“The community that was the first affected by the ash spill on Dec. 22, 2008 (is) the same community that to this date has been overlooked and forgotten not only by the TVA but also by the state of Tennessee and Roane County,” said Randy Ellis, member of the Roane County Long-Term Recovery Committee at a meeting among residents affected by the spill.

The 300-plus acres that were blanketed by the coal ash – as much as nine feet in some areas – is a far cry from the picturesque countryside it was a year ago. Heavy equipment push mounds of earth-toned dirt over once-green pastures. Trucks line up to take recovered ash to landfills in other states and counties. Houses since bought by the nation’s largest utility sit uninhabited. The TVA says it is working tirelessly to restore the land, but residents remain skeptical that restoration is even possible.

“When the press flies over this, it looks like they (TVA) are doing lots of things. They’re moving ash here; they’ve got dikes built; they’ve got barges in the water. It looks like a lot of activity,” says resident Don Simon. “But show me where there’s been actual progress made.”

Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA coal ash spill – one year later

The last thing residents want is for the public to view that mess at will, even while the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) undergoes a years-long, $1.2 billion cleanup of the mess it made. Those residents this week applauded a decision made by the TVA to keep an overlook area closed to the general public. Instead, the area will remain behind a locked gate and only be used for scheduled tours, visits by members of Congress and their staffs, other public officials, and the media.

“I am pleased that the TVA has taken into account the thoughts and wishes of the community this ash spill has affected and stopped plans for a public overlook,” says Randy Ellis, who serves on a community advisory panel.

While praised by some, the TVA’s announcement brought criticism from other residents, saying the TVA’s plan to make the overlook a public viewing area was never announced in the first place, says Roane County Executive Mike Farmer. He says he found out about the initial plans through word-of-mouth. “That is indicative of the issue we’ve had all long – a lack of communication between TVA and the county,” he says.

While he appreciates the nation’s largest utility’s willingness to be more transparent, “I really don’t want to draw neon signs to (the disaster),” he adds. “At least they’re working with us a little bit.”

Source: Knox News

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA keeps overlook of coal ash spill site closed to general public