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

"Current water quality monitoring looks only at the surface." EPOnline has the story: (link...)

-- OneTahiti

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...)

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.

I have posted my op ed on the anniversary of the TVA ash spill disaster on Counterpunch: "The TVA Ash Spill One Year Later: Lessons Learned"
December 16, 2009

Pulse of the Planet

The TVA Ash Spill One Year Later: Lessons Learned

By GREGORY BUTTON

Nearly a year ago on Monday, December 22, 2009, at the Kingston fossil fuel plant in Eastern Tennessee, a fly ash impoundment collapsed and within minutes released 5.4 million cubic yards of toxic fly ash into the Emory River and over 300 acres of land. The spill damaged numerous homes, destroyed a portion of a rail line and covered a portion of a highway. Fortunately there were no fatalities, but the lives of hundreds of nearby residents were severely altered, some forever, by one of the worst in environmental disaster in our nation's history. The TVA estimates that it will cost rate- payers more than one billion dollars for the clean-up effort.

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

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.

Just for fun, last night I took one of the many free web-based FEMA classes. This one was a half-hour class called IS-814 Long Term Community Recovery ((link...)). (Well, it took me 45 minutes because rural Internet here is slow, but that's a subject for another day.)

A summary of the class is available at: (link...)

The summary has some reasonable-sounding steps to "Building a Long-Term Community Recovery (LTCR) Program:"

TVA publishes a report that portrays them as completely irresponsible with regard to the Kingston coal ash spill. What are they up to? Is it like a judo artist who stops opposing their adversary, using the momentum of their opponents attack to throw him? Why did they put so much energy into announcing the report? Instead of burying it on a Friday afternoon, they announced midweek. They featured it in the banner of their Kingston Recovery page. They even have a video on their website. Now that they have issued their confession, will we all give up trying to blame them and forget about it? Are they seeking immunity, not for the rate payers, but for the employees?
They have done a lot of big things, dredging the river, shipping the ash out of town, negotiating with property owners, setting up a health care plan. There are some things small in money and big in spirit that they could do. Replacing ash covered personal property of renters. What else?
Are we to just forget about it 'till the civil suit trials? They still keep their compensation criteria secret. They still offer property owners less that replacement value. They still require home owners to negotiate without access to legal counsel. They still require giving up recourse for health problems as a condition of property settlements. They used to ask them to sign under duress of 20 hour a day dredging or being run over by hundreds of trucks a day.
So, what's next?

For an Op ed on the TVA and Perry County , Alabama go to: (link...)

"10 acre interim storage area" approved that used to be called the Swan Pond embayment
"…approval of ash disposal transport to Perry County, AL, approval of a 10-acre interim storage area west of Dike 2, and TDEC approved dredge cell test plan. Railcars are currently being loaded. The first train left the site Thursday July 2nd. Crews will continue working through the weekend to load cars. A second train is anticipated to leave Saturday."
All in the "Pollution Report #22 TVA Kingston Fly Ash Release Time-Critical Removal Action" (link...)

(link...)
AECOM was hired to perform a root cause analysis of the spill, which sent hundreds of millions of gallons of coal fly ash sliding into nearby neighborhoods.

Bill Walton, a senior principal engineer and vice president for AECOM, will announce the findings in Knoxville at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Walton is set to give a slide presentation and to answer questions.

You'll be able to watch the announcement live at 10 a.m. on wbir.com, and the results will be posted on wbir.com as soon as they're available.

"The Kingston / TVA Coal Ash Spill: Historical Perspectives on a 21st Century Challenge,"
From the KNS …
"Lectures / Discussion
Dr. Mark Banker - "The Kingston / TVA Coal Ash Spill: Historical Perspectives on a 21st Century Challenge," 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, Bethel Presbyterian Church, 203 S. Kentucky St., Kingston. Free. Church hosting fellowship dinner at 6:30. Bring a dish. Info: 865-376-6340 or e-mail Mark_Banker@webbschool.org."

KNS has the story: link

Spill substance went as far as 10 miles, according to TVA

Rain-swollen waters in early May forced fly ash from the spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant as far as 10 miles downstream into the Tennessee River portion of Watts Bar Lake, the Tennessee Valley Authority announced Friday.

"Exactly how much ash moved is difficult to determine since we do not have good information on how much river sediment (not ash) was washed in from areas further upstream on both the Clinch and Emory Rivers," TVA reported on its Web site.

For the rest of the story please see link.

EPA CIC now staffing Outreach Center
(well, not right now TGIF)
(link...)
F. Public Information and Community Involvement Activities
CIC conducted CERCLA presentation for Emory River Community Action Commission Thursday June 4th. CIC available at Outreach Center 10 am – 6pm when on-site.
She will be busy…

OSC accompanied by CIC Stephanie Brown will conduct site tour for T&I WRE Chairwoman Johnson Sunday June 7th and Monday June 8th.

CIC will meet with OBED Watershed Association on Monday June 8th or Tuesday June 9th.

From the "TESTIMONY OF STAN MEIBURG
ACTING REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR, REGION 4
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
March 31, 2009"
(link...)
"In the aftermath of the incident, EPA sampled the coal ash and residential soil to determine if the release posed an immediate threat to human health. Sampling results for coal ash contaminated residential soil showed arsenic, cobalt, iron, and thallium levels above the residential Superfund soil screening values. Sampling results also showed average arsenic levels in the Kingston coal ash and coal ash contaminated residential soil above the EPA Region 4 Residential Removal Action Levels (RALs). RALs are used to trigger TIME-CRITICAL REMOVAL actions while soil screening values, are used as a point of departure for EPA to take any action to investigate and/or remediate a release. In response to exceedances of RALs for ash contaminated residential soils, TVA relocated RESIDENTS TO INTERRUPT THIS SOIL EXPOSURE PATHWAY. "

Here are the URL and an HTML file or three to the TVA TDEC files
The posts are on line at:
(link...)
The TVA00000001 type numbers are page numbers. The file name is often the first page of a multi page file.
I had to make an index or table of content file in html.
To use the HTML files:
Download to someplace you will be able to find them, like your desktop.
In your browser, pulldown the "file" tab to "open"
Click on "browse". Find and double click on the name of the HTML file, or click on the file and "OK"
Click on "OK" or "OPEN" in the file open dialog box.
any problems call four one five nine 0 two nine six, six six
If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, it will open a new window with the index, but the TVA .pdf files may be displayed in the original window. If this bothers you, try downloading IE8.
I got lazy and put the last two data releases 2009 Apr 10 and 2009 Apr 16 in separate HTML files.
There are some files on the TDEC site that aren't on the TVA site.
If you know exactly what you are looking for, please comment with your request.
Thanks
WC has my respect for staying on top off the fact pile on the ash pile. TVA seems to have stacked the data as carefully as they stacked the ash.
Sorry if this sounds stiff, I just got up.
Charlie

BLACK TIDE from GQ Magazine
I'd seen the community discuss bringing the gentleman from GQ to attempt to see the ash, but in all my searches, I had never seen the article…
(link...)

"Just days before Christmas last year, an environmental disaster one hundred times the size of the Exxon Valdez (yes, you read that right) unfolded on a riverbank in eastern Tennessee. A wave of poisonous sludge buried a town…along with the myth of clean coal "
By Sean Flynn; Photograph by Christopher LaMarca

Potential ad for the newspaper.

Comments - suggestions

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,
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.

(link...)

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

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

Rep. Dennis Ferguson,

We have waited over a month watching and waiting on the promises that were made in Nashville when we tesified in front of the House Environment & Conservation Committee.

As we testified, the panel looked shocked, and I can only ascertain that they did not fully understand the impact that the TVA disaster had left on the residents of our community. We did our best to voice what was going on in our community.

The panel appeared concerned and asked questions, and Rep. Ferguson even though you were not on that committee you did attend because this disaster happened in your district.

After we met with you in your office, you asked "what we wanted"... we told you we would like answers, help for residents that were in need, and help in getting regulation on the Fly Ash.

We gave you a list of residents that needed assistance in relocation.. you stated you would contact them. I went back to Roane County and advised residents that they would be hearing from you... but you gave that list to TVA instead...

and as of today I know of no-one that you have contacted from that list.

The residents just needed to hear assurances that you had heard us... that you understood our concerns, that you cared.

It's hard to hold on to empty promises.

On January 29, 2009 Roane County community members organized the
Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network (TCASN).
website: (link...)
blog: (link...)

Tennesee Coal Ash Survivors Network volunteer, Diana Anderson received training and certification in Claymont, Deleware this past weekend to bring the Bucket Brigade air monitors to TN using the Mini- Volume particulate sampler made by Air Metrics, an air monitor also used by the EPA. TCASN plans to begin independent air monitoring around the TVA coal ash disaster site upon her return to TN. The Bucket Brigade was created by a non profit organization called Global Community Monitor. Check out (link...)

Contact at tennesseecoalashsurvivorsnetwork@gmail.com or tncasn@gmail.com

The next volunteer meeting will be held on Feb 10, 2009

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
(link...)
and
(link...)
.

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."

unitedmountaindefense.org

(link...)

Chris Irwin
865 257-4029

Jan 23, 2009 Friday

Dear folks,

Check out (link...)
Check out (link...)
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Check out Swan Pond Resident: (link...)

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 coal impacted 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 the 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 video taped dirty dump trucks 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 (link...)

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

Dear Roane County Residents,
The all volunteer force of United Mountain Defense is proud to continue to work with your community to help out with the coal ash disaster. We have had numerous successes with your community over the past 3 weeks including raising $13,000 for heavy metal screenings for 23 Swan Pond residents. We are continuing to raise funds for more heavy metal testing. We have helped set up a water distribution center at 816 Swan Pond Circle Drive. We have gathered at least 6 rounds of water testing samples along the Emory River and along the edges of the coal ash disaster site which are in the laboratory and being tested. We helped impacted residents set up 2 community meetings. We have facilitated connections between impacted residents and local folks willing to speak with the media thereby keeping some of the media from over running your town. We have also created our own media and have documented more than 40 hours of events since Dec 22, 2008. We have 24 videos on Youtube now about the disaster. We are trying to raise funds for citizen air quality monitoring and testing for both particulates and volitile organic compounds.******United Mountain Defense volunteers are not making any money for this work.**********
United Mountain Defense volunteers are not just here because of the big media, WE ARE THE MEDIA. United Mountain Defense volunteers have been covering this story and getting your uncensored words out to the world when the corporate media ignored this disaster. United Mountain Defense volunteers are dedicated to helping your community and we need your help.
We have been blessed with the use of two houses over the past 3 weeks but our 2nd house will no longer be available after Jan 17, 2009. If you have a space where we could stay in the area this would help make our work easier because we wouldn't be traveling back and forth from Knoxville each day. We are not picky. We are willing to do work trade such as house maintence or repair. We have great Roane County references. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank You, Matt Landon Full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense

Please call 865 689 2778 or 865 292 1710 or email directly at mattlandon2001@yahoo.com

Make sure to check out (link...)
Make sure to check out dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com