Attorneys working with environmental activist Erin Brockovich filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against TVA in connection with the Dec. 22 ash spill near its plant in Kingston, Tenn.
The suit was filed in Knoxville on behalf of 109 Roane County residents in the Kingston and Harriman, Tenn., area who say they have been affected by the 1.1 billion gallon coal ash sludge spill, said Robin Greenwald, chief environmental lawyer for New York-based Weitz & Luxenberg.
Ms. Greenwald said the lawsuit is not a class-action case and the filing does not specify the damages each client seeks.
“A lot is unknown right now, and there is a lot one needs to know to determine the damages,” Ms. Greenwald said.
TVA spokesman John Moulton said the utility has not seen the suit.
Ms. Greenwald and Ms. Brockovich visited the ash spill site in January. She is known for helping win a $333 million settlement from the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. in 1996 over contaminated groundwater.
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The vultures are circling the carcass. The TVA we have known all these uncertain years will not be able to withstand the huge influx of suits against it.
The legal dam has burst, so to speak, because the federal judge in North Carolina’s air pollution case against the TVA first ruled that the TVA was not immune from prosecution and then ruled in favor of North Carolina.
The federal judge says the TVA must speed up the installation of air pollution control devices in four of its plants to the tune of nearly $2 billion dollars. TVA must report its progress to the court.
It took the Kingston disaster, CEO Tom Kilgore now calls it a “catastrophe”, for TVA to come out of its shell to sniff the political air. It doesn’t smell like roses. And that’s another one that will cost another $2 billion perhaps much more.
TVA sales are down and they are desperately seeking short-term financing. (TVA even borrowed a billion from the Bank of America, the same bank that Treasury just gave $45 billion.) This is part of TVA’s crazy financial scheme and their scheming.
TVA cannot afford to build any more of anything with a $25 billion debt staring it in the face plus at least another $5 billion coming up right away.
This is where the water hits the wheel. Who is going to pay for all the mess TVA has caused? Right now, it looks like TVA’s “self-financing” idea is full of holes, the leaky financial dam is about to burst – again.
Now comes the new White House brimming full of ways to spend more tax money. Dollars to donuts there is a big bailout in store for the TVA. Meanwhile 8 million households are on tenterhooks waiting for the next blast of a rate increase.
The days of cheap, unrealistic electricity costs are, as certain as the Tennessee River flows, over.
Ernest Norsworthy
emnorsworthy@earthlink.net
http://norsworthyopinion.com
"TVA's top executive is offering up an apology.
CEO Tom Kilgore says he's sorry for accepting a big raise last year.
In October, the utility board gave him nearly a 20-percent increase.
With incentives, he was set to earn more than 3-million-dollars a year. That same month, electric customers saw their bills go up dramatically.
Kilgore doesn't plan to give back the money, but says he expects this year's compensation to be much less."
Seems like Tom Kilgore should pay for the clean up. Our February bill was over $200. Looks like the TVA customers are paying for the cleanup, just like they paid for Kilgores "bonus". I'll never understand why someone can make SO much money and then "stick" it to the people that have no choice or sayso.
Put the shoe on the other foot Tom Kilgore. How much do YOU pay every month for your power bill? Inquiry minds would like to know!!!