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
“TVA officials tell 6 News the men were in an area that is barricaded and they refused to leave.”
Always interesting to hear both sides of a story.
Just get a larger group to go next time. You need a mob to descend on the site with testing equipment, video equipment, live feeds to the internet, and proof of State law that would protect your rights.
So go back with a whole slew of folks. See what happens when researchers out-number security.
Guys,
Not sure if you read my posts but there’s no way that those guys were on TVA property. The property that TVA owns is across the lake where they were taking the photos. They were on the side where the 44 families homes were. The TVA property is almost totally an island. I’m really not sure why the TVA Police were on private landowners property! Look at a map, they were on Swan Pond Loop, a public road. If they were driving on the loop then there was NO barricade. When I got to the Swan Pond Loop Saturday it was manned by the Sheriff’s Dept. and I was not allowed to pass. No one is allowed in unless you can prove you are a land owner. Before they started barricading the road it was being driven everyone. They were approached because they had cameras!
Sounds like someone should be arresting and detaining those fugitive emissions, quick, that spewed unchecked and chemically trespassed onto everyone’s personal property in its wake.
Who is responsible for detaining those perpetrators? Warning surrounding residents? Doing something to protect their health and property?
Thanks for the constant updates, Jerry!
Hey Michael,
I sent Alex a photo of the Kingston Fossil Plant. I told him that he could use it on the header of this post (instead of the Nuclear plant that is now used). If you’d like to use it let him know or I can send it to you directly.
BTW, I have images of the disaster now posted to my website at http://www.jerrygreerphotography.com. They are posted in the Environmental Galley. Check them out.
Hard to tell from the aerial photo on Google Map where the facility begins and ends. Here’s the coordinates according to the Wikipedia page (gotta love this feature):
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=x&g=35.898333,-84.518889&ll=35.898785,-84.519024&spn=0.032608,0.06669&z=14
Probably just as hard to tell even on site, with the perimeter fence marked with “Do not Enter” signs all washed away!
There needs to be a big Federal response to this - penalties for the TVA as well as penalties for the individual officers involved. Letting thuggish behavior like this go unchecked and unpunished is reprehensible.
I was there. I and two other WATERKEEPER Alliance members were stopped and detained in a waterway of the United States, in a canoe.
We went in and took sediment samples and water samples. We were then stopped by a TVA company boat with two men in it. One was dressed in TVA construction clothing and the other had a police looking uniform but badge and name were covered by lifejacket. We stopped because he was pounding on the side of his boat and hand on gun demanded that we paddle to him and surrender our ID.
I refused until he showed me his badge # It was John B. Neal, badge #107, TVA militia type police.
John B. Neal claimed the river was “posted by US Coast Guard” We stated, “We saw no signs” John B Neal, badge # 107 claimed that “I personally went with USCG and assisted them in posting the signs” There were no signs. There never were any signs. I photographed every inch of the mouth of the Emory River and there ARE NO SIGNS as of yesterday at 12:30 Eastern Time. John B. Neal is a liar!
When I told that story at the Kingston emergency town meeting, the Mayor of Kingston actually stepped between me and Tom Kilgore, president and CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority and tried to stop me from speaking to the owner of the TVA ashole. When I called officer John B. Neal, badge# 107 a liar, the mayor actually bumped me with his chets and tried to push me away. I stood my ground and refused to be silenced.
TVA is acting like gestapo instead of a private company security service.
This is a long way from over!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmihsLzT7XQ
http://s291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/creekkeeper_2008/Harriman%20Coal%20ash%20spill/
John L. Wathen,
Hurricane Creekkeeper
John,
There were no signs anywhere on the reservoir that I saw either stating it was closed. I did see them pull a kayaker from the water near the big barge they were using. I knew he was going to get busted. The TVA police and the local Sheriff’s Dept. are getting real aggressive with security. I hope in a few days to a week they will chill out a little and I’ll go back for some more photos. Anyway, keep safe!