Others complained that the TVA was conducting much of the early testing, and raised questions about the trustworthiness of its data.
John Moulton, a TVA spokesman, said the ash pile was stored according to state regulations and monitored regularly. The Environmental Protection Agency, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and the local water utilities have gotten more involved in testing for contaminants.
The company, meanwhile, has been busy cleaning up the mess -- and placating worried locals.
An army of roughly 200 workers has been called in on cleanup duty. The ash is being hauled away with earth-moving equipment, including amphibious trackhoes -- huge scooping machines outfitted with tank-like treads. On the river, a rock weir -- an underwater wall -- is being built to keep the sunken ash from floating downstream, and a system of floating booms is corralling harmless but unattractive silica particles called cenospheres that float on the surface.
"At the end of the day," plant manager Ronald Hale said, "we want everyone to know it's clean."
TVA employees and retirees have canvassed the area asking after residents. Thomas, the retiree, said he had already been visited twice by TVA representatives, and his property was not damaged.
The effort has failed thus far to stem what could be a tide of litigation. This week, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, an environmental nonprofit, filed notice of its intent to sue TVA under the federal Clean Water and Resource Conservation and Recovery acts. Four property owners have also reportedly sued the TVA in state court, seeking $165 million in damages.
Realtor Ron Hillman of Sail Away Homes and Land, a specialist in riverside property, said the question for his business and the county was whether the water proves clean enough to swim in and drink.
"If [the results] are negative, this time next year we could be doing something different for a living -- it could put us out of business," he said. "Right now we're keeping a positive attitude."
--
richard.fausset@latimes.com
