Appalachian Voices visits ground zero

Appalachian Voices’ National Field Coordinator Sandra Diaz and the Watauga RIverkeeper Donna Lisenby visited ground zero of the TVA coal fly ash spill in Harriman, TN, today, kayaking into the area hardest hit and taking water samples for independent study. Below are Sandra’s updates by cell phone using the Twitter service:

# Uploaded a few more pics, more to come, plus video #coalash https://is.gd/dHd6 4:48 PM Dec 27th, 2008 from web

# We made it out alive! cops everywhere- on land, on water, in the air 2:36 PM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# We got busted! more later 1:47 PM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# Cops yelling @ us 1:35 PM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# We r where it all blew out…islands of sludge 1:21 PM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# Looks like they r puttin in a boom. finally! 12:50 PM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# Big machines ahead… can we get thru? 12:46 PM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# We just did our 1st water sample 4 ny times! 12:15 PM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# We r being recorded by ny times! 12:05 PM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# Water looks like marble…gross! 11:57 AM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# ny times is here, about 2 get on the water! 11:47 AM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# We r on water! 11:43 AM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# We found our loading dock. hopefully tva wont see us 11:31 AM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# heading off the get on the water to take pics and take water samples 10:55 AM Dec 27th, 2008 from web

# Figuring out our P of A using Google Earth…love the Google! 10:30 AM Dec 27th, 2008 from web

# Reporter from NPR Weekend Edition (Sunday) came and went. Hopefully she will be able to get into the affected area. 10:21 AM Dec 27th, 2008 from web

# will be posting my pics as I can here: https://is.gd/dHd610:13 AM Dec 27th, 2008 from web

# We have reached the hq @ a secret undislosed location in kingston, tn 9:39 AM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# 13 miles outside of kingston…no sign of the environmental disaster coming up 8:55 AM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

# On the road 2 biggest coal sludge disaster in us 6:37 AM Dec 27th, 2008 from txt

About Jamie Goodman

Jamie is an Appalachian local with a deep and unshakeable love of the mountains her family has called home since the mid-1700s. With a background in journalism and communications, she has been with Appalachian Voices since 2008 and currently serves as our Director of Digital Innovation and Technology.