Study Finds Enriched Uranium in The Nolichucky River

[Pete Moss]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40141088...-nashville_tn/

This was in the news this morning about contamitnation in the Nolichucky near Erwin, TN. Uncle Johnny's and the Nolichucky were some great memories for me and hate to see somewhere so wonderful poisoned.

[Slo-go'en]

Not suprising, as there is a reprocessing plant in town there.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Ah! CRUD (Chalk River Unidentified Deposits) strikes again!
Don't worry, what could happen?

[Rain Man]

Nothing to worry about. The Chamber of Commerce and "the market" will sort it all out and take care of us all. No need for more "big government" to step in!!!

Or ... NOT!

Rain Man

.

[Pete Moss]

I am fully aware that it will just flow down river and the problem will sort itself out in the Gulf of Mexico!

[Luddite]

I used to guide on the nearby Pigeon River and it is also polluted from a Paper Mill. Pisses me off.

[leaftye]

Okay, so there's uranium in the water, but how bad is it? They can't even give us a scary bad estimate like the media did with the oil spill? Many PCT hikers drink uranium contaminated water every year. It's not a big deal if the amount is low.

[Pete Moss]

Its that attitude that lets things get out of control.
" Oh one barrel of toxic waste in the river, no biggie."
one turns to two, two turns to three, three turns to four.....
Next thing you know, a river no longer has a fish population and is shut to recreational activity beacuse of toxic hazards.

There was no indication in the article of what the uranium levels are, but it is meant to warning that if not checked and fixed, could be a big problem.

This is exactly how most disasters in history start, a small problem that goes unchecked beacuse of attitudes of complacency, and grows into something much worse.

Examples: New Orleans and Katrina, Gulf oil spill to name two.

[Rocket Jones]

As for more regulation, how about enforcing the laws on the books now? It's illegal to pollute now, but if we make it even more illegal that'll solve everything?

The problem isn't lack of oversight, it's that the people responsible for the oversight aren't doing their job.

[GracefulRoll]

Yikes.

[Spokes]

.......... 21 drops of AquaMira per liter?

[Pete Moss]

As for more regulation, how about enforcing the laws on the books now? It's illegal to pollute now, but if we make it even more illegal that'll solve everything?

The problem isn't lack of oversight, it's that the people responsible for the oversight aren't doing their job.

You got it!

[Luddite]

The EPA gives these companies permits to allow certain amounts of toxic waste to be dumped into the river. I don't know how the Uranium was dumped in the river, maybe it just leeched, but I really wish we had an organization in this country that actually stopped these companies from destroying rivers. The EPA is useless.

[rcli4]

The EPA is not useless. Your not old enough to remember before they were here. Lake erie in Michigan caught on fire. I think Boston Harbor did also.

[leaftye]

Agreed. I would like to see things get away from this attitude of " Let's see HOW bad it is and then determine if its bad enough to fix"

If we are having to determine HOW bad it is....it's bad enough, lets fix it and make it right.

I'm fine with that. It's just that they tested it, so surely they have some indication of how bad it is. Hopefully it was just a lazy reporter. Surely they can do both at the same time.

[The Solemates]

Don't worry, what could happen?

well....4 eye buzzards come to mind

[skinewmexico]

Never mind

[4eyedbuzzard]

The EPA is not useless. Your not old enough to remember before they were here. Lake erie in Michigan caught on fire. I think Boston Harbor did also.

Actually, it was the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland that caught fire in 1969.

well....4 eye buzzards come to mind

[weary]

The EPA gives these companies permits to allow certain amounts of toxic waste to be dumped into the river. I don't know how the Uranium was dumped in the river, maybe it just leeched, but I really wish we had an organization in this country that actually stopped these companies from destroying rivers. The EPA is useless.

Fact check! No, not useless. Just not perfect, like most human institutions. Perhaps all?

The clean water act, administered by EPA, is the most successful environmental law in history. Unfortunately, it's passage required compromise, compromise that made enforcement cumbersome, and at times impossible.

Weary

[Tipi Walter]

The EPA is useless.

That about says it all.