What TVA should do...

Submitted by WhitesCreek on July 1, 2009 - 2:06pm.

Here are the bullet points of my testimony to the Congressional Field Hearing. I have come to the conclusion that we need to craft a solid list of things we have to have to set right Roane County and its people. What needs changing?

TVA should commit to prompt open and honest communication with everyone. TVA is being sued, deservedly so in most cases, and refuses to communicate with anyone who has legal representation. This is absurd on the face of it.

TVA should immediately disconnect any release for medical and health claims from the real estate transactions with people whose houses and farms have been damaged, lost value, or can no longer be reliably marketed due to TVA’s disaster.

TVA should develop a health insurance program to cover the people who live or work, not only in the shadow of the smokestacks but downwind of its emissions.

TVA has publicly vilified the very people it has harmed, including me, when it stated that it has to deny claims of people who live well away from the disaster site in order to protect ratepayers, as if the ratepayers will be the ones who bear the burden of paying for TVA managers, officers, and its Board of Directors failure to properly oversee TVA operations. This offensive practice has to stop.

TVA should immediately take steps to purchase at fair market value as of a reasonable date prior to Dec. 22, 2008, any property or real estate in Roane County that the owner wishes to sell. If TVA has not caused a loss in value, as it essentially claimed in its form letter to me, then TVA will lose no money as it can easily sell these properties and recover its costs. If it can’t sell them at full value, then we will have proof that TVA is wrong.

TVA should immediately withdraw its legal filing claiming legal immunity. It should not be allowed to stand above the law…answerable to no one. All we ask is honesty, the acceptance of responsibility with meaningful action, and an open process with oversight of the chicken house by someone other than the possum.


onetahiti's picture
TVA should also...

TVA should reimburse property owners who do not wish to sell for the drop in value from the ash spill. This includes property owners who live far from the spill but still in the county. The whole county went down in value. We are basically a riverine county and much of the value of property, even property that is not directly lakeside, is tied to the fact we are near the lake.

Why should owners be required to sell to get back the value TVA cost them?

-- OneTahiti

How about

a piece on our lakes and rivers. On going testing and remediation by a third party, (water, fish, and the rest of the local food chain) to some date beyond the cleanup "end date". Wherever that is.

WhitesCreek's picture
Keep it coming...I am

Keep it coming...I am scheduled to be on Liberadio(!) next week. I'm putting my notes in order.

the impact

We have been told that 1/2 of the fly ash will be shipped. Question: what half is being shipped and to where? How does tva measure one-half? Half of what? Half of the river clogged, half of the half we see above the ground?
Then, will the Swan Pond lakes be restored as Kilgore stated in so many different interviews? What exactly is the plan for the two lakes that were located on the side of Swan Pond Road and Swan Pond Rd?

Who will reimburse the County and Cities for lost revenue from property taxes?

when will TVA address the lost revenue to local businesses?
These businesses include real estate companies, commercial and home construction companies.

TVA officials stated they would address us with dimenished property values then changed their minds on April 1,2009. Many of us want to not sell but recognize we have lost tremendous valued to the property owned. Address this please.

And, will tva be courageous enough to promote environmental education programs in our county as well as other neighboring counties? Imagine Environmental Scholarship Funds pd by TVA.

WhitesCreek's picture
Another suggestion:

Residents should be reimbursed for out of pocket medical expenses related to TVA.

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