Well, I have to say that is certainly thinking outside the box.

Once you find the "whatever to immobilize the top of the ash underwater" you might want to approach TVA and see what they would be willing to pay you for discovering something like that. In light of what they are trying to do on the Emory River right now I'm sure it would be a valuable commodity.

I hope your plan will pan out. I live in sight of the Clinch and would really like to see the bad stuff on the bottom cleaned up without moving it in order to remove the danger it poses to human and aquatic life.

I agree with Charlie. Why not do it right by cleaning up the Clinch and the Oak Ridge contamination too? We could have cleanest rivers around. I also agree with cost being a real factor. I understand that for the most part the Oak Ridge contamination is covered by years of sediment that should basically render it safe, but let's do in right and rebuild the ecosystem right.

While we are talking about fish being packed in water, I hope no one brings up the old "Sorry, Charlie" slogan from the 60s StarKist Tuna ads. O' those were the days. Now we have to fight for clean water after the spill. In the not so distant future scientist believe that water will be the cause of wars by neighboring countries. We've seen it here locally between the states of Tennessee and Georgia.

Charlie was an icon. We need an icon for what we are going through too.

Actually, I just made a tuna casserole…
Anyway, I think one of the scientist concerned about the selenium propose a material that would solidify the ash so that it could be lifted out in chunks…

River is divided into 9 stair step-like reservoirs before it reaches the Ohio River at Paducah, KY. Behind each high-lift dam is a nasty bunch of contaminated sediment. Watts Bar dam is holding back a particularly nasty mess because of activities at Oak Ridge.

The expected engineered lifespan of the concrete TVA dams is estimated to be 100 years. Watts Bar Dam was completed in January of 1942, thus now making it 67 years old. In other words, the best 2/3rds of its' life expectancy is behind us.

The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico out from the mouth of the Mississippi River could get a lot more toxic in the decades to come. The U.S. Treasury is rapidly heading toward insolvency, and TVA is mired in debt. How will TVA or the U.S. Government afford to replace these dams at they deteriorate? And if they don't replace them, what will the River look like in 50 years?

We might not be around, but our children and grandchildren might be, and are possibly heading for a rude reality check.

(link...)

Living and teaching Earth friendly sustainable agricultural practices.

... courtesy of WC, on the right of the message column... see this
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Our little microbial friends cleaning up heavy metals.

RB