Representative Democracy Fail

[Kirby]

Clash in Alabama Over Tennessee Coal Ash

I'm no enviro-nut, but I find this absolutely appalling. This small, poor, rural town was completely bought off by TVA into dumping 8500 tons of coal ash every day from a spill at a Tennessee power plant. The community leaders sold the will of their constituency for a measly $3 million and 30 jobs out of 1000 applicants.

As any good citizens do, they elected a person who vowed to represent their views of opposing the landfill. But after a pampered trip by TVA on a private jet to another site, he changed his mind, likening the waste to the coal ash burned in the heaters in the old school houses. But never mind the mercury and arsenic.

The EPA claimed that the location was ideal because it was isolated, but there are 212 residences within a mile and half of the site.

Even if you throw out the whole environment thing, what about the will of the people? This is their town, shouldn't they have a say?

I think Nietzsche put it well, "...mellow and as it were, sugared, cruelty in spirit and senses."

 

[heyheybooboo]

Almost every day, a train pulls into a rail yard in rural Alabama, hauling 8,500 tons of a disaster that occurred 350 miles away to a final resting place, the Arrowhead Landfill here in Perry County, which is very poor and almost 70 percent black.

I'm just thankful they aren't hauling it into western NC.

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[werepossum]

212 residents within a mile and a half is pretty isolated, although I could find more sparsely populated areas here in Tennessee. I think though the key isolation is from the water table; if it's buried in a properly constructed and stable landfill there shouldn't be any issues. As to the will of the people, we live in a representative republic, not a democracy; you have your say when you elect your representatives. Personally I'm happy it's going to a landfill rather than being piled up above a creek or river.

Does seem like there are some suitable sites closer to Kingston, though.

 

[MotF Bane]

Shoot the representative. Problem solved. 😛

 

[Kirby]

212 residents within a mile and a half is pretty isolated, although I could find more sparsely populated areas here in Tennessee.

I know that there are much more isolated areas in Alabama, although a lot of that may be national or state forrests.

I think though the key isolation is from the water table; if it's buried in a properly constructed and stable landfill there shouldn't be any issues.

Would you want to live near it? I'm naturally suspicious, and it seems like TVA and the EPA threw some money at some poor people to try to keep it hushed.

As to the will of the people, we live in a representative republic, not a democracy; you have your say when you elect your representatives. Personally I'm happy it's going to a landfill rather than being piled up above a creek or river.

Does seem like there are some suitable sites closer to Kingston, though.

I think republics are defined as representative democracies instead of direct democracies. 😛

 

[werepossum]

I know that there are much more isolated areas in Alabama, although a lot of that may be national or state forrests.

Would you want to live near it? I'm naturally suspicious, and it seems like TVA and the EPA threw some money at some poor people to try to keep it hushed.



I think republics are defined as representative democracies instead of direct democracies. 😛

I don't know about the EPA, but TVA totally threw money at whomever would take the least to make it go away. And remaining naturally suspicious is the key to not getting totally screwed. As far as living near it, I live across the river from a nuclear plant and the houses across the street back up against the old TNT reservation, supposedly one of the most dangerously contaminated soil sites in the country (though I have my doubts about that.) So yeah, I don't think I'd have a problem with the coal ash landfill. LOL

 

[Jaskalas]

Shoot the representative. Problem solved. 😛

Look in a mirror when pointing that gun. If that is your solution you'd better get used to it pointing back.

 

[Schadenfroh]

The TVA is owned by the feds. There would only be a sizable outrage if a private corporation did it.

That being said, the feds detonated two nuclear weapons underneath an area near where I grew up. But, they did compensate the residents of the area by paying them $10 each (1960s currency).

 

[MotF Bane]

Look in a mirror when pointing that gun. If that is your solution you'd better get used to it pointing back.

🙄

 

[ebaycj]

The TVA is owned by the feds. There would only be a sizable outrage if a private corporation did it.

That being said, the feds detonated two nuclear weapons underneath an area near where I grew up. But, they did compensate the residents of the area by paying them $10 each (1960s currency).

Dude, That's $71 in 2008 dollars. Not bad.

Just curious, where was the testing done?

 

[Schadenfroh]

Just curious, where was the testing done?

South Mississippi
http://www.atomicarchive.com/Almanac/Testing.shtml

Two nuclear detonations performed in a subterranean salt dome formation, as part of a 1960's Atomic Energy Commission Test. The first detonation, to form the cavity, code-named Salmon, took place in 1964 using a 5.3 kiloton bomb, placed at the bottom of a sealed 2,710-foot shaft. The second nuclear blast, a relatively small 0.38 kilotons yield shot code-named Sterling, was exploded within Salmon's 110-foot diameter cavity more than two years later.

 

[Modelworks]

I'm surprised they are not selling the ash to concrete manufacturers. Just a little processing and it become a prime ingredient.

 

[cubeless]

I'm surprised they are not selling the ash to concrete manufacturers. Just a little processing and it become a prime ingredient.

none of the local politico's relatives are concrete guys... bet some of them are in the hauling or landfill business, though...

and why the hell shouldn't the 'poor folk' of that county choose to have the landfill? They have no industry or tax base, so what the hell are they supposed to do to generate revenue so the they can fulfill their american right to have local politicians?

 

[bamacre]

One hand of government taxing people to clean up messes, the other hand making messes.

 

[werepossum]

The TVA is owned by the feds. There would only be a sizable outrage if a private corporation did it.

That being said, the feds detonated two nuclear weapons underneath an area near where I grew up. But, they did compensate the residents of the area by paying them $10 each (1960s currency).

That is so hilarious! "Um, yeah, those earthquakes you felt were us detonating a couple of nuclear weapons underneath you. Sorry about that, sorry everybody. So, um, here's ten bucks. 'Kay, bye!" I have a great mental picture of some totally mystified people each holding a tenspot while watching a government car drive away.

Nuclear radiation! Mm, salty . . .