Activists Detained For Taking Ash Spill Photographs
Two environmental activists were detained by the Tennessee Valley Authority police for photographing the site of last weeks ash spill. While it does not appear that they will be charged with crimes, they were unable to document the ash spill’s effects on the area and its water supply.
The men, who are from the Knoxville based United Mountain Defense, say that TVA has yet to release the water toxicity results. They say they have the right to take their own measurements and photographs unless TVA shows their results. “This is an issue of national importance,” said David Cooper. “People need to know if the water is safe or not.”
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The environmental disaster, which covered 400 acres in ash, has demonstrated the fragility of supposed ecological safeguards. It begs the question of whether or not we can trust the same people who created the problem to give us accurate information about the disaster’s clean up and aftermath. The activists said that they will take their water samples and run the required tests.
While the men were let go and forced to leave the premises after an hour of detainment, in some ways our collective rights were infringed upon. If we cannot simply gather data without being harassed by police, then what actions can we freely and safely take?
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jerry Greer
What happens on private property that affects the public is the public’s business. Over the eight years of the Bush dictatorship the right of the public to know what affects them has been steadily choked down to a trickle, instead of the free-flow of information vital to that informed electorate John Adams said was “essential to democracy.” Those who would deny knowledge to citizens of issues that vitally concern their health and right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are traitors to the revolution.
“Private property” doesn’t mean the same thing for a public entity such as TVA as it does for you and me.
There’s no need to be cute here; TVA is hiding stuff. If it were really performing its mission to serve the public, it would welcome reporters onto its land to document what is doing on.
With stories like these sometimes I can’t tell apart the US from China…
Michael Weber misunderstands the meaning of the phrase “begs the question”.
NATURE PROTECTS ANYTHING THAT RISES FROM EARTH INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. ALL BUT WHATS NATURAL SEPARATES IN THE ATMOSPHERE, I’VE ALREADY PROVEN THAT TO 350 MILLION PEOPLE INCLUDING THE E.P.A. WHEN CONGRESS ORDERED THEM TO PROVE THAT IT GOES TO THE OZONE. AS FAR AS TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITIES AND ANYONE ELSE IS CONCERNED THESE ARE FACTS AND WHAT YOUR HEARING FROM BUSH IS LIES, EVEN THE 31,000 SCIENTISTS BUSH HIRED TO FIND THE CAUSE OF GLOBAL WARMING SAID MAN WAS’NT RESPONSIBLE. I’M GLOBAL COMMAND AND MY GLOBAL TEAMS HAVE FOUND THE CAUSE AND WE’VE SHUT THEM DOWN 28 DAYS OF OF 60, ALLOWING THE GLACIERS TO RETURN TO FREEZING. WE’VE PINPOINTED THE ACTIVATION WITHIN 500 MILES ON A HOSTILE CONTINENT. IF FOR THE LAST 2008 YEARS ALL ROSE TO THE OZONE, THEIR WOULD’NT BE LIFE ON EARTH, THE SUN WOULD’NT BE ABLE TO PENETRATE. BUT ALL LIFE EXISTS BECAUSE MOTHER NATURE PROTECTS THIS PLANET FROM ALL SPECIES AND THEIR POLLUTANTS BY SEPARATING THEM PRIOR TO THE OZONE. HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR. MIKE
ARE YOU PLANET SAVE AGAINST THE TRUTH, SO MUCH THAT YOU WONT ALLOW THE FACTS UNDER YOUR CAPTION OF MAKING PEOPLE THINK YOUR WAY EVEN IF ITS WRONG. ARE YOU THAT MAD AT THE WORLD OF ADVANCE GROWTH, WHILE NATURE TAKES GOOD CARE OF OUR ATMOSPHERE. MAYBE YOUR MINDS ARE ON BACKWARDS AND YOU SHOULD TRY MY EXPERIMENT TO PROVE TO YOURSELVES THAT I’M TELLING YOU TRUE. OK GET WHAT-EVER FILTERS AND SET THEM UP AT 300 FEET THEN BURN WHAT EVER YOU WISH INCLUDING TIRES AND RUN YOUR ENGINES. AFTER YOUR DONE, TAKE YOUR FILTERS AND SEE IF YOU CAN FIND ANY DISCOLOR. HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR== ALSO USE YOUR EYES AND WATCH THE SMOKE SEPARATE. THATS PROOF ENOUGH. MIKE
Michael said on December 28th, 2008 at 9:39 am
“Funny how the article dances around the issue of the individuals in question being on private property. ( snip ) stay the hell off other people’s property. Your holier-than-thou opinions do not give you the right to trespass. Ever.”
What happens when private property eats the public common? When nearly all becomes private and nearly all private holdings become concentrated in a few hands? States are now considering selling off public lands to pay off short-term fiscal problems. Such land may never be public again,and gradually we enter a situation where you need to be rich to have any real freedom of movement (No Trespassing) or have any real freedom of speech (Corporate airwaves and No Leafletting In The Mall).
Mindless worship of Private Property ends in a new feudalism. If you don’t own a fiefdom, you live on one as a serf.
Memo to Michael Schmitz:
See that middle key on the left of your keyboard? That’s the caps lock button. Make friends with it. It’s there to help you.
The ash spilled into our backyards! It’s not necessary and I would say nearly impossible to go on the TVA property to take pictures. What does this have to do with tresspassing? The hill that slid was a public recreation area that TVA had opened to the public for kids to play soccer on. What about the 400 acres of coal ash in my backyard? I have taken plenty of pictures. what I find really ironic is that they haven’t evacuated the area, so what are they hiding by not wanting any more pictures? we see the dead fish in the river of sludge.
When this first happened TVA recommended that the people in the neighborhood boil their water for consumption, yet they said two days later this was not necessary, it was just a precaution. After 4 of 5 of my family members have developed cancer during the time we lived near TVA, I think we will always use bottled water.
How can it be private property when the moment the ash broke the levee, it spilled onto public property and non-TVA property?