Oil and chemical spills understandably cause alarm not only among environmentalists but among all Americans who enjoy nature and want to preserve it. So it goes without saying that steps should be taken to avoid spills in lakes, rivers or oceans, and to respond quickly when spills occur.
But we also have to marvel at the incredible resilience of our environment.
You may have read a recent item in the Times Free Press about a 50-pound mercury spill in the Hiwassee River from the Olin Chemical plant in Bradley County. The spill occurred when the plant’s treatment lagoon overflowed after Tropical Storm Lee rapidly dumped 13 inches of rain in the area.
Mercury is dangerous, so obviously we do not want it in our water. But fortunately, it appears that the spill did not cause major problems.
As the article in the Times Free Press noted, Tennessee American Water “has yet to detect any signs of mercury” in the Tennessee River — into which the Hiwassee drains — though the company continued running tests just in case.