Duplicate | December 30, 2008 | 7 comments

Environmentalists Detained for Photographing Tennessee Ash Spill

source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Environmentalists-Detained-for-Photographing-Tennessee-Ash-Sp...

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Although it exhibits a PR-friendly facade, TVA also refuses to let independent observers take pictures and water samples from the affected area. Two photographers who tried to capture the site on film were detained by TVA police and held in custody for about an hour before being released. The two, members of the Knoxville-based United Mountain Defense, said that they wanted to take water samples of their own, to have it independently tested.

“This is an issue of national importance. People need to know if the water is safe or not,” said David Cooper, one of the photographers.

The illegal detention was widely criticized by civil rights groups, which said that the very core of American freedom was infringed upon by the actions of TVA police. They argued that people had a right to know the scale of the disaster, and also to see for themselves the devastation. There are currently no laws in place to prevent people from taking water samples out of national rivers or creeks, they added.

The danger now is that the ash spill will dry out, which would mean that a cloud of ash, similar to the one released by a volcano, will roam the region and deposit itself on everything it comes across. Emergency response teams are currently working to clear the area of potentially hazardous remains.
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7 comments // Environmentalists Detained for Photographing Tennessee Ash Spill

  • pinkerbelle
    • 0
      pinkerbelle  

    • Doesn't the U.S. have freedom of press?!?!?!?!

      What's wrong with photographing the site? The environmentalist should be all for people taking pictures of the wreckage...that way there would be more awareness of what could happen. Why is this censored?!?!!? this should be headline news for about a week at least!

      They must've been paid off by the stupid company as damage control. I can't believe that after all this, the company could still be thinking about Public Relations!

      Question: has anyone sent an apology to the public for this spillage and damage?

    • 3 years ago
  • jmac1
    • 0
      jmac1  

    • I left the south because I thought folks were a tad bit slower than I wished to be. (please don't rip me for this)
      I just was further out side the box and had to go, My point is that this will not help the gene pool at all in the future.

    • 3 years ago
  • Kepano
    • 0
      Kepano  

    • I agree this is some crazy shit, could be worse if he were in a foreign country and tried to do this, he prolly still be locked up, don’t want to mention any countries who lack some of the freedoms that Americans have. Don’t be surprised these people disappear.

    • 3 years ago
  • jmac1
    • 0
      jmac1  

    • I was back in Tenn. last Xmas (07 with my Mom and Dad and in New Orleans in 05 for a wedding right after Katrina) and the water tasted like crap then because they had added so much (bleach) to make the water safe and it almost made me sick. I was told the water was fine! I live in NorCal and feel blessed. I would freek if an event like this happened around here. I would also end up in jail. What sucks the most is Tenn. is one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

    • 3 years ago
  • cerealforeal
  • neocongo
  • pjacobs51
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