaminating the onsite road way with coal ash that dump trucks were driving onto before returning onto the county roads. Landon filed a complaint with Bob Alexander of TDEC about the trucks tracking coal ash off site. Bob Alexander offered to meet the three on site.
The courageous crew met with Bob Alexander after choosing a meeting location on Berkshire Drive. During the meeting Landon pointed out the afternoons developing dust storm. Alexander shrugged off the dust saying that it was just a little dust and that it would not hurt anything. Alexander was not very understanding about Landon’s respiratory protection concerns and laughed at Landon’s respirator.
It would be easy to become discouraged about TDEC’s response as the lead regulatory agency on TVA’s coal ash disaster after meeting Bob Alexander in person.
United Mountain Defense volunteers met up with the Al Jazeera International Television News Network for a tour of the disaster site.
In the mid afternoon United Mountain Defense volunteers got a phone call from the local ABC New Channel 6 camera crew who had been tipped off about the dust storms of yesterday and today. Matt Landon did an interview and supplied the video from the Massive Coal Ash Dust Storm. This news coverage was broadcast to the East TN area.
There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 3, 2009 Tuesday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/
United Mountain Defense Internship List
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_8hnc3hmcv&hl=en
United Mountain Defense Volunteer House Application
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtgk4hx_6cg5tvmdx&hl=en

Diana Anderson of the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network and Matt Landon of United Mountain Defense arose bright and early, fought the Washington D.C. traffic, and caught our flight back to the big city of Knoxville, TN. The volunteers were coming back from a weekend of air quality training with the Global Community Monitor/ Bucket Brigade. The informative training session was video taped to provide a good reference for future trainings and community refresher courses.
After arriving back in Knoxville Anderson and Landon drove to TVA’s Bull Run Coal Burning Plant to document the coal ash piles on site. The coal burning dinosaur appeared to be in working order with a HUGE coal ash pile. Unlike TVA’s Kingston plant there were houses directly at the toe of the coal ash pile.
This weekend was a pleasant retreat from the dusty, toxic air of Harriman, TN. As the volunteers drove the back roads and approached TVA’s coal ash disaster their chests began to tighten and their throats began to get scratchy. Upon clearing the last hill on Emory River Rd directly east of the disaster their eyes were met with a horrible site. A massive dust storm arose from the surface of TVA’s coal ash disaster site. To date this dust storm has been the worst nightmare of the TVA’s Public Relations Team, the regulatory agencies, the local residents, and everyone living downwind.
United Mountain Defense volunteer, Matt Landon documented the Massive Dust Storm on video tape at 5pm and began calling the regulatory agencies to file official complaints. He called Bob Alexander, TDEC’s disaster site manager, to ask if he was onsite and if he was looking outside or wearing a respirator. Bob Alexander was captured on video tape stating that he did not see any dust storm and that he was not wearing a respirator.
The world needs to know that TVA’s coal fly ash disaster has taken a new and harmful turn for the worst.
There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

TVA ARAP PERMIT--please comment and request hearing

2009-02-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

***PLEASE FORWARD FAR AND WIDE ON ALL LISTSERVS, MYSPACES AND FACEBOOKS PLEASE WE NEED AS MANY HEARING REQUEST AND COMMENTS AS POSSIBLE.***

UNITED MOUNTAIN DEFENSE

TVA just applied for an ARAP permit from TDEC (TN Dept of Envio and Conver) regarding the ash disaster. One of the things that will trigger a hearing is public interest. So we need as many people to email in, and write, and fax request in to TDEC for a public hearing as possible. Also you can make comments. Please do. Here is the link to the PDF of the permit. After that is a sample letter. After that are some sample comments one of our UMD volunteers generated. Please help numbers will count in this.

Here is the link to the proposed ARAP permit: http://tva.com/kingston/dredge/Final_Dredge%20Plan.pdf

You can email your request at: ask.tdec@state.tn.us

Here is a sample letter from UMD--please feel free to modify and use. Its the exact same thing as below:

Mr. Paul Davis, Director

Division of Water Pollution Control

Tennessee Department of Environment

and Conservation

6th Floor, L&C Annex

401 Church Street

Nashville, Tennessee

37402

Regarding

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY (TVA)-COMMISSIONER’S ORDER, CASE NUMBER 0GC09-0001- APPLICATION FOR DREDGING ASH FROM AFFECTED WATERS OF THE STATE AND NOTIFICATION TO THE U.S. ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS.

Dear Mr. Davis,

I am requesting a public hearing on the above ARAP permit application. I am on the board of United Mountain Defense and we have several comments we would like to make regarding the permit. We would like to request that the hearing mirror the strip mine hearing formats in that they be open, public and recorded.

I also request notification of any other related hearings or permit applications relating to the Ash disaster. I would request to be notified of the comment period length as well.

Yours truly,

Chris Irwin

United Mountain Defense

865-257-4029

POB 20363

Knoxville, Tennessee

37910

QUICK INITIAL COMMENTS TO HELP READ APPLICATION

Hey y'all,

I am cutting through TVAs proposed plan and wanted to make some quick comments while I was doing it. For me all of the action is in part 5.0--that deals with monitoring.

http://www.tva.com/kingston/dredge/Final_Dredge%20Plan.pdf

Hey--this is an application for an ARAP--we need to scream to TDEC for a public hearing immediately! They will grant these when we do ARAP permits--also ARAPs must have public comment periods. We need to give TDEC comments and request for open pubic hearings--public interest will trigger a hearing.

I am going to use the TVA board meeting as my comment period also.

K first on the dredging plan--after you open it ignore everything and go straight to the back of it. They have great pictures with diagrams which will make everything else make allot more sense. After looking in the back I skip to the section 5.0 cause that involves monitoring which is what interest me. 6.0 is interesting as well because it deals with workers health regs while they are in the field.

5.1 is table of how macontinuousous conductivity hydrolab meters they want to have runnings. Its far to few--and the meters need to be a multiple levels in the stream. There needs to continuousous meters at mile .5 mile 1. mile 2. mile 5 and down the clinch for at lease 10 miles. Mocontinuousous metering is my comment on this.

And the metering data needs to be real time to tInternetnet so everyone can see it--and it needs to beindependentlyly monitored by the EPA. Actually this is true of all the test.

5.2 They are saying samples three times a week at 5 locations and that is inadequate. They need to be testing at least daily--esp while dredging. They need to be testing WHILE dredging activities are ongoing --not just early in the morning or late in the evening. On rain events the testing should increase to at least twice a day. The test also need to be more than just 5 locations--it should be bank to bank and center at points all the way down from the spill. Specifically--if any visible plume going downstream is reported they should test immediately in that plume. Any dust plumes created by dredging should have a continuous meter in it and samples should be taken, tested--and sent to inpendant labs that post the results to thInternetet.

Using turbidity in the clinch river iridiculousus. If turbidity is stirred up in thEmoryry river it needs trigger additional sampling.

What metals are they testing for?

Table 2

Test need to be a different depths on both sides of the stream including the middle. Just doing 11 samples in a day is not enough--that number should be closer to 50.

Table 3

They need to be specific--what heavy metals are they testing for? The EPA or anyone other than TVA should be testing for ALL heavy metals.

5.3 BMPs

All the best management practices must be MANDATORY. Violations must be reported quickly to the EPA, TDEC and posted on theInternett.

They need to GET and NPDES permit to do this. The pond should have acontinuouss hydrolab meter in it as well. Additionally the samples should be taken to be sent to the lab from both the pond and any drainage into any river, creek stream or body of water.

The sampling for total suspended solids should be done daily--not just monthly.

OTHER DREDGE WATER LOCATIONS

This should say that BMPs must always be observed and BOTH TDEC AND EPA must sign off on them.

5.4 is inadequate. If turbidity goes above background in a stream for more than 15 minutes ALL BMPS should being used. Waiting for a 24 hour period to trigger this is WAAAAY to long. The dredging will not be happening on a 24 hour rotation. So you will get breaks in the 24 hr trigger period which translates into making this paragraph useless. The action levels should me MUCH shorter and any modifications should be made a close to immediately as possible. 24 hrs is way to long.

6.0 Health and safety plan.

It says nothing about the standard that shall apply. This material should be treated as a hazardous waste--that standard should applied. OSHA regs for moving dirt should not apply to arsenic laden fly ash. This is key. It should also state explicitly that all state and federal law applies to the health and safety plan. All contractors and subcontractors should attend trainings about the importance of proper safety standards while in the field. These trainings should be organized by OSHA.

Whoo--the maps at the end are VERY informative.

FIGURE 8

It appears they have a hell of allot more ash than "temporary" storage area and tthat'sdisturbing on many different levels. Exactly how high and deep is this pit going to be.

FIGURE 9

These stations need to be at both side of the stream AND in the middle. River right along the back is the path we have seen the cenosperes take--which makes it a logical flow patter to place the monitoring stations. Where the cenospheres were drifting is also a predictable path for heavy metals and mud to be traveling.

CRM0 needs to be at both ends of the stream as well as in the middle. This is true of all the monitoring and sampling.

Also--no more stations are shown down the clinch river--specifically at river left and in the middle of the stream.

MECHANICAL DREDGING

This part is beneath the pictures but worth reading. TVA says that after the barges unload the ash they are going to "dewater" and go back to load up again. Exactly what and where is this de"water" from, and where is it being "dewatered" to. Accumulated water in ALL barges should not be released anywhere but the holding ponds.

If the mechanical dredging of the eEmoryriver ash creates any plume or downstream sedimentation all work should stop until better management practice can be iimplemented If the mechanical dredging creates any amount of dust it its work workers should wear respirators and work should end immediately until dust suppression can be iimplemented

If the loading and unloading of ash from the barges creates dust or a plume in the water operations should cease and modified to end the plume.

At least 2 turbidity screens should be used on all projects.

TVA says that TDEC took a qquantityof ash--shook it up and let it sit for an hour then tested it to determine how much heavy metals would be moved from the supernatant.

They need to do this from a dozen different locations. They are basing their entire estimate of how much heavy metals would be moved per dredges ssupernatanton what appears to be a single location and perhaps a single test. IF they are going to premise so many of their ccalculationsre how much total heavy metals are being moved they need to do multiple ash test like this at multiple locations. And rather than doing it as it settles--they need to take a bucket of the fly ash --ccentrifugethe water out--then test the water. This will give a more accurate reading of the metals in the ash than letting it settle and testing the water.

Yes--the next chart they are showing how many pounds of heavy metals would be moved in the ssupernatantliquid from the dredges. They seem to be basing this on a single sample from presumably a single site.

They are using metal loadings from a previous NPDES permit for a normal ash pond discharge to ccalculatemetals

chart--mixed ash pond & CCW concentrations & TDEC criteria--any applicable Federal water criteria should be included and the ccalculationsbased on which ever one is HIGHER.

THERE SHOULD BE NO EXCEPTION IN THIS PERMIT FOR CADMIUM.

Right after this they make a finding of no significant impact FONSI from the final discharges.
They are basing their calculations on this finding on anther NPDES permit and presumably a 1 sample they did at 1 location--this is iinadequatefor determining no significant impact.

K tthat'sit.

Poem by Eva J. Hewitt (Swan Pond Resident)

2009-02-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

I lost a lot due to the ash slide.
My grief and hurt I cannot hide
I’m having to move, due to TVA
Now I’m hearing say
The light bill will cost more
They don’t care about the people of how it’s
Making us poor

Their mistake it was you see
The clean up there should be

The people all agree
That to make us pay for their mistake
It isn’t right, you see
A lot of homes, land, and animals were lost
Now they want to lay on us the cost

People can’t pay higher bills
For TVA’s mistake and the ash spill

The cost of cleanup should be
TVA’s, not the people you see

We have suffered enough over the spill
Some has moved, some are ill

By Eva J. Hewitt
January 22, 2009

Lead TV News Story of TVA's Coal Ash Dust Storm (United Mountain Defense coverage)

2009-02-04T21:00:00.001-08:00

Thank you Channel 6 for braving the cold weather to get the story.

http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=9791681&nav=menu7_2

By JILL MCNEAL
6 News Anchor/Reporter

HARRIMAN (WATE) -- Is the winter wind stirring up ash at the TVA spill site in Roane County? The non-profit environmental group United Mountain Defense, who has been on the scene since the beginning, says yes and they say they have the video to prove it.

"Obviously the coal fly ash is drying out and it's getting kicked up into the wind," says volunteer staff member Matt Landon.

"It was blowing up at least 30 to 40 feet off the surface of the coal ash area and it was at least 70 to 80 feet wide," he says.

That's why Landon wears a respirator every time he's near the site.

"We're filtering out fine particulates. We're filtering out lead and asbestos and paint fumes," he says.

He's worried about everyone else who's breathing the air without protection.

"We're working with the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network in order to get local residents trained in how to identify when there are dust storms occurring and being trained in order to use the air monitoring equipment," Landon says.

TVA Spokesman Gil Francis tells us he heard rumors about this, so TVA crews onsite went to check it out and didn't see anything. He adds that everything at the site is frozen and so what the environmental workers saw must have been fog.

We also heard from Roane County Executive Mike Farmer on this issue. He is very concerned that the cold weather is drying out the ash and making it airborne. He says his experts have warned that TVA needs to re-wet the ash to stop this from happening as they promised the county they would.

Memo details TVA editing of response to ash spill

2009-02-04T15:46:00.001-08:00

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The massive coal ash spill at a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant last month wasn't so much "catastrophic" as it was a "sudden, accidental release."

Massive Dust Storm coming from TVA Coal Ash Disaster Site

2009-02-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

Feb 3, 2009 at 5pm United Mountain Defense volunteers and Diana Anderson from the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network witnessed, video taped, photographed, and called in official complaints about a HUGE dust storm coming from the TVA coal ash disaster site. Where your respirators!?!

The address of a news report on Jim Lehrer News Hour Feb 2, 2009

2009-02-03T22:43:00.000-08:00

http://vvi.onstreammedia.com:80/cgi-bin/visearch?squery=+ClipID:4++VideoAsset:pbsnh020209&query=united+mountain+defense&user=pbs-newshour&tid=email

Jan 24- Feb 2, 2009 Updates from United Mountain Defense about TVA's coal ash disaster

2009-02-03T22:11:00.000-08:00

Feb 2, 2009 Monday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Today was the second day of training from the Global Community Monitor. Today Diana Anderson of the TN Coal Ash Survivors Network and Matt Landon of United Mountain Defense learned how to operate Air Metric’s Mini Volume air monitor. This machine is very user friendly and maintains its calibration for one year.

The air monitoring volunteers learned about how to use various filters for the monitors and how to maintain the integrity of the filter sample. They learned how to troubleshoot the monitoring machine. They also learned about properly mounting the monitor on power poles or house roofs and other important sighting instructions.

Anderson and Landon also learned about filling out chain of custody forms, and how to tamper proof the filter cases for shipping to the lab.

We finally got back to TN’s community map we had drawn two days prior. After reviewing this map with GCM staff we decided on locations for Swipe Testing and then Air Quality Testing.

More importantly we learned about the impacts of air pollution on other communities and how similar their concerns are to our own concerns.

We ended the training by looking to the future. Matt Landon of United Mountain Defense helped bring the Bucket Brigade to Appalachia in order to provide another community organizing tool that would give back to the communities. He envisioned using TVA’s coal ash disaster as a pilot project to show how easy it is for communities to do this type of monitoring and help bring it to coal impacted communities across the region. He wants to see Bucket Brigades at Marsh Fork Elementary School in West Virginia and at surface coal mines, coal processing plants, and coal burning plants across the region. Won’t you help?

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Feb 1, 2009 Sunday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Super Bowl Sunday was spent researching a number of online sources of data that we had left untapped till this point.

Matt Landon, United Mountain Defense volunteer staff person, took a virtual car ride through the Swan Pond Community before the coal ash disaster using Google Street View. He found photos of the leaking dam located at 1222 Swan Pond Rd. There was photographic evidence of red iron oxide and heavy metal laden water leaking from the toe of the dam. Whenever water is leaking from the base of the damn it is a bad sign and could foreshadow failure.

We also viewed Roane County property tax maps online. These property maps incorporated aerial photography as well making the property searches so much easier. These maps were not up to date as they did not show the properties recently purchased by TVA along Berkshire Ln and Lakeshore Rd.

Diana Anderson of the TN Coal Ash Survivors Network and Matt Landon of United Mountain Defense met with Sarah Goldberg of the Kelley Campaign, a Public Relations group based in Washington DC. Sarah Goldberg was very excited to meet with us and learn more information about what was happening from our firsthand accounts. The Kelley Campaign has been working on a campaign to counter the “Cl*** Coal” campaign of 2008. The Kelley Campaign is working with United Mountain Defense to help amplify our media presence. They have a staff dedicated to writing press releases, distributing them to national and international media, and helping with ground work logistics like setting up citizen press conferences. This is the start to be a beautiful relationship……

After catching the last 15 minutes of the Super Bowl and seeing that incredible touchdown play by the PA Steelers Matt Landon helped Diana Anderson create her first blog. The blog’s title is the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network. The blog’s address is http://tncasn.blogspot.com

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 31, 2009 Saturday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Diana Anderson of the TN Coal Ash Survivors Network and Matt Landon of United Mountain Defense traveled to Deleware today to receive training from the Global Community Monitor (GCM) organization. www.gcmonitor.org

Matt Landon of UMD video taped the entire two day training session so that other community members in Deleware, TN, and the world could review the training. Today’s training consisted of learning about the history and successes of the Bucket Brigade, GCM’s most notable air monitoring project. The community that hosted us today was plagued by numerous polluting industries and was in the first steps of beginning to self monitor the air quality. One of the first steps in the process was called a log sheet. A brainstorming session led to the development of the “I SEE, I SMELL, I FEEL” sections for residents to fill out for each air pollution event. Based on these pollution log sheets GCM and the community would be able to decide where to put up Swipe Tests and then Mini Volume Air Monitors.

A really good excerise was for the community members to make a map of the major polluters in the area and show the locations of surrounding houses and other points of interest such as schools, hospitals, existing air monitors, and prevailing wind directions.

This training provided a good basis for how the Bucket Brigade would proceed in TN and we got one step closer to having a solid monitoring plan. Thank you Global Community Monitor for providing a helpful training session.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 30, 2009 Friday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

United Mountain Defense volunteer staff person, Matt Landon was awoken to a call from a TN Highway Patrol officer calling from Arizona. The officer said he would send out an officer to the disaster site and would further investigate the CFR on solid waste to figure out about the solid waste regulations.

Landon traveled to the University of TN in Knoxville for a PodCast interview that was conducted at the college radio station, WUOT 91.9. The PodCast will be aired by On the Earth, a project of NRDC. Thanks, NRDC.

After the interview Landon did more research about the Mini Volume air samplers from Air Metrics and the different filters available for the sampler. He was also packing his bags at the same time for a flight to Washington DC.

Diana Anderson of TN Coal Ash Survivors Network and Matt Landon of United Mountain Defense boarded a flight to DC and then drove to Deleware for a two day training by the Global Community Monitor (GCM). GCM is a non profit organization that has trained community members around the globe to use various air monitoring techniques and equipment in order to gather independent data on their own. GCM is currently working with 18 impacted communities across the globe and is very excited about beginning to work in Appalachia on the issue of FILTHY COAL.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 29, 2009 Thursday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Bonnie Swinford, UMD volunteer coordinator finalized the water monitoring data with Jeff Stant on UMD’s Google map for 3 hours. Good job, Bonnie!!
Matt Landon, UMD volunteer staff took a boat ride on Emory River with TN Wildlife Resources Agency. Until this point Landon had mistakenly thought that a rock weir had been constructed across the Emory River to contain the coal fly ash. Upon boating up the river he learned that TVA had temporarily abandoned this Emory River rock weir project. The boat shuttled the History Channel’s camera crew, reporter, and Matt Landon up and down the river next to the disaster site numerous times in order to get the best shots and to provide enough time to interview TWRA’s Bobby Brown and UMD’s Matt Landon. Landon used the new YSI digital water monitor purchased with a grant from the NRDC. Thank you NRDC!! We were able to check for specific conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature.

Once we got off the river and defrosted our hands Landon led the History Channel crew to Lakeshore Drive for an interview with Rick Cantrell, a local resident whose family was evacuated by TVA. Cantrell gave a stellar interview.
Landon called Paul Sloan of TDEC and the TN Highway Patrol after video taping vehicles exiting the disaster site without being washed first.

A community volunteer meeting was organized for the evening at the Roane State Expo Center. At this meeting the volunteers decided on what content to put on their website, what was their group’s name, and when and where the next volunteer meeting would be held. The Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network came into existence. Their website is www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com and they have a blog at http://tncasn.blogspot.com

Diana Anderson of TCASN offered to host the next volunteer meeting.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 28, 2009 Wenesday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

There was a fundraiser set up in Nashville, TN. Local resident, Rick Cantrell attended the fundraiser and spoke about the difficulties his community is facing at this time with TVA’s coal ash disaster. Cantrell reported that nearly 100 people attended the fundraiser where local old time musicians strummed banjos and guitars.
United Mountain Defense volunteer staff person, Matt Landon made phone calls reminding local residents about the volunteer meeting on Thursday night. Landon also received his first email from Bob Alexander of TDEC admitting that TDEC was allowing vehicles to drive off site with coal ash on them.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 27, 2009 Tuesday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

United Mountain Defense volunteer staff person, Matt Landon called all of the regulatory agencies to report the problems of coal ash tracking. Landon called TN Highway Patrol, TN Bureau of Investigation, Bob Alexander of TDEC, EPA criminal division. After speaking with the EPA criminal division Landon was told he would be called by TVA’s OIG in the next week. Landon learned that EPA can’t regulate coal fly ash tracking. EPA doesn’t investigate it because it is not a hazardous waste. After speaking with the TBI, Landon emailed the District Attorney about the tracking problem to file an official compliant.

United Mountain Defense volunteers worked on gathering releases from residents who received heavy metal exposure screening. They picked up disaster photos that were taken to Washington DC. Bonnie and Tom picked up some more human samples for the heavy metal exposure testing. These samples were kept on ice then refrigerated until they were delivered to Internal Balance on Wenesday Jan 28, 2009.
UMD volunteers distributed TVA’s coal fly ash Material Safety Data Sheets to the local residents as they drove around the community.

Matt Landon spoke with a local resident, Judy Scofield, who has had massive asthma attacks since the coal ash disaster occurred. She is now using a steroid inhaler to help her breath. Landon was near tears as she retold her story. He offered to have a call in day to the TVA to politely ask TVA to call Judy Scofield. Judy had not received any phone calls from TVA for nearly two weeks after requesting to be evacuated after a doctor’s suggestion about her respiratory distress being linked to TVA’s coal ash. After the first day of the call in campaign for Judy Scofield she received a phone call from TVA. They informed her they would send CTEH out to check the air quality. Unfortunately CTEH is using inadequate air monitoring equipment. CTEH showed up and after a few minutes told Judy the air was okay.
The call in campaign continues until Judy Scofield is moved to a safer location by TVA.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 26, 2009 Monday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Bonnie Swinford, UMD’s volunteer coordinator and grant writer has provided major support of ALL of the work that has occurred around TVA’s coal ash disaster. Today Bonnie submitted receipts for multiple grants, updated UMD’s project budget, and made copies of TVA’s Material Safety Data Sheets.
Matt Landon got an email from TDEC about their air quality monitoring after calling TDEC to figure out why they had not installed the high volume air quality monitors around the disaster site. He learned that TDEC had chosen to not install more than one high volume air monitor.
Matt Landon got background air monitoring data from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the past 20 years after emailing Jim Renfro for assistance in Harriman, TN.

It was finally time to get back down to get back to the disaster site. Matt Landon had promised to take a Eva to the doctor on the previous Friday due to her deep lung cough. Unfortunately he was not able to take her on Friday and so awoke early Monday morning and drove her to the doctor. Her doctor could not give her a diagnosis but did offer to set up an appointment with a lung specialist in Oak Ridge, TN and gave her a prescription for Cipro, a strong antibiotic. The doctor thought that her deep lung cough was caused by a bacteria. Eva was not able to afford the anti biotic so she had to wait until Feb 1 to get the prescription.
After the doctor’s visit I offered to drive Eva around to see the rest of the disaster site. Eva does not have a vehicle and walks everywhere because she is legally blind in one eye. Her grand daughter is not old enough to drive either. Even though she lives within ½ a mile of the disaster site she has not seem it yet as no one helped her get there yet.

As we drove around the Swan Pond Community we saw that one of the local churches driveways was open after being blockaded for the past four weeks. As we drove up to the cemetery overlooking the disaster site Eva gasped as she saw the destruction. She commented that she had fished many an afternoon in that part of the lake that was now completely filled in by TVA’s coal ash. She just kept repeating that TVA had made such a mess, TVA had made such a mess.
While we were peacefully observing the work at the disaster site a TVA police officer came up the driveway and pulled to a halt in front of our vehicle. Matt Landon was recording and turned the camera on the TVA officer. This officer did not like the camera and asked for identification which Matt Landon produced. The officer got back in his vehicle and drove away with his ID. Upon returning the officer instructed Landon and Eva to evacuate the premises. Of course they complied immediately.

The whole time the video tape was rolling UMD was recording dirty dump trucks and other unwashed vehicles leaving TVA’s coal ash disaster site while tracking coal fly ash out onto the public roads of Roane County and East TN.
As Landon and Eva drove around on the public roads of Roane County they videotaped the work at TVA’s coal ash disaster. Upon driving on Berkshire Rd they were once again pulled over by the TVA police and Landon was given a citation for trespassing, his second citation for trespassing from TVA. Later Landon found out that TVA has bought all of the property along Berkshire Rd so it is their property.
There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 25, 2009 Sunday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Today we celebrated Tom’s birthday. Tom is Bonnie’s dad and he recently chose to move down to TN from Indianapolis. He was temporarily living at the UMD volunteer house until he found a house of his own. He did find a house and then this coal ash disaster occurred and he has been on the ground since Dec 22, 2008.
Matt Landon of United Mountain Defense sent out a procedure for doing a swipe test to the Swan Pond community email list serve after receiving multiple requests.
Chris Irwin, UMD staff attorney took a Gentlemen’s Quarterly reporter and photographer up to the King Mountain Mountainside Coal surface mine in Claiborne County near Eagan, TN to photograph the complete cycle of coal, from the cradle to the grave.

Later in the evening UMD had a board meeting where a plan of action was generated for the upcoming week.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 24, 2009 Saturday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out www.tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork.com
Check out http://tncasn.blogspot.com
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

A good portion of the day was spent helping get the carpet installed in the United Mountain Defense volunteer house. Chris Irwin, UMD staff attorney, took GQ magazine in a Southwings flyover of the TVA coal ash disaster site, the windfarm on Buffalo Mountain, and the surface coal mines of East Tennessee. GQ is writing about coal from the cradle to the grave with surface mines and destruction of the highland watersheds being the cradle. The TVA coal ash disaster shows the end product of coal cycle, the grave.
There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Honesty and TVA

2009-02-03T20:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8UCproiamU

TVA Coal Ash - Before and After

2009-02-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crY9fRdrkto

New test results are in!

2009-02-02T12:52:00.001-08:00

http://www.kelleycampaigns.com/coalash.html

Here you go! Sorry for the delay it takes time to break results which are parts per billion down to press releases and understandable terms. For those of you getting your results back from the biological sampling we are currently working with some of the top scientist to do the same with those.

http://www.kelleycampaigns.com/coalash.html

Experts say tests show Tenn. water is contaminated by heavy metals downstream from Dec. 22 coal ash spill

New report offers preliminary findings; authors call for further testing independent of TVA, full clean-up, and federal regulations

February 2, 2009—The Environmental Integrity Project and United Mountain Defense today released test results in a report entitled Sampling Fact Sheet for TVA Kingston Coal Ash Spill, with their preliminary findings on the health and safety of the region’s river water, which was compromised by the Dec. 22, 2009 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) coal ash spill.

Water Quality Criteria for arsenic, lead, selenium, cadmium and copper were violated, and Primary Drinking Water standards were exceeded for arsenic, lead, beryllium, and antimony.

The test results were released during a media conference call that included Jeff Stant of the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), Chris Irwin of United Mountain Defense (UMD), and Sarah McCoin of the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network, founded by neighbors of the spill. The test results, report, supplemental documents, maps, photos, and contact information for the speakers can be downloaded from www.kelleycampaigns.com/coalash.html .

EIP and UMD analyzed 24 water samples from 22 locations taken on Dec. 30, 2008, Dec. 31, 2008, and Jan. 4, 2009. A full list of the sampling dates and locations can be found in a supplemental spreadsheet, TVA Kingston Tables 1 2 3 4 for Residents.

The results indicate the collapse of the ash embankment has contaminated surface water near the impact site and downriver with high contaminant levels which have continued to be carried downriver some two weeks after the disaster. The samples contained heavy metals at levels that frequently exceed federal drinking water standards, making the rivers dangerously unsafe as a public drinking water supply and exceed water quality standards designed to protect aquatic life and human health.

Jeff Stant, Director of the Coal Combustion Waste Initiative in Indianapolis for the Washington D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project, highlighted the report’s key findings, and commented on TVA’s approach to date which has left thousands of tons of the ash in the Emory River and along river banks.

“Leaving the ash sitting on the riverbanks and in the river will endanger public health and the environment. Every time it rains, the ash will continue to leach heavy metals and further contaminate the watershed,” Stant said.

Samples from seven of 13 locations in the vicinity of the spill or downriver on the Emory and Clinch Rivers had levels of one or more heavy metals that exceeded Primary Drinking Water Standards. The metals exceeding the standards were: arsenic, lead, beryllium, and antimony. There were no exceedances of these standards for any heavy metals in samples at three locations upriver from the spill impact area.

Samples from six locations in the spill area or downriver exceeded one or more water quality standards for metals 24 times. Known as Water Quality Criteria, these standards are part of the Clean Water Act, which aim to protect aquatic life and human activity in rivers and streams from high pollution concentrations. Water Quality Criteria for copper, arsenic, lead, selenium and cadmium were violated. Copper levels surpassed the criteria for acute toxicity to aquatic life five times and arsenic surpassed this acute toxicity level twice. Only one sample upriver from the spill area exceeded any water quality criteria, and that was of the less toxic, chronic criteria for lead measured at Harriman.

Samples were taken from five wells east of the impact area, none of which exceeded the Primary Drinking Water Standards for heavy metals. However, all of the wells contained one or more other pollutants known to leach from ash, such as iron, manganese, and aluminum in amounts exceeding the use-based Secondary Drinking Water Standards. Furthermore, the Environmental Protection Agency’s health-based advisories for manganese and sodium were exceeded in one well and three wells respectively. Sodium and manganese are both common contaminants found in coal ash.

United Mountain Defenses was unable to sample wells within the impacted areas. While TVA was granted access to sample these wells, they were sealed off for usage or sampling to anyone outside TVA. The wells included in this report were east, in the opposite direction, of the spill. Speakers on the call today said it is imperative that there be further testing of residential wells as part of a greater study of the groundwater in the entire vicinity around the Kingston Plant.

The data shows widely fluctuating arsenic levels in the Emory and Clinch Rivers, as a result of this coal disaster. Two weeks after the spill, two samples taken within a half mile of the impact site contained arsenic at 32 to 37 times the Primary Drinking Water Standard, one of which also violated the acute Water Quality Criteria. Seven samples downriver ranged from no detection to more than 10 times the Drinking Water Standard three miles away and more than twice the Standard, some 4.5 miles downriver.

“Fluctuating levels of such dangerous metals in so much water two weeks after the spill calls for an expanded testing regimen and suggests that that this massive problem will not go away until the ash is removed from any contact with the Emory River,” Stant said.

Chris Irwin, a staff attorney with United Mountain Defense and sixth generation resident of Tennessee, spoke at the conference call today about the urgent need for additional regulated testing of river water, sediments and aquatic life in the Emory and Clinch Rivers.

Irwin stated, “‘Clean coal’ is dead. In fact, coal is dangerous, depleting and destructive…An entire watershed and drinking water source has been contaminated by heavy metals as a direct result of TVA's ash disaster. TVA has an obligation to both impacted residents and people living downstream to immediately pay for comprehensive independent regular testing in a transparent fashion and make that data immediately available to the public.”

Sarah McCoin, a fifth generation resident of Harriman, Tenn., and member of the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivor Network, offered her opinions as a community activist saying she was misled by TVA’s false sense of security.

“I was once a clean coal believer, thinking that coal ash was a clean byproduct produced by the coal-fired plant a mile from our home,” McCoin said. “We now understand coal ash is not safe. The results indicate contamination in the water is real. The issues are very alarming and the report on the contaminated waters is real. The dangers are real. We worry about the havoc that coal ash will cause to our land, water, wildlife, ecosystem and human health. As this stuff becomes airborne, TVA continues to suggest and state that fly ash is not a hazardous substance; it’s clear that it is. I’ve spent my lifetime hoping to come back here, and it’s actually a beautiful part of the country. Since the spill, we’ve encountered significant lifestyle changes. We must take a new perspective with coal regulation, and implement federal coal ash regulation that will protect other communities from the anguish of this disaster that we now face.”

The test results, report, supplemental documents, maps, photos, and contact information for the speakers can be obtained from www.kelleycampaigns.com/coalash.html . For more information about the call or to interview any of the speakers, please contact Sarah Goldberg at 301-887-1060 x118, or at sarah@kelleycampaigns.com.

Kingston and Coal Lobby's Grip on the EPA

2009-01-29T19:38:00.000-08:00

Hey below isn't a product of UMD studios--but I found it on youtube and thought the legislative history was interesting.

In March of 2000, during the last days of the Clinton administration, the EPA decided coal ash was a hazardous waste. Then, two months later, it flipped. If the EPA had stuck to its guns, the Kingston Coal Ash disaster in Tennessee might have been averted. Now, momentum is building to federally regulate coal ash. Will the EPA make the same mistake twice?

ANALYSIS SHOWS EXPOSURE TO ASH FROM TVA SPILL COULD HAVE 'SEVERE HEALTH IMPLICATIONS'

2009-01-28T13:53:00.000-08:00

The results from Duke University are in. Here they are.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009

CONTACT: Tim Lucas
(919) 613-8084
tdlucas@duke.edu

ANALYSIS SHOWS EXPOSURE TO ASH FROM TVA SPILL COULD HAVE 'SEVERE HEALTH
IMPLICATIONS'

Note to editors: Avner Vengosh can be reached at (919) 681-8050 or
vengosh@duke.edu. Photos of the research area can be viewed at
http://news.duke.edu/mmedia/hires/coalash_ruhl.jpg
and
http://news.duke.edu/mmedia/hires/coalash_plant.jpg
.

DURHAM, N.C. -- A report by Duke University scientists who analyzed
water and ash samples from last month's coal sludge spill in eastern
Tennessee concludes that "exposure to radium- and arsenic-containing
particulates in the ash could have severe health implications" in the
affected areas.

"Our radioactive measurements of solid ash samples from Tennessee
suggests the ash has radiation levels above those reported by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for typical coal ash," said Avner
Vengosh, associate professor of earth and ocean sciences at Duke's
Nicholas School of the Environment. "Preventing the formation of
airborne particulate matter from the ash that was released to the
environment seems essential for reducing possible health impacts."

More than a billion gallons of sludge coal waste spilled from a holding
facility at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston coal-burning power
plant on Dec. 22. The ash-laden waste flooded more than 400 surrounding
acres and spilled into a tributary of the Emory River, which converges
with the Clinch River and flows into the Tennessee River, a major source
of drinking water for many communities in the region. The spill was so
large it partly dammed the tributary of the Emory River, turning it into
a standing pond.

Vengosh's team found that the combined content of radium-228 and
radium-226 - the two long-lived isotopes of radium - in the solid ash
samples they collected from the TVA spill measured about 8 picocuries
per gram. That's higher than the average 5-6 picocuries per gram
reported by the EPA in most bottom and fly ash samples. The curie is a
standard measure of the intensity of radioactivity.

Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive element that decays from
uranium and thorium elements in coal. When the coal is burned, it is
concentrated in the ash. The EPA classifies radium as a Group-A
carcinogenic material, which means exposure to it could cause cancer.

Water samples collected and analyzed by Vengosh and Duke graduate
student Laura Ruhl found high levels of arsenic, measuring 95 parts per
billion, in water from the dammed tributary where coal ash has
accumulated. Only low concentrations were found in the Emory and Clinch
rivers. The EPA has set the arsenic standard for safe public drinking
water at 10 parts per billion.

Arsenic is a toxic metal that can occur naturally in the environment or
as a by-product of some agricultural and industrial activities.
According to the EPA, the effects of long-term chronic exposure to
arsenic can include increased risk of certain types of cancer, as well
as skin damage and circulatory problems.

"The good news is, we detected only trace amounts of arsenic in waters
beyond the dammed tributary," Vengosh said. "The data suggests that in
less than three weeks since the spill, river flow has diluted the
arsenic content. The river is clean, but the water from areas like the
dammed tributary, where the coal ash has accumulated, still contains
high arsenic levels."

Vengosh is an internationally cited expert on the chemistry of
radioactive elements in surface and ground waters. He has conducted
extensive research on radon and radium contaminants in the ground waters
of western North Carolina and the Middle East.

He and Ruhl collected the water and solid ash samples at sites affected
by the TVA spill on Jan. 9. Duke research scientist Gary Dwyer analyzed
the water samples for trace metal content using inductively coupled
plasma mass spectrometry. Following preliminary analysis, the solid ash
samples were incubated and underwent more detailed analysis of their
radioactive content using gamma spectrometry.

Vengosh's team collected the samples from the TVA spill after being
contacted by United Mountain Defense, a nonprofit environmental group
based in Tennessee. The Duke researchers received no funding from the
group or any other external party. All funding was provided by the
Nicholas School, Vengosh said, "to maintain total impartiality in our
analysis."

"The TVA spill is one of the largest events of its kind in U.S. history.
It raises questions concerning the safety of storing coal ash and the
potential effects of coal ash on environmental and human health,"
Vengosh said. "We hope our analysis will help provide some answers."

###

Lawyers being interviewed at end of Jan 3rd community meeting

2009-01-27T04:38:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=596yPVRHSPo

A bunch of lawyers wanted to speak at the last community meeting UMD helped organize--so at the end they were all put on stage and questioned by the community. Otherwise they were banned from handing out cards, participating in the community small group discussions or recruiting clients. Here is a segment.

Widows Creek data

2009-01-26T14:13:00.001-08:00

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-86f4cd99.html

Here is the raw data from the samples we took at widows creek the day of and day after the spill.

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-86f4cd99.html

Hey Chris, The EPA's Safe Drinking Water Act standards are here:

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/

I don't know what levels of protection widows creek is afforded in Alabama, but based on the SDWA, the Thallium (2 ug/L) is in violation as is the Aluminum (50 - 200 ug/L). Aluminum is a secondary standard which is non-enforceable because they "cause cosmetic effects (such as skin or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor, or color) in drinking water."

The Arsenic is over the Goal level, but not the enforceable limits. I think that's it, but it's worth a double and triple check.
unitedmountaindefense.org

Federal, State, Roane County Elected Officials, Governement Agencies Contacts

2009-01-25T19:52:00.000-08:00

http://governmentcontactsforroanecounty.blogspot.com/

Jan 23rd 2009 ash flyover

2009-01-25T16:12:00.000-08:00

Hey this pic is from friday. Thanks southwings.

Jan 23 2009 flyover Strip Mining

2009-01-25T02:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhtk1vD5O3g

This is a video shot from a plane (Thanks Southwings!) Jan 23 2009 of strip mining on the Cumberland Plateau in Claiborne, Scott, Campbell, and Northern Anderson Counties. UMDs primary work the last few years has been working against Strip mining.

Highland Watersheds that would produce clean drinking water for a million more years are being blown up for coal. The green golf course looking strips you see is hydroseeded grass on top of huge piles of rubble from blown up mountains mashed against a highwall. Here is "clean coal".

Jan 23 2008 flyover of Ash slide

2009-01-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixua5AtY8RE

UMD flew over the Ash pile again on friday taking still pictures.

Buffalo Mountain New River Watershed

2009-01-24T16:51:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXvlE82I1is

Friday we flew around the ash spill--but went to monitor the strip mines UMD monitors and get fresh high res pics. On the way to Claiborne County from the Kingston community airport we went across buffalo mountain where the windmills are.

Please forgive the bouncy nature of this footage--the reason the turbines were turning so energetically was because of wind = turbulance. But I thought it might be unique and that in the midst of the cost of the 19th century technology of coal its important to see what could be the more elegant less destructive future.

Jan 15- Jan 23, 2009 United Mountain Defense Updates Air Quality monitoring, MSDS sheets, independent contractors, and dump trucks

2009-01-23T18:55:00.000-08:00

Jan 23, 2009 Friday

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

United Mountain Defense volunteers have been waiting to get new carpet put in the UMD volunteer house since we had an indoor flood on sunday night. We've still been helping organize between vacumming water and working with carpet specialists, and the insurance man.

So we have also been hounding TVA about the Material Safety Data Sheets AND WE FINALLY GOT A COPY OF IT TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The copies that we have are for Class F fly ash and for bottom ash. The main chemicals listed are aluminum oxide, iron oxide, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, titanium oxide, and inorganic arsenic at varying ranges. We will try to get these sheets up on UMD's website and this blog.

We have also spent the day working on figuring out the air quality thing. WE HAVE GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Swan Pond community is so much further ahead than other communities because of all their documentation, diaries, doctor's visits, and keeping track of their symptoms. The community listserve serves as a historical document because people keep posting their health issues there.

We have been working on formulating an air quality monitoring program. We want to bring down the Bucket Brigade? These are low volume air monitors that each citizen could recieve training to use. We could set them up inside local houses and also outside. We are looking into Summa containers to test for Volitile Organic Compounds and other gases. We are also looking into high volume air monitors and TEOM infra red scanning particulate monitors. CTEH/ TVA and TDEC are only testing to PM10 which is okay but we want to test for Total Suspended Particles which will give us a fuller air quality picture.

We have learned that TDEC has still not installed the two high volume air monitors they promised on Jan 15, 2009 but instead only installed one on Lake shore Drive. Can anyone verify that a big loud vaccum air monitor is plugged in to an electrical outlet out on Lakeshore drive with a smaller CTEH monitor next to it?

Yesterday I tried to find the air monitor on Berkshire Drive and only saw and video taped the small low volume CTEH/ TVA monitors. Is there a big air monitor plugged in to an electrical outlet there on Berkshire? So CTEH/ TVA is using low volume air monitors that would typically be used for indoors. The equipment they are using can not show compliance or non compliance with the EPA ambient air quality standards. Basically their equipment is too small. If you are so inclined you should call Tom Welborn of EPA at (404) 562 9354 and tell him that TVA is using low volume monitors to say they are achieving EPA ambient air quality standards. Request more high volume air monitoring equipment now. TELL HIM ABOUT THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF THE COMMUNITY including nose bleeds and respiratory problems. The air is also turning gold and silver jewelery black. Ask to file an official complaint.

Also call TDEC at (615) 532 0562 and tell them they need to order TVA to install more high volume air monitors as per the EPA's and TDEC's monitoring and reporting requirements. TDEC is the lead enforcement agency right now so we should focus our energies on them. Tell them about your communities health. Call TDEC and file a complaint, ask them to install more high volume air monitors.

Also we made a call today to OSHA about the fact that a lot of the independent contractors did not give TVA's MSDS sheets to their workers. These workers aren't informed about the toxins they are working with and their employers are not supplying them with the appropriate safety equipment. We called Phillip Harrell of OSHA at (615) 232 3803. OSHA needed to know the names of the contractors so that they could follow up on getting MSDS sheets out to the workers. Either call OSHA with the names of the contractors or email us and we will call them for you.

Also about the dump trucks tracking coal fly ash out onto the roads. We need to be more diligent about the trucks because we witnessed trucks traveling out of the disaster site without being washed. We were able to identify them because they had mud caked up on the sides, back, and wheel wells of the trucks. This has and will continue to be an ongoing problem for your community, but we can put a stop to it by reporting the dirty trucks. The following is a breif history of the dirty dump truck situation. On Jan 6, 2009 Mr. Graves first recorded and made official complaints to the TN Highway Patrol, TDEC, EPA, TVA, and Howie Rose of Roane County Emergency Management Agency. On Jan 9, 2009 we reported dirty dump trucks. On Jan 12, 2009 Howie Rose told me TVA had purchased three truck washers to be installed. On Jan 15, 2009 we told Gill Francis of TVA not to forget the truck washers. On Jan 22, 2009 we called to report dirty dump trucks. As of Jan 23, 2009 TVA had still not installed the truck washers and Howie Rose said TVA will be installing them by this coming Tuesday Jan 27, 2009. This means that all of these agencies and TVA have knowingly been tracking coal fly ash out onto your roads for more than 17 days. This is unacceptable.

Please call TDEC (865) 594 6035
EPA (404) 562 9354
TN Highway Patrol (865) 594 5793
Howie Rose Roane County Emergency Management (865) 250 7347
TVA (865) 717 4006
File official complaints and make a paper trail for these injustices.

Alright, thanks for hanging in there.

I thank you for your help, support, courage, and kind words.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 22, 2009 Thursday
Dear folks,

(Please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Today started out as we facilitated an interview between a community member and GQ magazine. As we were driving up to the road block on South Swan Pond Rd we were halted even though we had a community resident pass. The TVA police officers questioned us about our intentions for driving onto the public road. Of course the rolling video camera may have had some impact on the situation. Our license plate was radioed in and we were allowed to enter this distressed community. For the most part the corporate media has not reported the stories of many of the residents living on this portion of Swan Pond Rd because they don’t have coal fly ash in their front yards though they did drink tap water impacted by the coal ash disaster for nearly 10 days.

This particular resident was more than happy to share her story about how she got blisters on the roof of her mouth on Dec 24, 2008 after boiling and drinking the tap water and cooking Christmas Eve dinner with it. She was very happy to receive the 10 gallons of bottled water we delivered for her today.

After the interview United Mountain Defense volunteers headed to the citizen’s press
conference at the Harriman community center. This press conference garnered more media attendance than any of the TVA press conferences attended by Independent Media outlets. There were at least four television stations including the Jim Lehrer News Hour and more than four news papers with large readerships including GQ, the Tennessean, and the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The main topics of the citizen’s press conference detailed the health concerns of the community members and exposed TVA’s cover up of the doctor ordered evacuations due to negative health impacts. To this point TVA has said that everything is fine with the air quality in the area while paying to temporarily relocate families living next to the coal ash disaster. The people are in respiratory distress because of TVA’s coal ash disaster.

After the successful citizen’s press conference United Mountain Defense volunteers traveled down to Swan Pond Circle Dr to do an interview with the Jim Lehrer News Hour. It was very productive and we used the time to record TVA’s changes to the disaster site. After the interview we visited a local volunteer who had recently gotten home from the hospital, and then we headed home.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 21, 2009 Wednesday

Dear folks,

(Please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Today volunteers for United Mountain Defense traveled to Harriman, TN for a media messaging workshop. There were a few local residents who attended the media training. It was a very effective session where the residents crafted their message for the press conference and worked on their sound bites.

United Mountain Defense volunteers made follow up phone calls to the media that received press releases about the citizen’s press conference. We also called other media outlets that were not on the email list.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 20, 2009 Tuesday

Dear folks,

(Please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

It has been interesting and hard to continue working on the TVA coal ash disaster while taking care of the flooded United Mountain Defense volunteer house as well. None the less United Mountain Defense volunteers set up a media messaging workshop and a citizen’s press conference in Harriman, TN.

United Mountain Defense volunteers emailed out a press release announcing the citizen’s press conference to all the media outlets that have been reporting on the TVA coal ash disaster.

Hey we need independent air quality monitoring!!!! Local residents are reporting that their gold and silver jewelry is being turned black and the tarnish can not be removed. They are reporting that they and their animals are having uncontrollable nose bleeds. There is one report of one dog’s black nose turning red. Local residents are missing work because of respiratory distress. They are reporting shortness of breath. As soon as they travel out of the immediate disaster area some of these resident’s symptoms clear up. I got a phone call yesterday from a lady who lives in Rockwood about 10 miles southwest of the disaster site. Rockwood is located in the path of the prevailing winds. The woman has an evacuation notice from her doctor because of respiratory distress.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 19, 2009 Monday

Dear folks,

(Please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Happy MLK day!! So as the United Mountain Defense volunteers were vacuuming water logged carpets a lively statewide protest against TVA was occurring. There were protests in Johnson City, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville, TN.

There was an incredible amount of media coverage on the Chattanooga protests. There have been two Youtube videos created about the Knoxville protests. The Nashville protesters infiltrated the MLK Day March and distributed information about TVA’s coal ash disaster.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 18, 2009 Sunday

Dear folks,

(Please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

United Mountain Defense’s Harriman field team traveled to Knoxville for a board meeting that also served as a planning meeting for the next week. It was good to see our Knoxville friends and catch up on the latest news from the BIG city.

Later in the evening we traveled to the United Mountain Defense volunteer house to discover that a minor flood had occurred inside the house. We found a copper pipe fitting that had come loose and had been flowing for an untold number of days. There was about 3 inches of water in the wall to wall carpet. It has added another level of disaster to our list of tasks. We got 4 hours of sleep this night.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 17, 2009 Saturday

Dear folks,

(Please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

United Mountain Defense volunteers awoke to good news when we found out about receiving a $3,000 Technical Assistance Grant from the Appalachian Community Fund for heavy metal screenings for local residents impacted by TVA’s coal ash disaster. We want to thank the Appalachian Community Fund for all of the support they have given us over the past year including supporting the Portrait Story Project and the Harriman Resident Heavy Metal Screening. Thank you Appalachian Community Fund!!!

There was a volunteer meeting set up for local residents who wanted to get started working on projects. The meeting agenda was made by the people who showed up for the meeting. Topics of discussion included water monitoring, air monitoring, truck traffic, rock quarry blasting, and human health. The meeting lasted for an hour and there were a few break outs/ workshops that followed the meeting. The workshop groups included email listserve moderator training, water quality monitoring training, and media training.

Two volunteers signed up to be moderators of the community email listserve and received training to do this job effectively.

The media workshop decided to hold a citizen press conference on January 22, 2009 to mark the one month anniversary of TVA’s coal ash disaster. The main theme of the press conference would be the health concerns and evacuations ordered by local doctors.

The water monitoring workshop saw the creation of a new citizen monitoring team. The new monitoring team made a plan to gather four gallons of polluted water to be shipped to Colorado for testing.

This volunteer meeting was very productive. It was conducted without an organizational structure. There was a facilitator that kept the meeting flowing in an orderly fashion.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 16, 2009 Friday

Dear folks,

(Please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

United Mountain Defense volunteers spent the day on the phone and doing much needed computer work. At 10 AM United Mountain Defense full time volunteer staff person, Matt Landon, participated in a conference call with TN and national environmental groups. He was able to give a detailed update from the front lines. There were some strong resolutions and plans of action charted that may help bring some positive results to the coal impacted community of Harriman and other such communities across the country.

Another United Mountain Defense volunteer spent the day informing Swan Pond community members about the volunteer meeting on Saturday and checking in with residents who got tested for heavy metals.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Jan 15, 2009 Thursday

Dear folks,

(Please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Volunteers from United Mountain Defense went down to the American Legion and opened the doors at 10 AM to gather the samples from the Tuesday Jan 13, 2009 human heavy metal screening. The doors opened there was a steady trickle of locals who dropped off their samples. UMD volunteers stayed at the American Legion until nearly 3 PM.

At 3 PM we closed shop and began preparing for the TVA Open House at the Roane County Community College. A representative of the Knoxville Independent Media took his camera and began going from table to table asking hard questions of each of the representatives. The floor of the gym was divided up into different areas including air quality, water quality, independent contracting, TVA activities, TN Department of Environment and Conservation, TN Department of Health, and EPA.

The Knoxville Independent Media representative made an effort to go to each table and speak with and video tape all of the participants. The most interesting interviews came from the corporation doing the air monitoring and the TDEC air quality specialists. I learned from TDEC that the air quality monitors that CTEH Corporation was using were “low volume” air monitors which would not provide a definitive compliance or non compliance measure for EPA’s Ambient Air Quality Standard. Knoxville Independent Media has the TDEC official on video tape making this statement. TVA has been passing off this less than adequate information to the EPA, TDEC, the public, and the media to say that the air is safe to breathe. There is no monitoring for VOC’s or indoor air quality. TDEC installed two “high volume” air monitors on Jan 14, 2009 along the northern and northeastern edges of the coal ash disaster that would provide parallel samples of CTEH’s low volume equipment. It has been 24 days since TVA’s coal ash disaster occurred and the state of TN is finally installing air monitors. What a joke.

So when the Knoxville Independent Media representative asked about additional monitors the TDEC official said they would not be necessary based on the present locations of the existing air monitors.

A member of United Mountain Defense and the Knoxville Independent Media representative attended the TVA open house from 4 PM- 8 PM and recorded about two and half hours of video tape.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and real time web cams.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

TVA Widow's Creek Sludge Spill Jan 9, 2009

2009-01-22T19:23:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOFN-K7ZHHo

Widows Creek video

2009-01-18T16:45:00.000-08:00

A new video of TVA hard a work with LEAF BLOWERS AND NO MASK. TVA is not taking the health of their workers seriously.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCydgnFnJrA

Jan 13 2009 heavy metal clinic 2

2009-01-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Mt79t1J-4

UMD found out that apparently there is a window from which after initial exposure to arsenic and heavy metals will no longer appear in the blood, urine etc. UMD found out about this window and put together a clinic with a professional lab to come and draw blood, nails, etc. The nails set a baseline for exposure in the previous two months which is important as well.In 3 days the enviro community kicked down $13,000 to make sure that families already damaged economically by their land values plummeting and unexpected disaster related expenses would not have to be further burdened by having to come up with $500 for test. TVA did not contribute a thin dime.

As of today TVA has offered no free comprehensive medical examinations for heavy metal exposure to the impacted residents of its disaster.

A Press Release/ Post from local Roane County Resident, Rick Cantrell

2009-01-17T17:29:00.001-08:00

Rick Cantrell
For Immediate Release: January 1, 2009
(865)376-1040 RECThe1@aol.com

The Largest Environmental Disaster in U.S. History

It has been less than a month since the massive coal waste disaster in Kingston Tennessee from a failed levee that held the ash in retaining ponds. TVA continues to call this a “spill”. What they will not say is that it is the largest environmental disaster in U. S. history. There are a few things that both amaze and anger me at the same time. Let me first say that I am not associated with any environmental group. My concern is with this community. This community is being misled and lied to.

First, let me give you a few facts that are not being relayed to any of us. TVA told a Senate committee that this “spill” covered about 275 acres. Other estimates say 300 to 400 acres. If not for the hills and coves of the river, there was enough contamination to cover 3000 acres with a foot of sludge.

We are continually told that there is no danger to the public “at this time”. If that is the truth, then why is it that residence from the most affected areas now being evacuated and given places to live?

I was there the morning after this tragedy happened. I could not even have imagined what I was looking at. I was there again this morning to look at what TVA says is "cleaning it up". What I saw was a joke. First of all, the straw that they air-dropped only covered about 25% of the mess. And, in the cove that I visited, they are dredging the center of it to let a natural spring flow. I know this area as well as anyone. I have spent many hours fishing there. There are many springs that flow underground and come to surface in the coves when the water is at summer levels. Right now the area is covered up with 10 to 12 feet of mud, sludge, and trash. TVA does not plan on digging the coves out. So, these springs will eventually find a way to flow to the surface. Then they make their way to the river. Covering it up will never take away the contamination. Let me say that again. COVERING IT UP WILL NEVER TAKE AWAY THE CONTAMINATION!! When TVA tells us it isn't contaminated and will be cleaned up, they are severely misleading you. If you do the research you will find that arsenic cannot be changed or diluted. Its molecular structure always remains the same. It is in the water from this disaster. It will remain there until TVA cleans it out. In the Swan Pond area, the arsenic levels were extremely elevated. It is in the mud and trash. And the only way to remove the arsenic is to remove all, and I mean ALL, of the mud it is mixed in, even in the coves.

Smaller, but just as tragic levee breaks have happened in Kentucky , and Pennsylvania . The people that live in these areas are still trying to cope with it. Did TVA clean it up? No! they covered it up. In Kentucky there are coves that once had water in them that are now fields. The contamination is still there. In Pennsylvania , some homes have the dried sludge in the crawl spaces of their homes. So why should Roane County , Tennessee expect any different approach?

I listened to Mr. Kilgore tell this community that it was not a time that TVA could hold its head high, but he promised to make it right. Well, TVA and its officials should hide their heads because of the way they are planning to handle this. They are doing whatever will cost them the least. How about taking some of your unearned bonuses to help pay to clean this up right?

What I cannot understand is why our elected officials, both local state, and national, are staying quiet. The mayors of each town should have their city councils pass resolutions demanding that the clean-up be done right. Our State Representative and State Senator should be on the floor in Nashville demanding that TVA get it right. Our US Representatives and our US Senators should be on the floor in Washington demanding that Congress hold TVA accountable and make them clean it up, not just cover it up. Even the news media has gone silent. This cover up should have the media speaking loudly. It is not the time for silence. Even if you do not live in this area, it's time to show the entire nation what is really going on. There are retention ponds like the one that gave way here, all over the nation. You think it will not happen to your community? Maybe it will not. But the risk is there. So please, wake up. We need your voice in this area. And we need your voice all over the nation.

There is no regulation on how to store the ash from coal burning plants. The EPA has suggested on three occasions that this stuff is contaminated. But, for some reason, they changed their mind on each occasion. But you have to realize one fact. The coal companies contribute more money to candidates than even the oil companies do.

Now allow me to go back to this community. I have heard people say that this is the largest natural disaster of its kind in US history. I would like to correct that statement. It is the worst national disaster in our history. The levee was manmade. So, it cannot be a natural disaster.

This will affect the local economy in the months and years to come. Much of our economy is based on our rivers and lakes. I will mention just two events. During the Fourth of July weekend, people from all over the Southeast come here to let their families enjoy the water and watch our fireworks. They are some of the best in the US. Professional bass fishermen hold tournaments here. Are they still going to show up if they even think the rivers and lakes are contaminated? I wouldn't. I will be the first to say that my children and granddaughter will not even get close to this water as it is.

Mayor Beets, Mayor Miller, Mayor Mason, it's time to stop standing by the side of TVA officials and start standing up for the community. Representative Ferguson and State Senator Yeager, it's time to take charge and represent the people here. US Senators Alexander and Corker, Washington needs to make sure this is cleaned up right and that it never happens again. Governor Bredeson, this sludge is not safe as you said in public.

TVA can explain things in their terms that make it sound good. But, if you take them for their word, it helps to cover this disaster up. We as a community, a state, and a nation need to not only speak out, but shout out, enough is enough!

The sad thing is that TVA does not realize this is a time in which they could shine. They could dig this all out. Yes, it would take time and money. However, they could make this devastated area look even better than it did. They could remove the contamination and restore this area; make it even more beautiful than before. Then they could hold their heads high and be proud. But if they think the direction they are taking is something to be proud of, then they are not only trying to fool us, but themselves as well.

I am no reporter, journalist, environmentalist, or anyone that is “important”. I am no public speaker or professional writer. I am just a man who loves his community. I am a man who has many wonderful memories provided in the area that has been destroyed. And I am a man who would love to be able to have the opportunity to enjoy more memories. Please, do not allow this to be covered up. Please speak out. News media please help keep this alive. I am but one voice. But as long as I have a voice, I will keep it alive. And if just one paper prints this for others to read, it is one small step to fixing our community, and keeping it from happening to others. We have a long way to go, and a long and rough road to travel. But, the journey is easier when you have the company.

Rick Cantrell

Kingston, Tennessee

For more information please contact Rick Cantrell (865) 376-1040 or RECThe1@aol.com

### END###

New NLM page on TVA Kingston Fossil Plant Coal Ash Spill

2009-01-16T09:04:00.000-08:00

National Network of Libraries of Medicine

Southeastern Atlantic Region

New NLM page on TVA Kingston Fossil Plant Coal Ash Spill

On December 22, 2008, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston Fossil Plant's retention pond failed, creating a tidal wave of water and fly ash which destroyed several homes and ruptured a major gas line in a neighborhood located adjacent to the plant in Harriman, Tennessee. It is estimated that approximately 3.1 million cubic feet of fly ash and water were released on to land adjacent to the plant and into the nearby Clinch and Emory River.

There's concern about the potential effects of this spill on the quality of water, air and soil in the region. From its extensive environmental health and toxicology resources, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) has compiled a Web page of links to chemical information on fly ash and medical journal articles on the ash's possible human health effects, http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/coalashspill.html.

These resources provide background information on fly ash, also known as coal ash, which is a by-product of burning coal in power plants to generate electricity. Links to public health information from local and federal authorities responding to this incident are also included. For more information on TOXNET and other NLM environmental health and toxicology resources, please visit http://tox.nlm.nih.gov .

TVA straight piping coal ash scum into Emory River

2009-01-15T19:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqgmFRtJzF0

This is a video of one of the UMD field persons showing how TVA is straight piping coal ash scum directly into the Emory River. It really makes no sense that they would go to the trouble of putting a boom up to keep the scum from getting into the river then they pump it directly into the river from where they catch it. Go TVA!

Jan 10- Jan 14, 2009 United Mountain Defense Updates from TVA coal ash disaster

2009-01-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

Jan 14, 2009

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Today was spent preparing a trip for two local coal impacted residents to Washington D.C. United Mountain Defense received an offer from a PR firm that is working to counter the “Cl*** Coal” campaign of 2008. The PR firm learned that $55 million was spent on the false ad campaign. United Mountain Defense volunteer attorney, Chris Irwin had a brilliant idea to use the term "Filthy Coal" and the PR firm had a bunch of black ball caps printed using the phrase. They are sure to be the fashion fad of the year.

United Mountain Defense volunteers had all kinds of details to work out including securing boarding for Sarah’s dog. This evening United Mountain Defense volunteers set up a media messaging workshop for Tom Grizzard and Sarah McCoin so they could learn how to use sound bites to get their message across. After the hour long workshop both of these coal impacted residents felt more prepared for their whirlwind trip to Washington D.C. We learned that they would be meeting with a few of their elected officials including TN Senators and Congressmen. I do wish them the best of luck. It was really nice to hear their kind words about United Mountain Defense’s work over the past three and half weeks. They stated that the community would have been lost and spinning its wheels without the help that United Mountain Defense and yall have given to them.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and biometric testing of impacted residents.

If you are a resident of the Swan Pond community please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Jan 13, 2009

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

This was the second day of heavy metal screenings here in Harriman, TN. When we arrived at the American Legion Hall it was even colder than the first screening day the previous Thursday. United Mountain Defense set up a welcome table and helped get the expert staff of Internal Balance set up as well. The clinical screening was performed by a Brentwood, TN corporation called Internal Balance. Internal Balance assembled a skilled team of physician’s assistants who worked under the guidance of a licensed physician, Dr. Daniel Kalb, MD. The owner of Internal Balance, Tamara Mariea is a biochemical nutritionist and a detoxification specialist.

There was a total of 29 coal impacted residents tested at no cost to them with money that you donated to United Mountain Defense. Thank you so much. We are eternally grateful for your kindness. At the end of the day there was one scholarship left and after calling all of the residents on our list twice we gave it to United Mountain Defense volunteer Tom Swinford. Tom has been a dedicated volunteer here on the ground since day one. Tom is the father of Bonnie, UMD’s volunteer coordinator, and has recently moved to Knoxville, TN from Indianapolis, IN. He had a full spectrum of blood work done one year ago and has been breathing in the Harriman air just like many local residents for three weeks now. He is willing to speak with the media about the his testing experience and will be sharing his test results as soon as they come back. Thank you Tom and Bonnie for all your hard work.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and biometric testing of impacted residents.

If you are a resident of the Swan Pond community please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Jan 12, 2009

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

It was nice to wake up in my own bed this morning though I as I laid there I couldn’t figure out if I was in Knoxville or Harriman. It was one of those moments when I was trying to decide to be happy about breathing the air or not. I actually got to sleep in a bit today and fully awoke by 10 AM.

This morning I spent more time taking care of my “Regular Life.” A disaster is such a weird thing. I am surrounded by people whose lives are still going on. A new Harriman friend is getting married on Friday. A new Harriman friend has a new granddaughter.

I went and finalized the details for a teaching position which I am to fill one day a week at a local highschool as I also have an art education degree. I will be teaching Fire Performance. We will create a Fire Sculpture which we hope to enter into the Dogwood Arts Festival in April.

Through the power of gasoline we were majically transported back to TVA’s coal ash disaster for a meeting of the Roane County Commissioners this evening. It was located in the Kingston City Courthouse. This was the most confusingly advertized meeting I have ever seen. In the same paragraph it was advertized as a “Public Hearing” and a “Public Meeting.” I have been a to a bunch of public hearings and I have never seen one like this. I think that only thing that made this a public hearing was the fact they had a court recorder and audio taped the hour long question and answer session. Mr. Tom Kilgore graced us with his presence along with the Roane County Commissioners and other elected officials of Kingston. There was a shot taken at the media by the Kingston Mayor for portraying the coal ash disaster in a negative light. He didn’t mention that TVA wants to pay for a PR firm to polish the image of Kingston and Roane County by down playing the dangers of coal fly ash.

I think that it is ridiculous that WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY REAL PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THIS DISASTER YET!!!!! If you are reading this please call the EPA and request a public hearing on this disaster. Please call TDEC and request a public hearing on this disaster.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and biometric testing of impacted residents.

If you are a resident of the Swan Pond community please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Jan 11, 2009

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

United Mountain Defense’s dedicated volunteer staff finished and submitted a technical assistance grant to the Appalachian Community Fund today. The Appalachian Community Fund has been very supportive of United Mountain Defense’s work in TN and Appalachia and we look forward to working with them in the future as well.

The world has its eyes focused on Harriman, TN and United Mountain Defense right now and the reason for this is all of the ground work that our dedicated volunteer force has put into helping during this disaster. United Mountain Defense is an all volunteer organization and although we have had volunteers on the ground since day one we have also had a dedicated volunteer force in Knoxville, TN working to put all of our video footage on the internet. The Knoxville support crew has also been on the conference calls, helping wrangle the media, and fundraising like never before. So this is a big shout out the Knoxville support crew, United Mountain Defense would be lost without yall. I also want to give a shout out to all of the folks out there who are helping out in whatever ways you are. I know that your prayers are with us and the folks of Harriman and everyone living downstream and downwind.

The United Mountain Defense field crew got to touch base with the Knoxville support crew today. It was good to see our friends. We also got to tie up loose like paying those pesky utility bills for the United Mountain Defense volunteer house.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and biometric testing of impacted residents.

If you are a resident of the Swan Pond community please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Jan 10, 2009

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Volunteers with United Mountain Defense took Dr. Avner Vengosh and graduate student, Laura Ruhl of Duke University out into the field again today to gather more water and coal ash samples. We mainly focused our efforts along the Emory and Clinch Rivers downstream of the disaster site. We also located a whole bunch of springs previously buried by the coal ash which had emerged from their coal ash graves within the last few days. These springs had washed the coal ash away and their waters were cutting new channels in a meandering pattern through the gray muck. We also gathered a sample of a Swan Pond Circle Dr. spring that many residents had been drinking from for years which had been roped off with “Caution” tape two and half weeks after the coal ash disaster. In addition to the coal ash and river water samples we also gathered a sample of Harriman city water from a Swan Pond Circle Drive resident’s home tap.

On this day we observed and recorded a helicopter dropping hay on the coal ash to help control the dust.

When you are operating in a natural disaster such as this there is a tendency to run full blast 24 hours 7 days a week. Well United Mountain Defense volunteers have been on the ground since day one of TVA’s coal ash disaster. As we finish week three of the disaster the United Mountain Defense volunteers decided to take the rest of the day for ourselves which basically meant that we were answering the phones, checking emails, and writing a grant. Well someone has got to do it. Thank you for your support.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and biometric testing of impacted residents.

If you are a resident of the Swan Pond community please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

United Mountain Defense needs help with air quality monitoring and buying respirators

2009-01-13T18:23:00.000-08:00

Dear folks,

Please forward far and wide!

WE NEED INDEPENDENT AIR MONITORS NOW!!!!!!!!!! Bring a hazmat respirator seriously.

United Mountain Defense has been leading the charge for the on the ground response here in Harriman. We have been here since day one gathering more than 80 water and coal samples and more than 50 hours of video footage. Because of your help we have gotten free heavy metal testing for more than 29 local residents impacted by the disaster. The next big push for help that we need is probably the one that will impact you the most, AIR, AIR, AIR. No one is testing the air except TVA and the private corporation that they hired. And guess what they are saying every thing is fine. Please donate hazmat respirators.

They have 5 stationary particulate monitors and a few hand held monitors.

Well if you could feel the back of my throat and the hear the hacking coughs that eminate from DEEP in these folks lungs you would second guess about the data coming from TVA. TVA has lied about the water and they are currently lying about the air. People are being evacuated by doctor's orders because of respiratory damage due to fly ash. Doctors are prescibing respirators.

United Mountain Defense volunteers are wearing double filter respirators that filter lead, asbestos, and some fine particulates. It is still getting through these respirators. All of the reports are saying that the ash is wet and it is safe to breathe here. It is a lie. There was a little boy here who had fly ash flushed from his nasual cavity. It is in the air.

United Mountain Defense is requesting independent air monitors to show up and hang out for a day, the weekend, a week or longer. I don't know anything about air monitoring as I have been focused on water for the past 10 years but my sore throat and burning eyes tell me we need air monitors. We have been trying to mobilize the Bucket Brigade but they say $10,000 before they can come. We need testing for VOC's and particulates. PLEASE HELP!!!!!! We have spaces for you to stay for free and possibly gas money.

If you come down to monitor you are helping United Mountain Defense and we will help you write and distribute your results through press releases and online at our website, we don't need lone stars or cowboys down here. We know the areas that need testing and already have permission from land owners to install the monitors. PLEASE HELP, cough, cough.

Thank you, contact me directly at 865 689 2778 or 865 292 1710.

Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense on the ground of TVA's worst coal disaster since DEC 22, 2008

Coal Ash Association presentation after disaster

2009-01-12T09:54:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPYV0D0-wpw

This is from the Coal Association presentation they rushed to put on after the disaster.

Dr. Conrad (Dan) Volz speaking at Jan 3rd meeting

2009-01-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-wx7tF_0pc

Dr. Volz is an Assistant Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) at the Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH), University of Pittsburgh; he is also the Director for the Center for Healthy Environments and Communities at the Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH), University of Pittsburgh; and Director of the Environmental Health Risk Assessment Certificate Program

Lisa Graves-Marcucci addressing community

2009-01-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us_NRU2pkoE

On Jan 3rd 2008 220 impacted residents of the TVA disaster met and hear a speaker from a community which had been flooded with ash in 2005

This speaker is

Lisa Graves-Marcucci lisagmarcucci@gmail.com

UMD Widows creek on the ground

2009-01-10T17:09:00.000-08:00

http://s423.photobucket.com/albums/pp311/laserjuice/Widows%20Creek%20TVA/

United Mountain Defenses scouts just got back from Widows Creek. Video soon, here are the first pics.

http://s423.photobucket.com/albums/pp311/laserjuice/Widows%20Creek%20TVA/

January 10th, 2009

Day two of our work at Widows Creek yielded more samples, photographs, and confrontations with security. James and I arrived in Stevenson, AL around 2:30pm and, remembering our paths from yesterday, took a labyrinth of back roads to bypass police blockades. A security truck followed us for a couple of miles as we drove straight to the private drive leading to our new friend's house, on private land bordered by Widows Creek and TVA property.
The area was crawling with security vehicles, patrol boats, and helicopters. We were met by the owner's brother-in-law, who had just returned from an unsuccessful hunting trip in the nearby woods. He said a helicopter had followed him as he walked and had hovered directly overhead, dangerously close to the treetops, watching him for several minutes as deer and all other wildlife quickly abandoned the area. They seemed suspicious of him despite his obvious hunting outfit, with a bright orange cap and rifle.
"I wish they would just leave us alone," he sighed. Pointing toward the two guards stationed on a ridge overlooking his land, the owner joked, "I motioned for those police to come down here for a closer look, but I guess they didn't want to."
His brother-in-law chimed in, "I should get my binoculars out and watch them the same way they're watching us."
By 3:30 we were geared up and trudging through the mud behind a horse pasture to get water samples from a pond between the house and the TVA embankment that is closer to the dam but not in the direct flow of the creek. The horses we curious about us but were clearly disturbed by the constant pump truck and overhead helicopter noises. This cacophony was consistent from the time we arrived until the time we left.
Our next stop was in Widows Creek, much farther upstream than yesterday's expedition, about 300 yards from the dam. James took six samples from three different points in the creek, about 20 feet from the bank. He saw a thick, gritty coating of grayish slime on the surface of the water as well as adhering to the trees. The slime stretched out in a band, coating everything within 70 feet of the channel. He took some photographs of this while I remained at the tree line and captured video of patrol boats and helicopters zooming around, amidst the sounds of water pumps, dump trucks, and other heavy machinery.
We thanked our helpful friend for the use of his property and showed him the photographs of the slime. He said he didn't expect us to find any heavy metals in the water samples, but is curious to find out about the composition of the contaminants.
On our way out, we were flagged down by the two police officers who had been watching us as we worked in the horse pond. We were questioned, asked for identification, and given a verbal warning for their "reason to believe" that we had trespassed on TVA land. One officer was courteous but the other grew belligerent, threatened to arrest us, and refused to give his name or badge number. As he stormed away from our car after copying the tag information, the first officer said, "Look, we're concerned about the spill and the environment too, but you have to understand we're just doing our jobs. I won't argue with you over whether coal is the best way to get energy, but you have to stay out of TVA property."
It sounds like someone has been doing their homework on which organization is conducting independent water tests at TVA disaster sites.

Yesterday's and today's samples are on ice, labeled, documented, and ready to be sent to the lab. Results will be released as soon as possible. Our photographs are already up and video is on its way.

Peace,
Amanda

Heavy metal testing interview Jan 8 2009

2009-01-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1_EEeAwx-U

Hey United Mountain Defense organized a clinic to test impacted residents of the TVA disaster for heavy metals. The lab worked with us and got the cost down to $500 per person. We didn't want community members already burdened with unanticipated expenses as a result of the TVA disaster to also have to cough up $500 for a test they needed.

In 3 days the environmental community donated over $13,000 to enable 26 local residents to get tested on scholarships. No government agency helped, lifted a finger or paid a dime to help--this was paid for by contributions from folks.

Tues we are hosting a second clinic--we have room for 8 people that we can do a complete screening for free. This number will go up as people send in donations.

Jan 8, Jan 9, 2009 United Mtn Defense TVA coal ash disaster update

2009-01-10T12:04:00.000-08:00

Jan 9, 2009

Dear folks,

(please repost to any and all news sources)
Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Today volunteers with United Mountain Defense took Duke University Dr. Avner Vengosh, and Duke University graduate student, Laura Ruhl, out into the disaster site to gather samples of water and coal ash. They took water samples at five locations which had previously been sampled so that we could see the changes to these sites over time.

While United Mountain Defense volunteers were sampling water in the disaster area we met representatives of the TN Department of Health for the first time since the coal ash disaster began. These two representatives were driving around asking questions to local residents about their health concerns. We were very happy to see that the TN Department of Health was handing out some of the same safety documents that United Mountain Defense has been handing out for two and half weeks now. We also learned that there were representatives of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry from the Center of Disease Control in Atlanta, GA on the site today interviewing coal impacted residents.

While in the field United Mountain Defense volunteers learned about another TVA disaster in North East Alabama and sent a volunteer down there to monitor the water quality and document the event with video. He was not able to get very close to the disaster site but was able to gather some samples of a local creek that was impacted by the event. TVA has stated that one holding pond burst into another holding pond. Fortunately the second pond held although an unknown amount of the coal ash did overflow into a near by creek. Please check out the report back below on dirtcoaltva.blogspot.com

After a full day of water monitoring the United Mountain Defense volunteers attended a presentation by Erin Brokovich at the Roane State Community College gym. It was a very informative presentation and Brokovich was able to present a lot of the information that the groups on the ground had been gathering for the past two and half weeks. They chose to show the “Montage” that was created by a local youth who lived across the Emory River from the disaster site.

United Mountain Defense set up a table in the lobby and distributed more than 1000 copies of the public education materials that we had previously printed.
After the lawyer’s presentation the microphone was opened to questions from the audience and comments from non profits that had been working in the area. United Mountain Defense volunteer staff person, Matt Landon, addressed the crowd to update them about the progress that United Mountain Defense had made with the Swan Pond community.

United Mountain Defense volunteers asked Erin Brokovich if she would be willing to make a donation to help pay for the heavy metal testing of the coal impacted residents. She agreed and United Mountain Defense will be following up with her tomorrow to find out how to get the check.

If you are a concerned resident of the Swan Pond community please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Jan 8, 2009

Dear folks,

(please repost to any and all news sources)
Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

United Mountain Defense fundraised $13,000 to pay for heavy metal screening of the coal impacted residents of the Swan Pond community in Harriman, TN. Twenty-one local residents showed up for testing today. The testing was performed by a Nashville company called Internal Balance owned by Tamara Mariea. Check out www.internalbalance.com

We need to raise at least $50,000 more dollars to pay for the testing of many other locals who can not afford to pay for the screenings which cost $500 a person. These tests are creating a baseline of data for the past and present exposure of these residents to heavy metals. The testing consists of whole blood analysis, hair samples, urine, and fecal samples. The staff of trained nurses also performed routine medical procedures including checking the heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure.

The results will take 7 days to come back from the lab. The next round of metal testing is set up for Tuesday and is open to anyone with $500. If you pay for your testing you MAY be able to receive a refund from your insurance company afterwards. The next round of testing will be Tuesday and we need to raise $50,000 for the number of residents that want and need to be tested. Many of these residents drank well water/ spring water, or live in the areas directly impacted by the coal ash disaster and may have been inhaling this coal ash since the disaster.

United Mountain Defense volunteers helped prepare the indoor space for the heavy metal screening space at 9:30 AM. There were 5 employees of Internal Balance who stayed from 10 AM until past 7 PM. Everyone showed a lot of patience and worked very hard to help the community on this day.

If you are a concerned resident of the Swan Pond community please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

4th report back from community meeting

2009-01-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI-3gMD1WfE

On Jan 3rd 2008 220 impacted residents of the TVA disaster gathered together to meet. During the meeting they broke into small groups so every single person got a chance to talk about their experience. They picked 1 person from each group to report back to the entire group. This is group number 4.

field report from Widow Creek blowout

2009-01-10T09:03:00.001-08:00

James and I arrived in Stevenson, AL at the Widows Creek TVA plant around 4p.m. and were met by police blockades at all access roads. The only vehicles passing through were security vehicles and pump trucks. We took a side route and asked directions to the creek from a resident who had not been informed of the rupture. We explored the area on foot to get a better idea of the layout of the creek and decided to attempt to drive in closer.

From a nearby hill, we could see excavators, dump trucks, and water trucks out in full force. Helicopters flew constantly overhead, either patrolling or giving media tours of selected areas. We were briefly followed by two security vehicles then questioned by a police officer at a fork in the road. One led to TVA property and one led to private property.

We took the private property route and met a very helpful landowner whose farm stretches for 100 acres around the creek, right up to the edge of TVA property. He guided us to the best entry point to access the center flow of the creek for sampling, about 300 yards from the dam. The property owner said he regularly tests the creek water but hadn't taken any samples since the dam began leaking. He said he hadn't noticed anything strange during his hunting walks near the creek. According to him, TVA hadn't released any information to local residents, but from what he could tell, the spill is "nothing like what happened in Kingston" and he had heard the ash was escaping through a sinkhole.

With little daylight left, James stripped down and waded 100 yards from the bank up to the edge of the strongest current. He immediately noticed a consistent coating of grayish, gritty dust on the surface of the water. Nearby trees were banded by five rings of the light gray substance, the highest band measuring 6" above the surface of the water. He collected nine water samples that contained a large amount of the debris.

As the sun set and the last sample was being taken, we heard the pump trucks start up nearby. It was clear they intended to work through the night. We thanked the landowner and got permission to return the next day to take photographs and hike closer to the edge of his property to take samples further upstream. On our way out, we were followed to the highway by an unmarked police car.

We have just secured a pair of chest-high waders and several more sample jars and intend on returning to the creek in the next couple of hours. We will try to take samples further upstream and also at the point where Widows Creek enters the Tennessee River.

Widow Creek photos from air

2009-01-10T07:48:00.000-08:00

http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/creekkeeper_2008/Widow%20Creek%20Ash%20Spill/

Here are pictures from a plane of the blowout.

3rd report back

2009-01-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

On Jan 3 2008 220 impacted residents came together to discuss among themselves the TVA's disaster. They broke into small groups and then picked one person to report back to the larger group. This is from the third group, part 1 and 2. Watch the videos and you see the themes.

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mV0ZxnXqBI

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrU0nVYeW3I

Thanks everyone !

2009-01-09T19:19:00.001-08:00

Baby getting tested for heavy metal and arsenic poisoning. The environmental community provided $13,000 for 26 scholarships so folks already burdened financially by their land values being totaled and unexpected expenses from TVA's disaster would not have to have an additional $500 burden to get immediate testing for heavy metal poisoning.

Thank you for everyone that contributed to make this possible--thought you might like to see some pictures of what your money was used for.

Tuesday we have a second clinic set up for free testing--at $500 per person we have raised enough for 3 more so far. This tuesday clinic will still be in the window.

map dam blow out

2009-01-09T19:04:00.001-08:00

Video 2 of community meeting reportback

2009-01-09T15:29:00.000-08:00

Over 220 people came to the community meeting on Jan 3rd 2008 regarding the TVA disaster. They broke into small groups and for the first time sat and talked about the disaster with each other as a group. Then they picked on person each group to report back. This is the second one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_VxVGW2_8c

UMD Donation Page now active on Facebook

2009-01-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/189206

If you would like to donate to United Mountain Defense, you can now also use our Facebook Causes page ("United Mountain Defense: Support the Swan Pond Recovery!") at the link above.

Second Ash Spill

2009-01-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

hot - can people please post any news links ASAP

http://tennessean.com/article/20090109/GREEN02/90109016

Second TVA coal ash pond ruptures
By ANNE PAINE • Staff Writer • January 9, 2009

Alabama environmental officials were on their way as of 10:15 a.m. Central Time to an spill at TVA's Widows Creek coal-fired power plant in northeastern Alabama.

TVA confirmed an ash-related spill at a second TVA plant, this time at its Widows Creek plant in northeastern Alabama.

“I had heard that that’s the case,” confirmed Barbara Martocci, TVA spokesman who was at the Kingston plant in Tennessee.

Scott Hughes, spokesman for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management said, “The only thing we’ve got right now is that there was a release from a gypsum treatment operation.”

“We do understand that some of the material has reached Widows Creek.”
The creek from which TVA’s coal burning plant gets its name, crosses the plant property. Gypsum is one of the byproducts when special filters capture and treat ash. It can be sold for use in wallboard, but markets have been slow and it like more standard ash can build up in waste ponds.

“We’re in the process of gathering more info and getting a full report."

Kingston is the scene of a TVA ash pond that ruptured: Early on the morning of Dec. 22, more than a billion gallons of sludge flowed out of the pond, damaging a dozen homes and creating environmental havoc along the Emory River.

The Widows Creek Fossil Plant is located on Guntersville Reservoir on the Tennessee River. It has eight coal-fired units and was completed in 1965. The plant consumes about 10,000 tons of coal a day. The ash from that coal was in the pond that broke there.

Community meeting Jan 3rd 2008

2009-01-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

Over 220 people came to the community meeting on Jan 3 2008 regarding the TVA disaster. They broke into small groups and for the first time sat and talked about the disaster with each other as a group. Then they picked on person each group to report back. This is the first one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA_XwsKQkjA

Jan 6, Jan 7, 2009 United Mtn Defense Updates from TVA Coal Ash Disaster

2009-01-08T20:25:00.001-08:00

Jan 7, 2009

Dear folks,
(please repost to any and all news sources)
Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Today was spent documenting flooding that occurred during last night. We witnessed one farm with flooding so bad that a barn had been overtaken and the house was being threatened by the flood as well. United Mountain Defense volunteers witnessed and documented what we thought were illegal discharges of contaminated water from a slue between Lake Shore Drive and Swan Pond Circle Dr directly into the Emory River. We saw a huge diesel pump moving water through a 12 inch pipe. This pipe was leaking water along the way thereby spreading the coal ash contamination. It was pretty crazy to see this discharge into the river. I interviewed a few TWRA employees about whether they knew about the discharge and if they knew if it was illegal and they would not comment on the situation. I understand that this is a disaster situation and there was the risk of flood waters rising but is this the best practice for the health and safety of all residents downstream?

We witnessed TVA contractors in amphibious machinery digging a trench to channel the backed up water directly into the Emory River as well. The channel was nearly complete and this tainted water would soon be flowing into the drinking water source for millions of downstream residents.

We met another resident, a Vietnam veteran, who had been ordered by his doctor to evacuate his home due to the coal ash disaster.

Just before the TVA claims office closed a United Mountain Defense volunteer went to file a claim about his health concerns from delivering bottled water and distributing free information to these coal impacted residents for two and half weeks now. He like many residents of Swan Pond had a scratchy throat, almost a sore throat. He also had a few headaches over the past week. He requested that TVA pay for heavy metal exposure testing for all of the residents who felt impacted by the coal ash disaster. The TVA representative was very polite and typed in the volunteer’s info but could not tell him when TVA would contact him or what the next steps would be to relieve the situation. The funniest thing happened after we left the building as one TVA employee ran around the office with his hand up to his eye like a telescope mimicking the camera that was taping the whole interaction at the TVA claims office. Obviously the stress of their job is to much for these TVA employees to handle and I am glad to see that they can find humor in our work.
I just learned that these folks were employed by an independent contractor and are not TVA employees. I also learned that due to lack of public participation that they may be shutting down the office after less than a week of being open. Thanks, TVA!
If you are a concerned resident of the Swan Pond community please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Jan 6, 2009

Dear folks,

(please repost to any and all news sources)
Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Mr. Graves called early to inform me about the dump trucks hauling fly ash off of the disaster site along Swan Pond Rd. He stated that the operators had not been washing the ash off of the trucks before leaving the disaster site. He stated that he knew for a fact that this was not up to regulations for hauling material out of an area that contained hazardous waste, such as a land fill. He also stated that the trucks were traveling uncovered. I instructed him to document the trucks through photographs or video and to call TDEC, TDOT, and the THP and file an official complaint. We got off the phone and began the day’s work.

We worked to consolidate a media caravan which consisted of a reporter from the Chattanooga Times Free Press, national NPR, and two independent press members.
We set up interviews with local coal impacted residents and gathered some coal ash samples. We spoke with residents who voiced concerns for their health and that of their families. We spoke with one lady who had to evacuate her grandson following a doctor’s orders. She couldn’t return to her home and TVA had not secured housing for her past Jan 9th.

Later in the evening United Mountain Defense volunteers attended both the TVA Town Hall Meeting at the Harriman United Methodist Church and the 2nd emergency meeting of the Kingston City Council.

The TVA Town Hall meeting was fairly interesting. Howie Rose of the Roane County Emergency Management Agency spoke first about the latest updates on the disaster situation. He answered questions from the audience. When asked about the ash coming off the tires of the dump trucks he stated that the trucks would begin to be decontaminated from here on out. When a follow up question asked what the trucks were contaminated with he stated, fly ash. When asked if fly ash was a contaminant he stated that it was just mud.

Next up was Tom Kilgore, TVA’s CEO. Kilgore faced an edgy audience as these coal impacted residents moved into week three of the spill. Their nerves were becoming frayed as TVA had broken promise upon promise in helping to deal with the clean up in a responsible way. A joke was made about Kilgore being a lot better off if he had retired last year. He laughed. Kilgore seemed to back peddle on the promise of “making like it was before” by stating that TVA was considering leveling and sculpting the coal ash and capping it off with soil and grass. He suggested that the area would be a pleasant park with a few streams flowing through it. What he didn’t explain was that this park would continue to pollute the Emory River and the surrounding ground water supply for hundreds of years if left in place.

There were a few audience members who asked some very good questions that were to hard for Kilgore to answer. Kilgore seemed to dance around many of the questions and stated that he didn’t know or refused to answer many others. When an audience member asked if TVA would pay for community members to be tested for heavy metal exposure, Kilgore stated that any resident would need to go to the TVA claims office and TVA would decided if they had been impacted. When Kilgore was asked how TVA would define "impacted" he stated that it would be the people living closest to the spill site. Kilgore quickly passed the microphone to someone else as the crowd began to bear down on him. If I didn’t know any better I would say that this community meeting would have broken out into a boxing match if there had not been Harriman police on the scene. I guess that it also helped that it was held in a church. So Kilgore was pretty smart in that he passed all questions of water quality to the EPA representatives.

After the meeting I had a chance to speak with a representative of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation about when they would have any public hearings on the discharges that TVA was making into the Emory River. I was told that a few of the permits had been issued under special emergency permitting powers. I was told that there had never been an “Emergency Aquatic Resources Alteration Permit” issued in TN at least that this TDEC official could remember. When I asked if the citizens could get a public hearing after a permit was issued he looked at me with a puzzled face. Of course I was being serious. So I was also questioned about why United Mountain Defense had moved out of the mountains to begin working in this community. I explained that since we had had so much success working with coal mining communities over the past 5 years and that we had been training over that span of time for such an event that it made sense for us to travel 30 minutes to lend a hand.

The success that United Mountain Defense has been able to have in helping facilitate the development of local leadership is directly attributed to our training and on the ground experience. We did not come in like cowboys and cowgirls with guns non violently blazing. We came to Harriman with a very humble approach and a very simple message. We want to test all of this coal ash and water and we want to learn from the locals so that we can help educate and protect the health of the community and the environment. Simple message and simple organizing.
If you are a resident of the Swan Pond community please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

New Test results are in!

2009-01-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

Hey yall,

We just got the results in from a certified local lab of two days of testing wells, water--the river and the sludge.

UMD is matching the sample numbers with the exact sample location. We also have sent it to out of state scientist to prepare statements as to what it means.

We are shooting to release it tomorrow. Before we send it to any press or anyone else we will put it out on the list we set up for residents who have been effected--then we will post it to roane views--then we will put it on this blog--then we will release it to the media as is our policy to make all of our information available to the residents first.

We will get it to the residents first--but we are double checking everything so we don't release inaccurate facts.

Places where we have tested so far

2009-01-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a map. Tonight we hope to have a google maps up.

montage of lake before and after ash blowout

2009-01-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Updates and Requests from United Mountain Defense

2009-01-05T18:13:00.000-08:00

After this past Saturday's community meeting that United Mountain Defense helped organize in cooperation with the Swan Pond residents we learned that 100 % of the coal impacted residents are still in shock that this event happened and they are all stressed out. More than 230 Swan Pond community members attended. Here are some of the projects that United Mountain Defense has been working on for the past two weeks.

We have distributed more than 250 gallons of bottled water to coal ash impacted residents. Our volunteers have distributed over 10 documents outlining the potential dangers of coal fly ash to more than 400 hundred local residents inlcuding Fly Ash Material Saftey Data Sheets. We have been taking water and coal ash samples since day 1 of the spill. We have 4 rounds of samples in various certified labs and are awaiting the test results. We have been training local residents in our protocols so that they to can gather samples and send them to labs for testing. We have distributed the first round of water quality information that Applachain Voices and the River Keepers shared with us.

We have posted regular updates on our blog dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com, website- www.unitedmountaindefense.org, and the local progressive blog at roaneviews.com. We helped the impacted residents organize the first community meeting of the coal impacted residents of the Swan Pond community. At the request of the community we are setting up biometric sampling of residents who drank ground water or stayed in the area for a few days after the coal ash spill. We have distributed petitions for the Agency for Toxic Sustances and Disease Registry to the coal impacted residents in an effort to get an outside agency to help access and address the communities health risks and concerns.

We will continue to work with this coal impacted community to figure out what they need and want and help them continue to develop their own community group so that United Mountain Defense can take a step back. We are working hard to work ourselves out of this job.

The following is a list of requests of United Mountain Defense from the greater environmental community.

Request 1- That all the environmental groups across the country and world please use this disaster as a means to their ends. United Mountain Defense understands that this disaster can be a huge turning point for the coal industry and we have been working hard to make sure and document TVA's response. Feel free to use any of our videos and online information to help out with this work. Please credit United Mountain Defense.

Request 2- United Mountain Defense needs more funding and support from other non profits and foundations. We need funding for bottled water, personal protective equipment for residents and on the ground volunteers, biometric sampling of impacted residents, air quality monitoring, and water quality monitoring. United Mountain Defense is a tiny non profit and the only way that we have had as much success as we have had is because we have been training our volunteers for the past 5 years to deal with a situation like this one and our volunteers were willing to spend the holidays away from our families to help deal with this disaster.

Request 3- United Mountain Defense wants to work with other non profits on this disaster because we don't have a lot of funding, BUT we want to get credit for our ground work with all your future funders, in all your press releases, and with the environmental community as a whole. Please do not cut United Mountain Defense out of the history books as we helped deal with TVA's coal ash disaster of Dec 22, 2008.

Request 4- United Mountain Defense requests funding for water monitoring.

Request 5- United Mountain Defense needs a paid staff person. United Mountain Defense has done all this work with a dedicated volunteer force. Some of our volunteer force is becoming very concerned about paying the utility bills for the volunteer supported Volunteer House.

Thanks for your time and effort and let's please find a way to work together. If you have any questions, concerns, have special skills to volunteer or would like to donate money or other resources please contact United Mountain Defense at 865 689 2778.

Thanks, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Jan 4, Jan 5, 2009 United Mtn Defense and TVA Coal Ash Disaster

2009-01-05T18:04:00.000-08:00

Jan 5, 2009

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Members of the Knoxville and Ashville Independent Media attended the TVA press conference today. They were armed with a list of "14 Questions TVA will not answer."

14 Questions TVA will not answer

When will TVA pay for urinalysis for heavy metals and other health concerns of local citizens?

When will TVA release the test results about what is in the coal ash pile?

When will the emergency response personnel be given maps of the new driving routes into the impacted communities?

When will the 50 or more people without phone service be provided with cell phones paid for by TVA?

When will the clean up workers become aware of the health risks of working with coal ash?

When will TVA release their Material Safety Data Sheets for the coal fly ash?

When will TVA provide HEPA air filters to the impacted residents?

When was the Red Cross contacted and when were they told not to come?

When will people get air quality results?

When will TVA put air monitoring equipment in each impacted neighborhood and home?

How much will TVA pay the county for road repair?

When will all residents receive personal protection equipment?

Why can a small non profit named United Mountain Defense do water testing and get the results back to the community before TVA, EPA, and TDEC?

What is TVA doing to make sure that the other coal ash ponds are not going to burst?

United Mountain Defense volunteer staff person, Matt Landon, did another 30 minute radio interview with a radio station in Vermont.

United Mountain Defense volunteers also tried to make connections with the Bucket Brigade in order to facilitate the startup of a citizen air quality monitoring program.

A good portion of energy was spent working to secure funds for biometric testing of residents impacted by the coal ash disaster. We are trying to locate residents who drank the ground water for a few days after the disaster and may or may not have vomited after doing so.

There is no shortage of a need for project funding. United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 and we are seeking funding or co-sponsoring organizations to help fund personal protection equipment, bottled water, independent air and water monitoring, and biometric testing of impacted residents.

If you are a resident of the Swan Pond community please contact us at 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Jan 4, 2009

Dear folks,

(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Today volunteers from United Mountain Defense were in the field bright and early gathering samples of water from the Emory River and coal ash samples along Swan Pond Circle Rd. The river water samples were gathered near the disaster site and at 1/4 intervals downstream of the disaster site. United Mountain Defense volunteers also gathered samples upstream from the disaster site on the Emory River.

United Mountain Defense volunteers were accompanied by a local resident whom we had met on the previous afternoon at the Swan Pond community meeting. This resident observed and received training in the scientific protocols that we were using to gather the samples. This resident also gathered a separate sample for independent testing by a relative.

United Mountain Defense volunteers wore respirators that may or may not have helped filter out the fine particles of coal ash that may have been floating in the air.

As the water monitoring began United Mountain Defense volunteer staff person, Matt Landon did a radio interview with the Talking Feather radio show in Vermont. He also dedicated a portion of the radio interview to a local resident who was on site as well.

United Mountain Defense volunteers then attended a planning meeting where we figured out a plan of action for the next few days. This has been our action plan to date. We are currently using our training to the best of our ability, following our intuition, and listening to the concerns and needs of the local residents.

If you are a coal impacted resident of the Swan Pond community and have questions, concerns, or need some assistance please call 865 689 2778.

If you can make a donation of money or other resources please send a check to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or use our PayPal account at www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Till then, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Jan 1, Jan 2, Jan 3, 2009 updates TVA Coal Ash Disaster

2009-01-05T15:45:00.000-08:00

Jan 3, 2009

Dear folks,
(please post to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Public meeting
Today was spent preparing for the first public meeting organized by local residents and United Mountain Defense volunteers for the residents of Swan Pond Rd. United Mountain Defense volunteers awoke bright and early and headed down to the American Legion Hall in Harriman, TN. The meeting was set to begin at 1 PM and last until 4 PM. We had invited people to bring a dish for a potluck style meal. United Mountain Defense volunteers were greeted by local coal impacted residents already hard at work at 10 AM. We began to set up chairs borrowed from a local church and prepared the space for the mass of people we hoped would attend. By 12 PM there were 42 cups of coffee brewed with another 42 brewing. There was a bustle of last minute set up details before the crowds began to arrive. By 12:30 PM the local Swan Pond organizers began to greet the earliest community members who came to attend the meeting. By 12:45 PM the American Legion Hall was filling up fast. The sitting room began to fill up quickly by this point. Sons and grandsons told their mothers and grandmothers to find a seat before they were all gone. By 1 PM the hall was packed and the meeting began.

There were short introductions of the first two speakers and the United Mountain Defense volunteers who had been working on the ground since day 1 of the spill. In an effort to make residents feel more comfortable with sharing their feelings and concerns there was a no media policy in place. United Mountain Defense did get permission from the residents to video tape the speakers so that the information could be shared with impacted residents who could not make it to the meeting. Everyone agreed that this was an important role that United Mountain Defense could play for those residents.

The first speaker was Lisa Graves-Marcucci from Forward Township, PA. Her community had a coal ash disaster back in 2005. They didn’t have any game plan to follow to resolve the issue, so they researched and created one which other communities could use. The information that she shared was very informative. She suggested that the community members should all be wearing respirators and taking as many precautions as possible in order to protect their health. She also suggested that the Swan Pond residents sign a petition to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in order to get an outside regulatory agency other than TVA, EPA, and TDEC involved in the investigation to help provide some more oversight of the situation. She suggested that the residents request TVA’s Material Safety Data Sheets for Coal Fly Ash. She also suggested that workers at TVA wear respirators and protective gear and that these residents should be provided the same level of protection as the TVA workers.

The next speaker was Dr. Dan Volz. He is a doctor who has been studying coal fly ash for years now. He gave a presentation about some of the dangers that coal ash poses to the local residents through their well and spring water and air. He encouraged them to err on the side of safety and suggested that he would not enter the area without proper safety equipment including a respirator.
When the Dr. finished speaking we had a brainstorming session with the whole crowd to figure out what were their major concerns. After the brainstorming we broke the crowd into four smaller groups for further discussion. The discussion groups worked through the brainstormed questions, gave a voice and written comments to their concerns, and began working on solutions to the problems their community was now facing.

The small discussion group that I facilitated provided a very informative interaction. After being on the ground since Dec 22, 2008 I began to see that I had a lot in common with many of these local residents, most notably sore throats, itchy eyes, and stress from the coal ash disaster.
I think that the reality of the situation became a little more real to me today after hearing the presentations of Lisa Graves-Marcucci and Dr. Volz. I am going to start wearing my respirator from now on whenever I am in the immediate area of this disaster site.

After the small group discussions we had report backs from one coal impacted representative of each discussion group. These brave souls spoke in front of the video camera. They expressed the concerns of the residents in their groups. Out of the four speakers there were many of the same concerns and some different solutions. I could hear the voices of local organizers bursting through the seams of the concerned citizens as they called for mobilization of their neighbors who were not present at the meeting. There were calls of not forgetting or being pacified into submission by TVA. These residents were calling for more regulation of TVA. They were calling for more protection of their health. They were calling for change and for more community focus.

The next presentation was made by a lawyer who had represented the community members of Forward Township, PA after their coal ash disaster. He had a strong personality that came through during his description of how his law firm would “make TVA do the right thing.” He stated that TVA would be forced to follow the laws of TN. He suggested hiring outside consultants to observe and micromanage TVA’s cleanup efforts to make sure they did the job correctly.

The final presentation was made by a panel of lawyers whom United Mountain Defense’s staff attorney, Chris Irwin, had screened to make sure that each law firm was not trying to pull a fast one on these stressed coal impacted residents. It was an interesting discussion with each lawyer advertising themselves in the best light possible. Even though some of these lawyers were from huge law firms with lots of money they did not know much about the situation on the ground or the laws of TN. A few of the lawyers had worked with coal impacted residents of other states and had a better grasp on the situation. It was a good time for the community to compare and contrast the different lawyer’s approaches as they had to sell their services to a large audience of potential clients. This approach made a few of the lawyers uncomfortable as they were used to one on one interactions where they could wine and dine their clients behind closed doors. The approach that United Mountain Defense provided gave all the power to the coal impacted residents to decide what questions to ask and collectively learn from the lawyers and each other.

The meeting ran till nearly 5 PM and people became a bit anxious to leave and make dinner or feed their livestock before it became dark. Upon dispersal there was an excitement in the air at the success of the event. This REAL public meeting was so different from the emergency Kingston City Council Meeting that happened last Sunday. 220 coal impacted residents got a chance to learn some detailed information about the possible impacts from coal fly ash on their health, water, and environment. They got a chance to speak their minds. They got a chance to hear what their neighbors thought about the disaster. They got a chance to see they were not alone. There was talk of next steps and of knocking on their neighbors doors to let them know about the possible dangers. There was talk of not letting the country forget TVA’s disaster in Harriman. There was talk of MAKING TVA clean it up correctly. I think that for the first time I saw a community that was becoming mobilized. It was an important day. I feel fortunate to have been a part of it.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

Please make donations of money and resources to United Mountain Defense at P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or online at our PayPal account.

Thank you, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Jan 2, 2009

Dear folks,
(please repost to all news sources)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

On the previous day United Mountain Defense volunteers learned that TVA was holding a press conference at a location called the Joint Information Center (JIC) where TVA would be inviting the media to attend for the latest updates. After receiving the first round of water monitoring data United Mountain Defense created a press release about the information. The United Mountain Defense volunteers awoke at 6 AM because they were so excited about attending the 8 AM press conference. Upon finding the location of the press conference they learned that it would not occur until 11 AM. At this point the United Mountain Defense volunteers contacted their friends in the Knoxville Independent Media Collective to inform them of the press conference. United Mountain Defense volunteers made sure to hand off the press releases to un affiliated free lance writers who were planning on attending the press conference. At 10:30 AM representatives of Knoxville Indy Media showed up and began setting up video cameras. They were there early enough to catch on film the free lance writers distributing United Mountain Defense’s press release to the press. This brave free lance writer then began to line each chair with the press release. When this action was brought to the attention of Gil Francis, TVA’s PR man, he began to freak out. He threatened to kick the free lance writer out of the press conference by summoning the local police. Of course the free lance writer was a member of the press and Gil could not kick him out as he was not causing any problems. The writer took his seat as the press conference began. TVA, EPA, TDEC, and local emergency officials, and the Mayor of Kingston all spoke about the safety of the coal ash and the drinking water. Out of all these agencies EPA was the only one that said that this coal ash could be toxic to humans. After the TVA presentation the press began to grill them about the water quality info that they had in their hands that showed arsenic levels between 35-300 times higher than safe drinking water levels. All of the officials stated that they could not comment on the independent test results as they had not had time to review them. TDEC stated they wanted to look at more independent water monitoring data.

After the TVA press conference a representative of United Mountain Defense was available for an interview and spoke about the work of training citizen water monitors and that this was just the first round of water quality data. This United Mountain Defense representative commented that it was interesting that a small non profit could take samples five days after the disaster happened and get the data out to the public before TVA, EPA, and TDEC could even though these government agencies had been taking samples since day one.

TVA invited all the press to a site visit after the press conference. The Knoxville Independent Media decided to go on this site visit to see first hand what was happening down there. The Knoxville Independent Media representative had to present his press credentials and there was some question about whether he would be allowed on site. After some discussion he was granted another open invitation from Gil Francis, TVA’s PR man. After getting suited up with hard hats, safety glasses, and orange vests the press was led up the side of the coal ash containment pond. Upon walking up the still stable side of the coal ash pile the press was granted a view of total destruction. There was lots of machinery rolling around on the site moving coal ash piles. There were bulldozers rolling over spongy soil which used to be part of the coal ash pile, most likely an old spring or part of the flood plane for the Emory River. The press also witnessed coal ash being trucked around on site to be piled where the water could be drained off and re routed to other containment areas. The railroad was cleared, all of the ties were stacked to the side and new rail was being laid. TVA expects the rail line to be operating by Jan 11, 2009 so that they could begin importing coal once again. After learning about the coal ash disaster the press was escorted back down the hill and stomped through the coal ash muck on the work road. Once we were back in the temporary media parking lot the Knoxville Independent Media reporter asked Gil Francis if the mud on his boots was safe. Gil Francis stated that this was just mud and that it was safe. He said that he had been walking around in it for almost two weeks with no problems.

Later in the afternoon the United Mountain Defense volunteers moved our base of operations to the mega lake house alpha.

So the work is continuing here. We have been distributing free information to the coal impacted residents of the Swan Pond community in Harriman, TN. We have been gathering water and coal ash samples. We expect our next round of sample data to be available next week.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

Please make donations of money and resources to United Mountain Defense at P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or online at our PayPal account.

Thank you, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Jan 1, 2009

Dear folks,
(please repost far and wide to all online news sources and blogs)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/
Check out http://www.roaneviews.com/
Check out Swan Pond Resident: http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/

Today started out with some of the best news that we have had since entering the disaster zone of what used to be the isolated community of Swan Pond near Harriman, TN. We learned that there were a number of local residents who had organized themselves to distribute flyers about Saturday’s public meeting.

United Mountain Defense volunteers saw our first TVA air monitoring station next to the coal burning power plant while we were delivering announcements about the public meeting. We need to mobilize the Bucket Brigade so that we can do independent monitoring of the air quality in the area.

After entering the Lakeshore Drive neighborhood to distribute meeting announcements, United Mountain Defense volunteers were harassed by the Roane County police even though we had papers and identification showing we were allowed to be there in the community. The officer told the volunteers that we needed to stay in our homes. The United Mountain Defense volunteers witnessed clean up crews wearing personal protection equipment.

Later in the afternoon United Mountain Defense volunteers learned that the first round of water quality data had come back from the laboratory. The water quality results showed very hot levels of arsenic and heavy metals. The United Mountain Defense volunteers began calling all the local contacts we had made over the past week and half to inform them about the test results before informing the media. This was a promise that we made as we traveled around within this community and we planned on fulfilling it.

If you are a resident impacted by TVA's coal ash disaster please contact us at 865 689 2778.

Please make donations of money and resources to United Mountain Defense at P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 or online at our PayPal account.

Thank you, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Dec 30 and Dec 31, 2008 Updates TVA Coal Ash Disaster

2009-01-05T15:37:00.001-08:00

Dec 31, 2008

(Please repost to all online news sources and blogs)

Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out roaneviews.com

Dear folks,
This holiday season has been like one I have never experienced. Today is New Year’s Eve and as people drink themselves into stupors United Mountain Defense volunteers are working tirelessly to help the people of Harriman, TN. This morning United Mountain Defense full time volunteer staff person, Matt Landon gave a 15 minute interview on Democracy Now. United Mountain Defense has been on the ground since day 1 to share the real story with the world and will continue to do so. Early this morning we had an overly enthusiastic water monitoring volunteer who set out to gather another round of water and coal sludge samples and was detained by local police and verbally warned not to enter the area again or risk arrest. Later today our volunteers gathered more samples of well and spring water along Swan Pond Road. We learned that the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has begun testing all the wells they know of within a 4 mile radius of the coal ash disaster site.

We also coordinated our efforts with local coal impacted residents. We are still meeting directly impacted residents who have not been contacted by TVA or its representatives. United Mountain Defense volunteers observed and recorded independent contractors wearing personal protective suits today as they took samples of the coal ash right from resident’s back yards. Although many of these contractors require all of their employees to wear these suits even in non toxic situations it definitely raised some red flags for us and local residents who knew this day would come soon. Because of the lack of rain and the lake water displaced by the coal ash this muck is beginning to dry out and crack along the edges. This is the single incident that many of the coal impacted residents feared most after surviving the initial coal ash tsunami. TVA promised to install sprinklers to keep the coal ash wet and we have not seen any sprinklers installed yet.
The following is an update from a United Mountain Defense volunteer

December 31, 2008

Because Governor Bredesen didn’t show up to the directly impacted area, we instead documented TVA activities and interviewed local citizens with the assistance of other local residents.

We first went down and talked to a few cousins living in the area. They were both very concerned and pissed off about the situation, so we decided to interview both of them as if they were talking to their representatives who were currently safely in the hands of TVA across the river. We interviewed an informative and emotionally intense man speaking in front of the sludge spill and then his cousin. We plan to send their plea to their TN reps. via DVD and we’ll be putting both testimonies on line (after editing).

One local was extremely concerned about water and test results and I promised I’d get any info to him as soon as possible. Tons of his relatives live in the area.
We also observed folks in personal protective suits across the river near the plant, working in the coal ash. We filmed them and will have that footage on line as soon as possible (tonight?). We also observed folks on the peninsula in that ruined section of the Emory River setting up weirs or something. One of the companies working in that area was Hepaco (www.hepaco.com). All the workers we saw had one-piece suits covering their entire bodies for protection. Some, I believe, were covering their heads and faces as well.

We traveled around the other side of Swan Pond Circle Road (on the other side of the Emory inlet) and got some “great” views of the wasteland. We took lots of photos and got some footage. The heaviest work we could see going on was at the railroad. There was a huge tube snaking across the landscape maybe sucking up sludge. Along Swan Pond Circle Road there was a bunch of upturned earth that indicated a pipe for water had been inserted to go out to residents. At the spot where the road had been destroyed TVA had built an alternate road cutting through some people’s yards for school buses to get through and such. A local resident said that when she had visited this area at the end of the road about a week ago her eyes had watered up.

The previous report is one of many stories that United Mountain Defense volunteers have lived through, written about, and shared with the world.
This is an important time right now. After some phone calls yesterday to TVA we have learned that they may be trying to re write history by changing the facts about what has occurred here on the ground. Please, Please, Please help us here. The national media has dropped the story. Though we did learn there will be a Senate Committee Hearing on Jan 8th at 10am in Washington, DC. Please get the word to all of the representatives who sit on this panel about the destruction that has occurred down here. We are getting some word of the water samples taken from the Emory River by the brave River Keepers and they say the numbers are almost off the charts. It is incredible how little the public is being told.

Here’s how you can help. We need funds. We need funds for 50 disposable cell phones for a whole coal impacted neighborhood which will not regain phone service for 6 weeks. We need tanker trucks of fresh water. We need personal protective gear for volunteers and coal impacted residents. We need funds for gas, copies, and clean bottled water. The cheapest water we have found is .79 a gallon at Food City. We need wireless web cams to monitor onsite work. Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated and we will make every dollar stretch as far as possible.
United Mountain Defense is an all volunteer run 501c3 non profit.
You can also help by reposting all of our info to everyplace on the web. Please write letters to the editor. Please hold a fund raiser, bake sale, dance party, house party.

If you are a coal impacted resident of Harriman, TN understand that you are not alone. Please call 865 689 2778.

Thank you, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Dec 30, 2008
(please repost to all online news sources and blogs)

Dear folks,
Check out www.unitedmountaindefense.org
Check out dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
Check out roaneviews.com

United Mountain Defense volunteers collected samples of well water and spring water from Swan Pond Rd. These samples were sent off to an independent laboratory in the Southeast. Because of the holiday season we are not sure how quickly we will get the results back.

United Mountain Defense volunteers continue to speak with the coal impacted residents on a daily basis to find out which of our approaches are working and which ones are ineffective. Many citizens have become mobilized to speak out and some are beginning to organize and coordinate their efforts.

United Mountain Defense volunteers made the biggest stack of copies to date spending more than $300 on copies of public outreach and safety materials. We have been soliciting donations of water and safety equipment.
United Mountain Defense volunteers called Governor Bredesen repeatedly to remind him that we haven’t seen hide nor hair of him for over 9 days since the coal ash disaster occurred.

If you are a resident impacted by the coal ash disaster? Please call 865 689 2778
Thank you, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Hi all,

I saw some chatter on email that people were looking for pictures. here's a gallery with an initial edit of four days work on the ground in Harriman, TN.

I'm working on a broader edit now, will let you know.

for specific requests, please email me directly at antrim@antrimcaskey.com or call me in west virginia at 304 854 7372

very best
antrim

To view this gallery, please follow this link:
http://pa.photoshelter.com/invite/g/U0000QAdggq72zpk/G0000TKIBm80gDNE/2bcf0b8706b7

heavy metal screening for residents of Harriman

2009-01-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-5427e665.html

Everyone--apparently there is a window on heavy metal and arsenic screening for people. At the community meeting we had last night we had a Ph.d from Penn talk about this window. A Nashville Chemist who was there immediately offered to help set up immediate screening for the residents of swan pond and others in the effected area. When we asked up we had over 20 folks ask for testing.

Its going to cost about $700 per person. TVA should pay for this test--they should be DOING these test--but they are not--so we are trying to organize it. Actually we are going to send a bill to TVA for all of our testing cost so far. CEO Kilgore did promise to pay for all the needed testing--we are going to submit a bill to TVA but need cash now.

Hair follicle, nails--full test. This is really important in that it sets baselines for some exposure and will also tell who has been exposed to what in 7 days.

HEEELLLPPPPPP! UMD is a scrappy non profit that resist strip mining in the Appalachians--we are way out of our budget on this.

The non profit community is pretty much tapped from all the testing of the actual sludge that spilled. Its about 14k we need for this testing.

To help we advise local residents to go to primary physicians and have them write a letter prescribing this testing--if you have insurance this will help.

The folks who live in this area have been economically devastated by this disaster. There land values are now non existent, they now have to pay for city water, their work schedule is blown and they are having to pay for tons of unexpected cost. UMD is asking for help so the 700 bucks for this isn't yet another burden for them to bare.

Why does our little enviro non profit have to scrape up cash for basic medical evaluations of the exposed victims to this disaster? Why hasn't these test been done three times already with more testing weekly?

At least when Katrina totaled New Orleans help eventually came.

If you have any ideas or can help pay this email unitedmountaindefens@yahoo.com

We don't want to touch a penny of it--you can pay the lab tech yourself.

If all we can pay for is one person that one person will get tested.

unitedmountaindefense@yahoo.com

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-5427e665.html

TVA NASA pics

2009-01-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

"The Thematic Mapper on NASA’s Landsat 5 satellite captured these images of the Kingston Fossil Plant and its surroundings on November 20, 2008, a month before the spill (bottom); and December 22, 2008, immediately after the spill, (top)."

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=36352

Local Residents describe and speak out about blowout

2009-01-03T16:49:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fR_R6qaqv0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9tzkv3B9E0

TDEC file on Ash Dam now online

2009-01-02T12:37:00.001-08:00

If you are here to look at the latest sample results its on the post beneath this one.

Tues we went in and copied almost all of TDECs huge file on the Ash Dam and Power plant. A law firm turned it all into pdfs for us. They are below--free download--tons of maps, official documents--everything. We haven't even looked at them cause we (United Mountain Defense) are so busy right now--so we decided to post it so everyone in the world can do it. No one else has this data or is offering it like this to everyone.

1 http://www.datafilehost.com/download-9de675f9.html

2. http://www.datafilehost.com/download-0f07c7de.html

3. http://www.datafilehost.com/download-04234c2b.html

4. http://www.datafilehost.com/download-c2a49796.html

5. http://www.datafilehost.com/download-a9cd0294.html

6. http://www.datafilehost.com/download-d6dd228c.html

7. http://www.datafilehost.com/download-70b1a817.html

8. http://www.datafilehost.com/download-c50455e7.html

9. http://www.datafilehost.com/download-98accf81.html

data from first round of testing

2009-01-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-ea7c2f75.html

Press release from Appalachian Voices

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-0dd8b79f.html

United Mountain Defense has stated that unlike TVA we will be as transparent as possible and make our methods and test available to the residents whose lives have been impacted first-- rather than forth or fifth-- as they have been treated by TVA.

We do wonder though why it is a tiny non profit like ours can round up new samples, get data (with allot of help from friends) and make it quickly available to the general public while a big utility seemingly cannot.

UMD welcomes and invites scrutiny of the test we report. We are using several independent labs and scientists and will have more test data from all over the site available about once a week.

This is the first of that data.

Thank you so much Appalachian Voices for answering our call for help and science literally days after xmas while many were on holiday. Thank you to everyone, especially the local impacted community--for your acceptance and help in this project.

Data of first App Voice samples

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-ea7c2f75.html

Press release from Appalachian Voices

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-0dd8b79f.html

"High levels of toxic heavy metals are present in samples taken from the Kingston Fossil Plant ash spill in Harriman, TN, independent testing shows."

"Concentrations of eight toxic chemicals range from twice to 300 times higher than drinking water limits, according to scientists with Appalachian State University who conducted the tests."

From press release

Video of sample trip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ats3dClc0No

USEFUL EPA SITE ON COAL ASH

2009-01-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/industrial/special/fossil/index.htm

Thank you to the person who sent the link in.

This Friday photo exhibit at World Grotto

2009-01-01T07:28:00.001-08:00

Please forward far and wide.

Friday the doors will open at 5pm for folks to come and view high resolution photos of the TVA disaster shot from the ground and the air.

Also images will be projected and folks will be available to talk with about the on the ground situation.

This is one of the largest ecological disasters in the history of North America.

At the World Grotto in Knoxville Tennessee on Market Square.

http://www.worldgrotto.com/

Free and all are welcome to attend.

contact unitedmountaindefense@yahoo.com
865 257 4029
unitedmountaindefense.org

for more information

More on the ground pictures.

2009-01-01T07:09:00.000-08:00

http://pa.photoshelter.com/gallery-show/G0000TKIBm80gDNE

First round of independant test results

2008-12-31T20:33:00.000-08:00

Hey I wrote today that we had some test results--it was premature.

I spoke with the folks who tested the samples and they are being good scientist and adhering to protocol. They have a Ph d. who reviews the results and they make sure of all the results and protocol before releasing results that can be completely depended on. Upon chatting with them I realized impatient as I am for independent data that I prefer for good science practices to speed.

We have been assured that the moment the results are verified to release them to UMD first so we can post them to this blog.

Our intention is to make this information available to the residents of Swan Pond road and the surrounding effected residents BEFORE the media and TVA. The folks who have dealt with this disaster have been the last to know to many times and UMD is committed to letting them be the first for once.

The folks conducting the test are in agreement with this philosophically.

So we beg everyones patience while the results are verified. We fully expect for the environmental communties samples to be closely examined--and intend to present them for full inspection.

All next week we should be getting results from a Knoxville lab as well--those results will be posted once they are processed as well.

In essence this is what happened

2008-12-30T18:33:00.000-08:00

This picture really does tell the story. TVA's towers now spill into the water as well as the air. Its like they turned the towers into the river and pumped 40 years of waste into a water supply.

Thank you river keeper for taking the pics and southwings for flying us over.

Dec 29th flyover

2008-12-30T18:21:00.000-08:00

These pictures fascinate me. I believe it to be the confluence of the Emory with the Clinch. Look at how the Emory looks completely saturated with ash. This is a high res picture and it appears that the Ash predictably has absorbed water and made kinda a slurry.

Please correct me if I am wrong about the location.

Travel of Plume downstream Southwings flyover Dec 29th

2008-12-30T18:15:00.000-08:00

Anyone for a swim?

Thanks Southwings!

Travel of plume downstream Southwings flight Dec 29th 2008

2008-12-30T18:11:00.000-08:00

Thanks Southwings!

TVA check point trouble

2008-12-30T17:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuS-IUgB-c4

Dec 29th flyover footage from UMD

2008-12-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjuD6IodQL8

Thank you Southwings!
http://www.southwings.org/

Protester marches outside TVA’s Chattanooga headquarters

2008-12-30T17:27:00.000-08:00

http://timesfreepress.com/news/2008/dec/30/protester-marches-outside-tvas-chattanooga-headqua/?breakingnews

Standing outside the TVA headquarters on Market Street, Sheila Brock of Chattanooga is sandwiched between two florescent-yellow posterboards which discuss the dangers of fly ash.

“I don’t protest, I’m just a mom. This is not like what I do,” said Mrs. Brock, the lone protester at TVA Tuesday. “But I’m just angry and people need to wake up. This is their environment.”

Last week, one billion gallons of fly ash sludge spilled through a ruptured earthen dam near Kingston, Tenn. Mrs. Brock said she was moved to action when she heard a politician on TV Tuesday morning declare the area safe.

“It killed the fish! It killed the fish!” she exclaimed. “If it killed the fish, what’s it going to do to you?”

TVA officials said Tuesday that the most recent results of water sampling near the ash release area indicate that the concentrations of sampled contaminants either met or were below detection levels established by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to protect fish and aquatic life.

Mrs. Brock said she raised her family in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, in which fly ash from coal stacks of the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. was known to take paint off cars. When neighbors started falling ill from cancer and other diseases, she said the family moved to South Florida to escape the environmental contaminants.

“Honestly, I don’t understand why there’s not more people out here,” Mrs. Brock said, “why they’re not outraged that they’re lying to them. They’re not telling them how dangerous this is, what an environmental travesty this is.”

For complete details, see tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Local Residents need disposable cell phones for emergencies

2008-12-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Dear folks,

About 50 residents near Swan Pond Cirlce Rd won't have phone service for 6 weeks according to the local phone utility. They are coal ash impacted residents and they can't call the TVA impacted citizen hotline or call their friends or family. There are elderly residents who can't get out much and they have no way to know what is happening other than through speaking with United Mountain Defense volunteers. If you could please donate a working cell phone with minutes to a coal impacted resident please contact us.
The cheapest cell phones that we found were at Walmart. They were $10 for the phone and up to $90 for unlimited phone minutes. United Mountain Defense will deliver these phones to the coal impacted residents.

Please send phones to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920

Thank you for your time,

Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Dec 29, 2008 United Mtn Defense, TVA Coal Ash Disaster, South Wings Flyover

2008-12-29T21:14:00.000-08:00

Dear folks,

December 29, 2008

(please repost to any and all news sources and blogs)

http://dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com/

www.unitedmountaindefense.org

http://www.roaneviews.com/

It seems that some of the national media has finally gotten back from Christmas break. United Mountain Defense volunteers helped connect these national media sources with local residents who wanted to share their stories. We met with ABC, Truthout.org, GQ, and the Appalachian PBS series. United Mountain Defense volunteers performed water monitoring tests during the television interviews.

So after the first week of TVA’s Coal Ash Disaster the local residents are not much better off than when this first happened. Yesterday’s emergency public meeting in Kingston left many of the most directly affected Harriman community members without time to voice their concerns. And TVA has still not spoken with many of the most impacted residents.

United Mountain Defense volunteers videotaped an hour of interviews with local coal impacted residents. Our volunteers took sludge samples near Lakeshore Drive. Our volunteers also gathered samples of dead fish and other freshwater organisms to turn into a local laboratory. The Geiger counter that we used showed one reading of 130 CPM.

We noticed that the coal ash is beginning to dry out with cracks forming in some areas. We witnessed a live carp in a shallow pool of water on the edge of the coal ash.

United Mountain Defense volunteers wore dust masks throughout the day in order to protect our lungs and provide a model for how local residents could help protect themselves as well.

Tomorrow’s plan of action is to deliver more bottled water, deliver more educational materials to impacted residents, gather more water/ coal sludge samples, and continue to educate the media about TVA’s coal ash disaster. We hope to establish a local free bottled water distribution center as well.

This report is from a United Mountain Defense volunteer who went on a flyover with South Wings.

Monday December 29th 2008

Rockwood Municipal Airport Rockwood, TN

To whom it may concern,

At 9:45am this morning I arrived at the Rockwood Municipal Airport to attend a flyover of the contaminated area of Harriman and Kingston, Tennessee.
I met a resident of Swan Pond Circle Dr, and spoke with him for sometime about his time growing up and living in the area.

The fly over went well, for the most part. I met with two ABC Channel 6 news representatives at a little after 1pm and boarded the plane.
We passed over the Kingston coal plant 4 times if I remember correctly. I gathered about 6 minutes of footage while making occasional comments and answering questions for the news team. The flyover footage can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjuD6IodQL8 . Thank you Southwings!

-Nick

Here’s how you can help. If you are a Roane county resident and would like to volunteer please contact us at 865 689 2778. If you are a resident who has been impacted by the coal ash disaster please contact us as well.

United Mountain Defense is a 501c3 non profit. We are an all volunteer run organization. If you want to help from your home feel free to do a fundraiser where you live. We need money for bottled water, copies of outreach materials, gasoline, and laboratory work for water quality sampling. You can mail checks to United Mountain Defense P.O. Box 20363 Knoxville, TN 37920 OR use the PayPal account on our website www.unitedmountaindefense.org

Thank you, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff person United Mountain Defense

Fly over

2008-12-29T21:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a brief United Mountain Defense video of a fly over the disaster area. The fly over took place on the 29th of December 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjuD6IodQL8

High resolution fly over pics from Dec 29th 2008

2008-12-29T15:33:00.000-08:00

http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/creekkeeper_2008/Harriman%20Ashole%20flyover%20with%20SouthWings/

TVA worker harrassing field worker UMD

2008-12-29T15:15:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flo5HXvqHsw

Youtube videos of Canoe trip on Emory River Dec 27, 2008

2008-12-29T14:59:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
I posted the first video of our river trip on the Clinch and Emory rivers to YouTube tonight.
You can view it at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ats3dClc0No

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmihsLzT7XQ

Donna Marie Lisenby
Upper Watauga Riverkeeper
a program of Appalachian Voices
191 Howard Street
Boone, NC 28607
828-262-1500
www.appalachianvoices.org
www.iLoveMountains.org

Member Waterkeeper Alliance, Inc.

I posted another.

John L. WathenHurricane Creekkeeper
Coal is Dirty, Dangerous, and Depleting

December 29, 2008 Fly over with South Wings Pics

2008-12-29T14:48:00.001-08:00

http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/creekkeeper_2008/Harriman%20Ashole%20flyover%20with%20SouthWings/

John L. Wathen Hurricane Creekkeeper
Coal is Dirty, Dangerous, and Depleting

The Un Reported Story

2008-12-29T14:12:00.001-08:00

Dear folks,
All of the media is ignoring the story about the residents of Swan Pond Rd who don't have coal ash in their yards but do have impacted drinking water. The corporate media is ignoring this story because the video is not so impressive. We have met residents who have vomited from drinking the un boiled water. We met a lady whose dogs vomited from drinking the un boiled water. These people will not get safer drinking water until this FRIDAY. Please help get this story out.
Thanks, Matt Landon full time volunteer staff for United Mountain Defense

EPA found Arsenic and heavy metals in Emory River Water

2008-12-29T13:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/29/tennessee.sludge/index.html

EPA: Rivers high in arsenic, heavy metals after sludge spill Story Highlights

KINGSTON, Tennessee (CNN) -- The Environmental Protection Agency has found high levels of arsenic and heavy metals in two rivers in central Tennessee that are near the site of a spill that unleashed more than a billion gallons of coal waste.

Four days after the spill, the water is cloudy on the east bank of the Clinch River in Kingston, Tennessee.

The agency said it found "several heavy metals" in the water in levels that are slightly above safe drinking-water standards but "below concentrations" known to be harmful to humans.

"The one exception may be arsenic," the agency said in a letter to an affected community. "One sample of river water out of many taken indicated concentrations that are very high and further investigations are in progress."

However, arsenic was not detected in a water intake facility near Kingston, Tennessee, where the spill happened, said EPA spokeswoman Laura Niles.

The metals were found in the Emory and Clinch rivers, near the site of a major spill last week that unleashed enough sludge to fill 1,660 Olympic-size swimming pools.

The EPA's letter comes as the head of the largest public power company in the nation pledged to clean up the massive spill.

"This is not a time where TVA holds its head high," said Tom Kilgore, president and CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority. "But we won't hang our head, either, because that won't get the job done. I'm here to tell you that we will clean it up, and we will clean it up right."

The sludge is a byproduct of the ash from coal combustion. A retention site at the Tennessee Valley Authority's power plant in Kingston, about 40 miles west of Knoxville, contained the waste until a wall breached last Monday, sending the sludge downhill to damage 15 homes and cover at least 300 acres.

All residents in the area were evacuated, and three homes were deemed uninhabitable, according to the TVA.

The TVA's initial estimate for the spill tripled from 1.8 million cubic yards, or more than 360 million gallons of sludge, to 5.4 million cubic yards, or more than 1 billion gallons.

The plant sits on the Clinch River, which is a tributary of the Tennessee River. Video footage from the river, a popular fishing site, reveals piles of dead fish on its banks. The TVA says that has nothing to do with the toxicity of the sludge, though environmental advocates say the ash contains concentrated levels of mercury and arsenic.

TVA officials have said water quality tests from a nearby water treatment facility have shown that the water from the river intake meets federal and state guidelines for potable water. But coal operation critics remain concerned about the long-term effects of the spill, and residents have expressed concerns about drinking water, especially from wells.

Roane County Emergency Management Director Howie Rose said the county has asked the state and the federal Environmental Protection Agency to monitor groundwater from wells around the area. He and Kilgore spoke at a town hall meeting Sunday.

Rose said the county has also requested air quality tests from the state and federal agencies.