Update: National Coal is claiming no more than 600 tons of coal were dumped, and it was on their own property, FYI.
I can’t believe this — 1100 TONS of coal dumped in Tennessee and I can’t find ANYthing about this anywhere on-line except via the good folks with Sierra Club and Save Our Cumberland Mountains in Tennessee. If you are fed up and fired up and ready to stand in solidarity with communities in Tennessee check out Mountain Justice Spring Break www.mjsb.org which will be happening near the TVA Ash Dam Disaster March 7-15, 2009 and will encourage service projects and direct action against TVA’s criminal negligence.
But before you do that, please note the discrepancy from when the spill happened to when it was discovered — appears to have been a cover up. From SOCM’s press release:
A coal train operated by National Coal Corporation over turned on Friday, January 9, 2009, spilling approximately 1100 tons of coal next to the New River in Scott County, Tennessee. Eight rail cars, which typically hold 120 tons of coal, were involved. The contamination was discovered on Monday, January 12, 2009 by Steve Bakaletz, a Wildlife Biologist with the National Park Service at the Big South Fork (BSF) Recreation Area’s Oneida Office.
According to Mr. Bakaletz, cleanup had been ongoing through the weekend following the wreck but had not been completed by the time he discovered it. Video of the spill was taken by BSF employees. Mr. Bakaletz notified Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on Monday after he discovered the spill. TWRA’s Sundquist WMA is nearby but was not directly impacted. The New River supports 2 endangered species of fish.
Last night I went and saw this cheesy sci-fi remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” with Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly. In it Klaathu, played by Keanu, comes to destroy the human race because we’re destroying the earth through selfishness, carelessness, hate, war, all that stuff.
In the end he changes his mind because he sees that humans are at a precipice of making a change due to the better angels in our nature. I hope he’s right. I don’t see it when I read about stuff like this.
ANYWAY, to tag onto Dana’s pitch about what to do when seeing this sort of careless disaster, come to DC on March 2nd and join a mass action against the Capital Coal Plant. It’ll be largest action against coal and climate change in US history. we’re mobilizing a movement against these bastards in the coal sector and we need all of you to join us. we’re literally going to have thousands blocking and occupying this plant that has historically powered capital hill.
go to http://www.capitalclimateaction.org to get involved.
http://tennesseehawk.typepad.com/earthbytes/2009/01/train-wreck-dumps-9-car-loads-of-coal-near-the-new-river.html
Here is a first hand account of the spill. Huffington Post just broke this story and included the blog above.
Also, if you want to get involved in Powering Past Coal — hop on over to http://www.powerpastcoal.org which is connecting hundreds of actions across the US into one big cry to let everyone know that we are (literally) sick of being poisoned and dumped on by coal and ready for some clean energy solutions! Please join us, no matter how little or big your work is.
From Tennessee:
It is time to end this devastating addiction to 19th century techology–from the cradle to the grave coal is dangerous, depleting and destructive.
On Jan 19th the birthday of Martin Luther King and one day before the inaugaration of Barack Obama there will be protest against TVA–its recent disasterS and the whole concept of “clean coal” in Chattannoga, Nashville and Knoxville from 12 -1pm.
Please bring signs, pictures, instruments, megaphones, accordians and your voice. Please come with your best manners–media will be present. This is a nonviolent protest against coal in the spirit of MLK.
Tri-city protest against TVA
Knoxville TVA Protest
In Knoxville the protest will be downtown in front of the headquarters of TVA on the Market Square side from 12-1.
Contact Chris Martin to help.
1(931) 216-5011
cpm1107@gmail.com
Nashville TVA Protest
In Nashville the protest will start from 12:30-1 in the legislative plaza in downtown Nashville.
Contact Anna Graves to help.
615-517-4804
actingoutlife@yahoo.com
Chattanooga
The Chattanooga protest will be from 12-1pm in front of the TVA heaquarters in downtown Chattanooga.
Contact Amanda Cagle to help.
caglear@gmail.com
423-595-1222
We need help generating information and deseminating our press release to the world.
Dirty Coal Collective
Division of information services.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._DayI