Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is coming to Kingston, Tenn., on Thursday to meet with residents harmed by TVA’s fly-ash spill at the Kingston Steam Plant.
Ms. Brockovich will appear at a news conference at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Midtown Valley United Methodist Church in Kingston. A 48-year-old mother of three, Ms. Brockovich filed a 1993 class-action lawsuit against Pacific Gas & Electric Co. In the 2000 movie “Erin Brockovich,” she was portrayed by actress Julia Roberts, who won an Oscar as Best Actress for the role.
“My main objective in these cases is to work with the community to build trust and help protect their health and safety,” Ms. Brockovich said in a news release. “Many times, industry deceives us and government is absent. People are left standing in contamination with no help.”
EPA water samples have shown elevated levels of arsenic and other heavy metals in the ash-contaminated Emory River, although water samples of public water systems in the area by TVA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation show the water meets all drinking water standards.
Ms. Brockovich, who says she is a self-taught environmental expert, worked as a law clerk on a successful $333 million class-action lawsuit against Pacific Gas in California, which was ultimately settled in 1996 for $333 million. She is now president of Brockovich Research & Consulting.
TVA is already facing at least three potential lawsuits over the Kingston spill and more are expected to be filed.
For complete details, see tomorrow’s Times Free Press.
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