Dear Roane County residents,
I hope that this finds you well. I am happy to announce that a Roane County Court clerk informed me that the criminal trespass charges that TVA was pressing against me for my Jan 20, 2010 arrest were dropped on Sept 25, 2010. I just found this out a week or so ago as my paperwork had been lost in a pile at the Roane County courthouse. This is a great relief for me and a sign that justice can be served. I am awaiting paper copies of this decision and will work to get these charges expunged from my record.

You can see the video of the arrest here--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxDy2n3Sk94
And read about it here on Roaneviews---http://www.roaneviews.com/?q=node/4449
Thanks to everyone who stood by me during this time,
your support and kind words were greatly appreciated.
Take care, Matt Landon with United Mountain Defense

Dear folks,

You have to register to speak at the following link, Good luck, matt
"link"--http://www.tva.gov/abouttva/board/speak.htm

Agenda of August 20, 2010 TVA Board Meeting
The TVA Board of Directors will hold a public meeting August 20, 2010, at the TVA West Tower Auditorium, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, Tenn. 37902 to consider the matters listed below. The public may comment on any agenda item or subject at a public listening session which begins at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Immediately following the end of the public listening session, the meeting will be called to order to consider the agenda items listed below. PLEASE NOTE: Speakers must pre-register online at TVA.gov or sign in before the meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. on the day of the meeting. The board will answer questions from the news media following the board meeting.
Old Business
Approval of minutes of June 10, 2010, board meeting
New Business
1. Welcome
2. President’s report
3. Chairman's report
A. Approval of TVA board committee charters
B. Vision and strategic direction
4. Report of the Finance, Rates, and Portfolio Committee
A. Fiscal Year 2011 budget, including limited funding relating to Bellefonte Nuclear Plant Unit 1, contract with Texas Gas Transmission LLC, for gas transportation and contract with GE Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment LLC for uranium enrichment services
B. Fiscal Year 2011 financial bond issuance authority
C. Rate actions, including rate structure change, related rate adjustment to revise the Fuel Cost Adjustment formula and related pilot rates
D. Ash and gypsum facility contracts, including engineering services contracts with Stantec Consulting Services Inc., URS Corporation, CDM Federal Services Inc., Geosyntec Consultants Inc., and AECOM USA Inc., and handling and project services contracts with Charah Inc., Charleston Construction Company Inc., Morgan Corporation and Trans Ash Inc.
5. Report of the People and Performance Committee
A. FY 2011 annual incentive measures and goals
6. Report of the Audit, Risk, and Regulation Committee
A. Enterprise Risk Management policy
7. Report of the Customer and External Relations Committee
A. Chickamauga Marina – Commercial recreation lease with Erwin Marine Sales Inc.
B. Fort Loudon Marina – Commercial recreation easement with Fort Loudon Marina LLC
For more information
Please call TVA Media Relations at (865) 632-6000, Knoxville, Tenn. People who plan to attend the meeting and have special needs should call (865) 632-6000. Anyone who wishes to comment on any of the agenda in writing may send their comments to:

TVA Board of Directors,
Board Agenda Comments,
400 West Summit Hill Drive,
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902

A note from Katy Oliver

Hello,

Myself and Keith McDaniel (a nationally renowned documentary maker) are in the process of creating a factual documentary film about the Kingston coal ash spill. The documentary is a factual feature film which will be shown at film festivals and possibly on television. We are interviewing the residents, TVA, EPA, scientists, waterkeepers, etc. and intend to recreate the story in a fair and comprehensive manner. If you would like to be interviewed please contact me. Thanks, Katy

423-441-0698.

katharine.oliver1@gmail.com

Register to speak at the Feb 11, 2010 TVA Board Meeting at this link (link...)

Does anyone want to carpool?

Agenda

(link...)

The TVA Board of Directors will hold a public meeting on February 11, 2010, at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites, Bristol Convention Center, Ballrooms B/C, 3005 Linden Drive, Bristol, Virginia 24202, to consider the matters listed below.

The public may comment on any agenda item or subject at a public listening session which begins at 8:30 a.m. Immediately following the end of the public listening session, the meeting will be called to order to consider the agenda items listed below.

Please note
Speakers must pre-register or before the meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. on the day of the meeting. The Board will answer questions from the news media following the Board meeting.

Old Business
Approval of minutes of November 19, 2009, Board Meeting

New Business
Chairman’s Report
President’s Report
Report of the Finance, Strategy, Rates, and Administration Committee
Winning Performance/Long-Term Incentive Compensation for Fiscal Year 2010
Executive Compensation
Extension of interim joint-ownership arrangements with Seven States Corporation for Southaven Power Plant
Report of the Operations, Environment, and Safety Committee A. TVA Transmission Standards of Conduct
Report of the Audit, Governance, and Ethics Committee
Report of the Community Relations and Energy Efficiency Committee

For more information
Please call TVA Media Relations at (865) 632-6000, Knoxville, Tennessee. People who plan to attend the meeting and have special needs should call (865) 632-6000. Anyone who wishes to comment on any of the agenda in writing may send their comments to:

TVA Board of Directors,
Board Agenda Comments,
400 West Summit Hill Drive,
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902

Speaking Registration

A TVA Board Meeting Notice will be communicated to the public one week before the scheduled board meeting.

The Notice includes a time and location for the public listening session and board meeting. The public listening session will start at the appointed time, to be immediately followed by the board meeting.

Stakeholders interested in making comments must pre-register below or sign in at the meeting before the listening session begins on the day of the board meeting.

Stakeholders who sign up online must also check in with TVA staff prior to the start of the listening session.

Stakeholders who arrive late at the listening session will not be allowed to speak during the listening session.

In instances where multiple stakeholders register to speak on the same topic, TVA may ask the stakeholders to select a spokesperson to speak for the group.

Stakeholders typically have 3 minutes to speak.

A timer is used to indicate to the stakeholder (and to the board and to the audience) when the stakeholder’s allotted time has expired. Speakers who exceed this time limit will be asked to be seated by TVA staff.

The board generally does not respond to stakeholders during the listening session.

TVA will respond to all speakers in writing after the board meeting.

Register to speak at this link (link...)

Dear folks,
Please consider this trip so that we can help keep the TVA Coal Ash Disaster in the minds of our TN Legislators.
Thanks, matt landon Appalachian Organizer for United Mountain Defense

For more information, or to register, call or e-mail Sandra@sandrakgoss.com or 865.522-3809.

TAKING IT TO THE HILL

Conservation Day on the Hill February 23, 2010

Do you value pure drinking water? Want to breathe clean air?

These things don’t just happen. They are a result of careful oversight by our state government. Tennessee’s water, air, and soil are under constant threats from a variety of users.

Tell our State Legislators about the importance of our environment at Conservation Day on the Hill. For anyone who wants to attend there will be training prior to the event (by e-mail and/or webinar), fact sheets on a variety of issues, and an identifying lapel marker.

Be part of a powerful message to all Tennessee State Legislators as we work to have 500 people with the green tags at Legislative Plaza . One may visit with one’s legislators on any issue, and there will be ample information on the hot issues of the day.

There will likely be committee meetings of interest that day, where a large green audience will further highlight how many of us want adequate protection of our state’s incomparable natural resources.

At day’s end, there will be a happy hour at a Nashville facility.

For folks who live near I-40 from Knoxville to Cookeville , there will be a deluxe motor coach available at a cost of $20/person. This all-day trip will provide:

· Chance to meet new like-minded individuals

· A great feeling of camaraderie

· Wi-Fi and laptop plugs on the motor coach.

The bus will leave the Knoxville area around 6:15 a.m., and the Crossville area around 6:45 a.m. Central Time. Other stops in Roane County and Cookeville can be scheduled as needed. We will leave Nashville around 3:00 p.m. Central Time, and wend our way eastward, arriving in Knoxville around 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. For more information, or to register, call or e-mail Sandra@sandrakgoss.com or 865.522-3809. Reservations must be received by February 11, and trip is subject to cancellation if we fail to get enough participation.

Give up a day of work to educate legislators about how valuable our natural resources are. If that’s impossible, we are accepting contributions toward “scholarships” for students and others who want to go but can’t afford it. Scholarship info is available at contact information above.

Dear folks,
An Update.
My courtdate has been rescheduled for May 17 @ 9AM in the Kingston Courthouse. I wanted to let everyone know that I did not have a court appointed attorney so Roane County won't be paying the bill for my legal defense. I would also like to thank everyone for their thoughtful words about my volunteer work. I have worked tirelessly to provide acurate and complete news coverage of the TVA Coal Ash Disaster and I have only been met with repression from the TVA. I await the day when the truth comes to light through a TVA Office of Inspector General Report detailing the hardships that United Mountain Defense (UMD) volunteers and other scientists and journalists have had to endure to report the truth. I know that the small amount of hardships that the TVA has put me through is nothing compared to what TVA has done to the people of Roane County since this disaster. Please if you have had any problems dealing with the TVA police since this disaster please call the TVA office of Inspector General and file a complaint so that we can have an internal investigation started. 877-866-7840 (link...)

I have faith in the TVA Office of Inspector General (TVA OIG) as they have turned out some truthful reports about the lack of effective response by the TVA after this disaster, but it is going to take more than UMD volunteers filing complaints as the TVA OIG has stated that they will refer our complaints to the TVA police for their own internal police audit. We want the TVA Office of Inspector General to investigate the TVA police.

Old News
I wanted to invite everyone to my court date at the Kingston Courthouse on Monday Feb 1, 2010 at 9AM. I have to appear because the TVA police arrested me and charged me with criminal trespass on 1-20-2010. Right now I can't get down my driveway. If anyone has any info about the roads in Roane County or if you think court has been cancelled please let me know here or give me a call at 865 689 2778. Thanks, matt landon Appalachian Organizer for United Mountain Defense

A bankruptcy filing has halted any threat of legal action against the operators of a Perry County landfill that has been receiving shipments of toxin-laden coal ash that spilled from a Tennessee power plant in 2008.

As a result, Perry County taxpayers have yet to receive almost $780,000 in fees from the coal ash deposits, the bankruptcy petition alleges.... read more on the following link....

(link...)

Video from the arrest-- (link...)

Press Release: January 21, 2010

United Mountain Defense

Bonnie Swinford

(865) 689-2778

umdvolunteerhouse@yahoo.com

(link...)

Journalists and Environmentalist 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 at 574 276-9681 or by email at umdvolunteerhouse@yahoo.com.

Video Footage of today’s arrest

TVA Arrests UMD volunteer and two reporters

Video Footage of past TVA harassment of UMD volunteers

Mountain Justice Spring Break Students Harassed by TVA Police - March 15, 2009

UMD volunteer arrested for helping grandmother - March 6, 2009

TVA police harass UMD volunteer while setting up air monitor –March 3, 2009

TVA worker harassment of United Mountain Defense volunteers Kingston Power plant disaster - Dec 29, 2008

Hurricane Creekeepper John Wathen speaks about TVA disaster and TVA police repression.- Dec 28, 2008

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

###

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. (link...)

On December 22, 2008 the largest coal fly ash disaster in the world occurred in Roane County, Tennessee along the banks of the Emory River at the Kingston Electric Coal Plant which is owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Coal fly ash is a toxic by- product produced by burning coal to make electricity. Coal fly ash is currently unregulated in the United States. TVA has been very reluctant to take responsibility for the disaster that they created and took active steps to keep the news of the disaster out of the media.

As part of the United States federal government, TVA has been investigated by its own Office of Inspector General which has issued numerous reports detailing how badly TVA officials and employees responded to this disaster. The worst and most telling reports are yet to come. TVA had more than 40 years of internal reports showing the structural weakness of the failed coal fly ash storage pond and they chose to ignore the problems and continue to stack the coal fly ash to a height of more than 60 feet using the wet storage method.

It has been one year since the disaster. By viewing the following videos you will see that the situation has gotten worse as the trail of coal fly ash becomes more dispersed. So far the coal fly ash has floated down the Emory River, Clinch River and Tennessee River all the way to Alabama. As the ash continues its downstream march it will eventually reach the Ohio River, the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The main points of concern with water quality right now are the elevated levels of arsenic, selenium and other heavy metals which have leached out of the coal fly ash and into the drinking water of millions of people downstream, not to mention all of the animals which live in the water or eat the fish. Kingston, TN is the nearest town whose water intakes are a mere 6 miles downstream. Chattanooga, TN is the next largest city downstream of the disaster.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has permitted the spilled coal fly ash to be shipped via railroad to Arrowhead Landfill in Uniontown, Perry County, Alabama. It has been documented that this landfill is currently pumping the landfill leachate (landfill juice) into the ditches surrounding the landfill and right next to the homes of local residents. These residents have been told that the coal fly ash is safe.

Many residents are concerned about their health. An independent air monitoring program started by Roane County residents, United Mountain Defense and the Global Community Monitor has shown that on a least one dry day in October 2009 that there existed elevated levels of arsenic and cadmium in the air surrounding the disaster site. On Feb 3, 2009 a massive dust storm more than 100 feet tall and half a mile wide was documented as it blew off the coal ash disaster site. Many residents have reported respiratory distress up to a 10 mile radius around the disaster site with symptoms that include burning eyes, nosebleeds, sinus infections, ear infections, scratchy throats, rashes, skin sensitivity to sun, nausea, vomiting, headaches, migraines, asthma and many other ailments. Many of these residents had never been sick on such a regular basis before the disaster and now have mounting health bills which they cannot pay. Yet TVA is continuously allowed to state that there is no danger from the coal fly ash and none of the workers involved in the cleanup and recovery efforts are made to wear respiratory protection.

This disaster occurred because of negligence. This disaster is not an isolated incident and as all of the coal fly ash storage sites around the world continue to age many more people will be at risk of having to deal with such a disaster in their neighborhoods. If you live near a coal burning electric power plant you may also live near a coal ash dump. Coal fly ash is NOT safe! This is a disaster that the world needs to learn about and we intend to help spread the word about it, will you help us spread the word?

For more info check out the following websites
(link...)
dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
(link...)
(link...)
(link...)
Thank you for your time, matt landon Appalachian Organizer for United Mountain Defense
umdvolunteerhouse@yahoo.com
865-689-2778

Here is a video that a Roane County family produced about living next to the TVA Coal Ash Disaster. TVA refuses to evacuate them.

(link...)
Here is a video made by a resident of Roane County, Delano Williams who lives about 1 mile from the TVA Coal Ash Disaster.

(link...)
This dust storm was documented on Feb 3, 2009, the day that Matt Landon got back from the training for the citizen's air monitoring program.

(link...)

Perry County, Alabama Uniontown Citizens speak out about Arrowhead Landfill where TVA coal fly ash is being shipped and dumped by rail. It has been discovered that the landfill is also dumping the leachate (landfill juice) into the ditches surrounding the landfill and right next to the homes in this video.

(link...)
Marion, AL coal ash landfill leachate issue. Arrowhead Landfill is dumping tanker truckload after tanker truckload of landfill juice into a waste water treatment pond which can’t handle the increased load
(link...)
Proposed dump for TVA coal fly ash on a coal mine valley fill in Cumberland County, Tennessee

(link...)

Data from the citizen’s air monitoring program started by Roane County residents, United Mountain Defense and the Global Community Monitor

(link...) 2nd round Raw data
(link...) 2nd round Air Data Page 1
(link...) 2nd round Air Data Spreadsheet
(link...) Expert interpretation of air data

The following are a few words from our air analyst about what these latest air samples mean.
Attached is my interpretation of metal levels in the two air samples collected near the TVA coal ash spill on October 19th and 20th. I added the interpretation to the spreadsheet containing the interpretation of metal levels in the two previously collected air samples (15 July 2009 and 1 October 2009). Rows 4 and 5 contain the new data.

Of note is a ‘hot’ sample (the one collected on 20 October 2009) with a cadmium level that exceeds the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment’s Chronic Reference Level for cadmium. This sample also has an arsenic level that is above the World Health Organization’s guideline value of 0.66 nanograms per cubic meter to prevent a one per one million increased risk of cancer as a result of lifetime exposure.

If you average the concentrations in all four samples (assigning a ‘0’ value to non-detects), then the average cadmium level is below (60% of) the California OHEAA’s Chronic REL for cadmium, but the average arsenic level is above the WHO guideline value of 0.66 nanograms per cubic meter to prevent a one per one million increased risk of cancer as a result of lifetime exposure.

I urge caution in how you publicize these results for two reasons. 1) The cadmium levels in the air samples are less than 3 times their uncertainty levels; 2) the arsenic levels in the air samples are less than 2 times their uncertainty levels.

Here is a video made by Delano Williams who lives near the TVA Coal Ash Disaster in Kingston, TN.

Here is the (link...)

Media Contact: vacelious1@aol.com

Here is a video by Pam and Gary Topmiller about living next to the TVA Coal Ash Disaster

Here is the video (link...)

Media Contact topmillerwoman@aol.com

The Office of Surface Mining will have a public hearing on the proposal to put newly generated coal ash from the TVA’s Kingston Fossil Steam Plant on top of a coal mine valley fill on Crossville Coal Turner Surface mine also know as Smith Mountain. Show up and show your opposition to using Cumberland County as an ash dump. The public hearing is at Stone Memorial High School. 2800 Cook Road, Crossville, TN on November 5 at 6:00 p.m.

OSM can stop the coal ash landfill! Show up and tell OSM why you don’t want coal as in Cumberland County.

If you wish to speak you will have three minutes.

You can also submit written comments at the public hearing.

Or submit written comments by email at:
bwinters@osmre.gov

Or submit written comments by mail to:
Office of Surface Mining
710 Locust Street, 2nd Floor
Knoxville, TN 37902.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRc0w52xiVs Water testing 10-27-09 Crossville Coal Turner Surface Mine United Mountain Defense and Smith Mountain Road Residents do a mine site visit with the Office of Surface Mining and conduct water monitoring

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41I3pgqWjtQ Mine site visit 10-27-09 Crossvillie Coal Turner Surface Mine United Mountain Defense and Smith Mountain Road Residents go on a mine site visit with the Office of Surface Mining and drive over the valley fill

Thanks, matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense unitedmountaindefense.org

865 689 2778

Dear folks,

United Mountain Defense, the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network, and the Global Community Monitor have teamed up since Jan 2009 to create a citizen's air monitoring program. There have been more than 26 Roane County Residents trained in how to use the Mini Vol air monitors produced by Air Metrics of Eugene Oregon. We use quality control / quality assurance methods and chain of custody forms for all of our air monitoring collection.

Here is more air quality data gathered from around the disaster site on Oct 19 and Oct 20, 2009.

(link...) 2nd round Raw data
(link...) 2nd round Air Data Page 1
(link...) 2nd round Air Data Spreadsheet
(link...) Expert interpretation of air data

The following are a few words from our air analyst about what these latest air samples mean.

Attached is my interpretation of metal levels in the two air samples collected near the TVA coal ash spill on October 19th and 20th. I added the interpretation to the spreadsheet containing the interpretation of metal levels in the two previously collected air samples (15 July 2009 and 1 October 2009). Rows 4 and 5 contain the new data.

Of note is a ‘hot’ sample (the one collected on 20 October 2009) with a cadmium level that exceeds the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment’s Chronic Reference Level for cadmium. This sample also has an arsenic level that is above the World Health Organization’s guideline value of 0.66 nanograms per cubic meter to prevent a one per one million increased risk of cancer as a result of lifetime exposure.

If you average the concentrations in all four samples (assigning a ‘0’ value to non-detects), then the average cadmium level is below (60% of) the California OHEAA’s Chronic REL for cadmium, but the average arsenic level is above the WHO guideline value of 0.66 nanograms per cubic meter to prevent a one per one million increased risk of cancer as a result of lifetime exposure.

I urge caution in how you publicize these results for two reasons. 1) The cadmium levels in the air samples are less than 3 times their uncertainty levels; 2) the arsenic levels in the air samples are less then 2 times their uncertainty levels.

Here is the air quality data from two samples that I gathered in July and October 2009. There is also some interpretation of the data that follows. Expect more data as we have more samples being sent to the lab and we continue to gather air samples during these dry times. We also had our air expert look at TVA's 116,925 air samples and provide some feedback that follows. If you live next to the coal ash diaster and would like to have a temporary air monitor installed on your property or in your house or would like to get trained in how to use the air monitoring equipment please contact us at 865 689 2778. Thanks for your time, matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense and dedicated Roane County volunteer

(link...) Raw Data

(link...) Air Data Page 1

(link...) Air Data Excel Spreadsheet, has the same data as Page 1 but may not work

(link...) Short description on how to read this data

This is an explanation about what the independently gathered air quality data means from July and Oct 2009.

The first air sample has a level of cadmium - 14.3 nanograms per cubic meter - that is above the World Health Organization’s guideline value of 5 nanograms per cubic meter to prevent any further increase of cadmium in agricultural soils likely to increase the dietary intake of future generations. See: (link...)

The level of cadmium in the first air sample is also 70% of the California OEHHA Chronic Reference Exposure Level for cadmium (20 nanograms per cubic meter).

See: (link...)

The second air sample has a level of arsenic - 3.6 nanograms per cubic meter - that is above the World Health Organization’s guideline value of 0.66 nanograms per cubic meter to prevent a one per one million increased risk of cancer as a result of lifetime exposure. See: (link...)

I urge caution in how you publicize these results for two reasons. 1) The cadmium level in the first air sample was only 2.2 times greater than its uncertainty level (0.00143 v. 0.00064 ng/m3) and the arsenic level in the second air sample was only 1.4 times greater than its uncertainty level (0.0036 v. 0.0025); and 2) the data reflects short-term (24-hour) ambient air quality whereas the health-based benchmarks I refer to above (WHO guideline values) are for long-term (annual average) ambient air quality.

Levels of other toxic metals (manganese, nickel, mercury, and lead) were below health-based benchmarks.

When we asked our air analyst to look at TVA’s 116,925 air quality measurements here are his initial comments.

There are two problems I see with how the Tennessee Valley Authority is interpreting air quality data near the Kingston Ash Slide.

First, with respect to PM-2.5 levels, TVA is comparing levels to the 24-hour standard (35 ug/m3) and concluding that each day air quality is safe because the PM-2.5 level is below the 24-hour standard.

See: (link...)

What TVA isn’t saying is that the U.S. EPA annual standard for PM-2.5 is only 15 ug/m3 and when you average the daily PM-2.5 measurements, then the average PM-2.5 seems close to the the U.S. EPA annual standard for PM-2.5 (and above the World Health Organization’s annual standard for PM-2.5).

See: (link...)

So, the same data that TVA uses to conclude that air quality is safe can be used to conclude that air quality near the Kingston Ash Slide is unsafe.

Second, with respect to arsenic, the TVA is concluding that “arsenic has not been shown to be present in harmful levels” because “The range of arsenic in air in the U.S. is 1 to 30 ng/m3*, while Kingston air samples ranged from nondetectable to 4.1 ng/m3.”

See: (link...)

This begs the question of whether the average levels of arsenic in air samples are safe. Keep in mind that according to the WHO: “Arsenic is a human carcinogen. Present risk estimates have been derived from studies in exposed human populations in the United States and Sweden. When assuming a linear dose–response relation, a safe level for inhalation exposure cannot be recommended. At an air concentration of 1 μg/m3 an estimate of lifetime risk is 1.5x10-3. This means that the excess lifetime risk level is 1:10000, 1:100 000 or 1:1 000 000 at an air concentration of about 66 ng/m3, 6.6 ng/m3 or 0.66 ng/m3, respectively.”

See: (link...)

Dear folks,
I hope that you are well. I am enjoying my re found freedom after being cleared of all the charges for being unjustly arrested by TVA on 3-5-09 while driving a blind grandmother home from a public meeting.

I want to announce a volunteer meeting at the Harriman Community Center this coming Thursday Oct 29 at 7PM. I have been speaking with Roane County residents and there have been some good ideas kicked around for helping get this disaster back into the national spotlight. Keep your eyes peeled for some of the upcoming workshops and free trainings open to the public including, "How to make a Youtube Video", air monitoring, water monitoring, and media messaging workshops and many others. If you have an idea for a workshop or want to find other concerned Roane County residents come on down to the meeting. You can also email me at mattlandon2001@yahoo.com or call with workshop ideas at 865 689 2778. I hope to see you there!
Till then, matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense and dedicated Roane County volunteer

Harriman Community Center address
631 Clinch St, Harriman
It is located on the southside of Harriman along the Emory River.

Dear folks,
I would like to invite you to come down to the General Sessions Court in the Kingston Courthouse on Monday Oct 19, 2009 at 9AM. All the charges against me are supposed to be dropped but I wouldn't put it past TVA to try and disrupt my life a little more. thanks, matt landon full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST SET TO BE CLEARED OF CHARGES IN ROANE COUNTY COURT FOLLOWING UNJUST ARREST BY TVA POLICE AT COAL ASH DISASTER SITE

Kingston, Tenn., Monday October 19, 9AM – United Mountain Defense volunteer, Matt Landon Jones will appear in the Kingston Courthouse following a six month restriction order following his unjust arrest at the coal ash disaster site of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on March 5, 2009. Matt Landon Jones has been restricted from communicating with any TVA employees engaged in clean up and recovery efforts at the disaster site and any non-TVA workers involved in the cleanup. He was also restricted from trespassing on any TVA property or traveling on or within the 750 foot elevation of the Emory, Clinch, and Tennessee Rivers which directly impacted his water monitoring efforts on these rivers.

Matt Landon Jones says, “Even though I expect all of the charges to be dropped and my name to be cleared TVA will never be able to repair the emotional stress they have caused both me and the residents of Roane County.” Even with all charges dropped he will still have to pay at least $700 in court fees.

On Mar. 5, 2009 Matt Landon Jones was arrested by TVA police in Roane County Tenn., where the TVA coal ash disaster occurred on Dec. 22, 2008. At the time of his arrest, Matt Landon Jones was driving 65-year-old Eva Hewitt to her home on Swan Pond Road after a community meeting. After arriving at her home, TVA police came onto her property to arrest Matt Landon Jones. The officer warned him that he drove through a TVA roadblock without a proper pass; his red residential pass was confiscated earlier that week. Matt Landon Jones contends that the roadblock was unstaffed at the time and illegally set up by TVA. The officer told Matt Landon Jones that a resident needed to be in the vehicle with him when he drove on the public road. Once Hewitt exited the vehicle and explained that she had just been escorted home, as partial blindness prevents her from driving, the officer arrested Matt Landon Jones for trespassing with a motor vehicle. He was held on $3,000 bail in the Roane County jail and transferred to Bradley County Jail and was incarcerated for 36 hours. He is currently charged with entering a restricted area, trespass in a motor vehicle, and disobeying a traffic control device. The TVA officer recognized Matt Landon Jones from an incident earlier in the week, which is described below.

Matt Landon Jones stated, "The TVA police repeatedly abused the rights of United Mountain Defense volunteers and this fact will be revealed just as TVA’s lack of safety was exposed by the Office of Inspector General report. UMD volunteers were delivering drinking water, gathering water and air samples and working with local community residents and we were constantly harassed by the TVA police as though we were criminals.”

On March 23, 2009 TVA police confiscated and retained part of UMD’s air monitoring equipment for two weeks and 4 days in an effort to further disrupt the air monitoring program.

On Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2009, UMD volunteers Matt Landon Jones and Tom Swinford, were detained while gathering independent air quality samples in Roane County, Tenn. The air monitoring program was initiated in response to local resident's complaints of worsening respiratory problems since the disaster and UMD's discovery that TVA's air testing was inadequate.

UMD volunteers found a testing location downwind of the spill and received permission from the property residents to assemble their monitoring equipment. Almost immediately, TVA and Roane County police were on the scene hassling UMD members. The police questioned residents and the property owners about UMD's use of their land, reviewed the lease agreement and questioned all of the UMD volunteers. The police took note of the volunteer's identification and seized the camera that filmed the entire event. After detaining the two UMD volunteers for several hours, the TVA police ordered the removal of the air monitoring station.

Matt Landon Jones stated, “Numerous reports have exposed flaws in TVA’s water monitoring program, worker safety program and coal ash containment programs and I will work to expose the flaws in TVA’s air monitoring program which may be endangering the health of Roane County residents.”

The Environmental Protection Agency has a chance to play a role in helping provide the parallel air monitoring that TVA denied to independent air monitors and United Mountain Defense requests that they fulfill this obligation.

“United Mountain Defense will continue to gather air quality samples in an effort to provide unbiased data to the residents of Roane County,” said Matt Landon Jones.

There will be a press conference outside of the Kingston Courthouse following Matt Landon Jones court case.

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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. (link...)

Dear folks,

Here is the first round of independent air monitoring data from United Mountain Defense. Even though each of these air filters had visible dust on it after the 24 hour sample it appears that for most of the samples the levels of metals were at non detection levels. The individual detection levels are listed in the center row for each metal on the following link. Measurements are in micrograms.

The latest data::
(link...) first round of 24 hour air monitoring samples

There was one detection of .05 micrograms of lead in an air sample taken on the back side of Swan Pond Circle more than a mile downwind from the disaster. Our Mini Volume air monitor produced by Air Metrics draws 5 liters per minute of air through a PM 2.5 micron Whatman pure teflon filter. We are consulting with the Global Community Monitor about these results and deciding what our next round of monitoring will look like.

The next training session about how to use the air monitor will occur at Roane County Park on April 18 from 5PM- 7PM in Shelter Number 1. There will be a hotdog dinner for those participating in the training. Also in the future look for a training by the Global Community Monitor about how to interpret this data.

The differences in the following two sets of data are that the air monitors only ran for 24 hour periods from March 5 thru March 24, while the swipe samples were glass collection trays that sat outside for 2-3 weeks during late Feb into early March.

The latest data::
(link...) first round of 24 hour air monitoring samples

Older swipe sampling data::
(link...) older swipe sample data

Alright have a good day.
till then, matt landon full time volunteer staff for United Mountain Defense and dedicated Roane County volunteer

Check out TVA's disaster dust storm video::: (link...)

check out UMD's website at (link...)
UMD's blog at (link...)

We have year round internships!!

Dear folks
The next air monitoring training will occurr April 18, 2009 5PM-7PM at Shelter Number 1 in Roane County Park on Hwy 70 down by the Watt’s Bar Lake.

There will be a hotdog dinner for those taking part in the training.

If you can learn to program a digital watch, use a pair of tweezers, and put some vinyl gloves on your hands then you can use this air monitor. There are also a bunch of other ways to help with the air monitoring program that don't include fine motor skills. Its that simple.

Look out for future trainings on interpreting the raw data, and more how-to-use the air monitoring equipment

There have been two air monitoring trainings so far and three Roane County residents know how to install the Mini Volume air monitors. UMD is working with the Global Community Monitor to provide air monitoring. We have the support of Mike Farmer and are working with other local residents and governments to set up monitoring in their areas as well. The first six air samples have been sent off to the laboratory and we expect the raw data back by April 6, 2009 at which point we will pass the data along to Roane County.

If you have any questions please call Matt at 865 689 2778.
Thanks, Matt Landon full time volunteer for United Mountain Defense and dedicated Roane county volunteer

Check out United Mountain Defense at (link...)
Check out Global Community Monitor at (link...)

message forwarded::::

The next meeting of the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network (TCASN) will occur at the Harriman Community Center located at the corner of Tennessee Street and Clinch Street at 7PM on Thursday April 2, 2009.

This meeting is open to any residents affected by the TVA Coal Ash Disaster. TCASN operates on a consensus based decision making model and works to have everyone's concerns included in discussions.

Check out our website at (link...) or drop us an email at tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork@gmail.com
Hope to see you there.

There is another important meeting with Represenatives Ferguson and Yager at the Kingston Community Center from 4:30 PM till 6 PM and we specifically scheduled the TCASN meeting at 7PM to allow folks to attend both meetings.

Dear folks,

I hope that yall are well. Things are going good here. Just enjoying a little bit of American freedom. So I went to court in Kingston, TN this morning at 9 AM. It was an interesting experience. I met my public defender and learned that TVA had presented a motion to revoke my bond because I had asked a CTEH employee to help set up parallel air monitoring sometime in the future and that I had also set up an air monitor with a land owner's express permission on their property that had been purchased by TVA. This land owner was not allowed by TVA order to tell me that the property had been sold and so I had no way of knowing that it had been bought by TVA. After my court case today a TVA police officer informed UMD volunteers Tom and Bonnie Swinford that they were not allowed to visit this resident or do air monitoring on the property because TVA owned the property and the TVA police could decide who was allowed to enter the property. This resident is staying on this property for a few more months and had a pre- existing contract with UMD to do air monitoring and photograph the disaster site. This resident is very concerned about the quality of air coming from the disaster site near the property.

I was threatened with up to one year in jail for my work with the air monitoring program. Truthfully I love yall but it sorta freaked me out today to hear that I may spend a year in jail because I put up an air monitor.

TVA is very scared about the samples that we are taking with this air monitoring equipment and they are willing to threaten me and other UMD volunteers to keep this valuable field work from being done. We need your help. UMD volunteers have listened to your concerns about air and water quality, we have done the sampling, and we have been threatened with jail time because of our scientific monitoring.

So after speaking with my public defender and letting them know that I would not plead guilty to any of the charges the prosecutor came back with a deal. They would drop one of the charges and just give me a fine for two of them with a guilty plea. No deal!!!! I called for a pre-trial hearing. The prosecutor began to squirm and made some phone calls to the TVA so they could rally the arresting officers and the CTEH employee. Just before the pre-trial hearing began the prosecutor came back with another deal. All of the charges would be dismissed!!!! Sounds a bit better, but what is the catch.

Well for the next six months I cannot travel on the Clinch or Emory River from Interstate 40 to mile marker 4 on the Emory River. I cannot enter the 750 foot elevation (100 year flood plain) near these two rivers. I cannot interact with any TVA employees or any other company workers employed by TVA to work on the Coal Ash Disaster. The $3,000 bond will be held for the next six months until a follow up trial date of Sept 21, 2009 at which time I will have to pay court costs of nearly $600. If at any time I break any of these clauses I will be pulled back into court and all bets are off probably meaning jail time.

So what does this all mean? Well the future of your community's water and air monitoring program now rests with you, the community members. I can provide the training and skills but have now had a MAJOR dent put into the amount of access that I have to the disaster site and the area surrounding TVA's Kingston Steam Plant. If you want this air monitoring project to continue then I would please ask you to step up to the plate, get the training, and set up an air monitor on you or your neighbor's land.

Here is how you can help:

1) document your health issues/ go to the doctor or hospital, take the MSDS sheets

2) come to a Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Meeting Tues 6PM rotating locations

3) get training to gather air/ water/ coal ash samples

4) give water monitoring people a boat ride on the river during the dredging to gather samples

5) contact UMD if you would like to have an air monitor set up on your property

6) contact your elected officials and ask for independent air monitoring

7) contact TDEC and CTEH and ask for parallel sampling with UMD's air monitors

TDEC- Air Resources

Tracy Carter Senior Director 615- 532- 0127

Air Pollution 615- 532- 0554

Call 1-888-891-TDEC (8332)
ask.tdec@tn.gov

CTEH

Phone (501) 801-8500
Email: support@cteh.com

Alright yall, please let’s find a way to work together and gather the much needed independent data that you have asked for. As much as I want to help your community I am not willing to spend a year in jail for the cause. You as community members have the power to install these monitors and the power to gather this information. Please feel empowered to do so.

Thank you, matt landon volunteer staff for UMD and dedicated volunteer for Roane County

Dear folks,
I wanted to let you know about a training session for the citizen's air monitoring program that is happening at 1PM on Saturday. This monitoring program is up and running we are gathering air samples and we want as many residents, local elected officials, or local governments to get training in how to use this monitoring equipment. We are using 2 Mini-Volume air monitors produced by Air Metrics, (link...). We are working with the Global Community Monitor which has provided training and experts to interpret the data, (link...). Please call Matt at 865 689 2778 or 865 292 1320 for directions to tomorrow's training or set up a future training.
Till then ,matt landon full time volunteer staff United Mountain Defense

Residents address health concerns, truck tracking of coal ash and local elected official’s response to the TVA coal ash disaster

Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network (TCASN) members living near TVA’s coal ash disaster will address some of their community’s concerns during a citizen’s press conference. The citizen’s press conference will occur at Roane State College outside of the student lounge at 5:30PM on March 5, 2009. This press conference will precede the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and Tennessee Department of Health’s public meeting.

Members of TCASN will speak to the media about their heavy metal screening results and doctor’s evacuation notices prior to submitting copies to the Tennessee Department of Health representatives.
The coal ash is a byproduct left over after TVA burns their coal and it contains mercury and dangerous heavy metals like lead and arsenic, among many other toxic and radioactive contaminates. Materials found naturally in coal are concentrated in the ash and exist at more toxic levels.

For more information please visit (link...) or call 865-376-1040.

Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network is a community group that formed after TVA’s coal ash disaster. This group works to educate, assist, and empower communities concerning the impact of coal waste on their health and environment.

Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Meeting

This meeting is for ANY concerned citizen or anyone impacted by the TVA disaster!

Bring your neighbors, tell your friends.

Tuesday, March 3rd @ 6:00pm

Penny's House

304 Westshore Drive

Harriman

865-548-7984

(link...)