More info here.
I hadn't seen a diary written on this yet today, perhaps because it's happening in Tennessee, or perhaps because the TVA hopes you won't notice. Or perhaps it's because [UPDATE: Snarky statement deleted.]
In any case, I'll take a stab at getting some attention for a critically important issue that involves a perfect storm of neglect, bad policy, and RNC chair Mike Duncan.
Update: Take Action. Sign up for the truth. There is no such thing as clean coal.
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Update2: New diary on topic here.
There has been, from the beginning, an attempt to minimize and cover up the significance of the coal ash sludge spill, which happened just before Christmas while eyes and ears were focused on Rod Blagojevich and the economic crisis. While it's understandable that TVA, TEMA, and TDEC wanted to avoid creating false alarms about the spill, it is unconscionable that these groups failed to notify the public promptly about the risks of the spill to drinking water and air quality if the ash became airborne.
We've learned since then that high levels of toxic arsenic were found in the water near the spill site. The risks prompted one area physician to ask a pregnant woman to move out of the area so that her unborn child would be protected from the environmental hazards.
You can be sure that the Republican Party is trying to throw a wet blanket over this. In fact, TN GOP chair Robin Smith was caught in the act on Twitter, trying to manage public relations by reminding everyone that although this is a tragedy, we're still dependent on coal for energy.
Lamar Alexander, who serves on the Environmental oversight committee responsible for TVA, has received thousands of dollars in contributions from TVA board members. Alexander, who talks a good game on environmental issues, has been an epic fail when it comes to the TVA spill.
So, we have to leave it up to California Sen. Barbara Boxer to deal with the mess.
Thanks, Lamar.
In hearings today, Boxer called for stricter government oversight of TVA, which is fully owned by the federal government, unlike Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac or other GSEs. This means that ultimately, the responsibility for TVA lies with the federal government.
A report from Hugh Bartling on TPMCafe tells us that a large number of the Democratic senators on the committee were absent from this meeting. All of which leads me to ask, Where is the government oversight? Where is the accountability? Why is Tom Kilgore still employed and making $3 million a year for such epic failure?
And what really kills me is the story on the front page of today's Tennessean. The headline? Costs of TVA sludge spill to show on electric bills: Ratepayers are on the hook for cleanup of toxic ash site.
What this means is that I am going to have to pay for the top-down failure of TVA to prevent this preventable incident.
And Tom Kilgore gets $3 million a year.
Yeah, that's fair.
Late Update, 5:15 PM CST: National Resources Defense Council blogger rperks has more details on Kilgore's testimony and the testimony of residents and homeowners impacted by the spill:
Of course, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) used his time to deliver his favorite mantra: blame environmentalists. He blasted "extremist groups exploiting this tragedy to advance their political agenda -- namely, the eradication of coal as a power source."
The rest of the hearing was devoted to witness testimony, beginning with Tom Kilgore, CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority. In his opening statement, he briefly described for the committee the details of the spill and the TVA's response in the wake of the disaster. Interestingly, he didn't bother to acknowledge the local residents in the room whose homes and property were damaged. After his remarks and the question and answer session -- in which he bobbed and weaved in the finest bureaucratic fashion -- Kilgore abruptly left the hearing instead of sticking around to hear from the other witnesses from environmental organizations. In fact, Kilgore scuttled out quickly with a retinue of about a dozen TVA staffer in tow to hold a press gaggle in the hallway. This shrewdly took reporters out of the room during testimony from the other panelists who were there to criticize TVA, to call for a quick cleanup and to urge the legislators to enact long overdue regulations on coal ash waste disposal and storage.