“I don’t trust TVA, not after all this:” Interviews With TVA Coal Ash Spill Victims (Video)
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY 
on 01. 6.09
Pardon the audio quality in portions of this, but check out some eyewitness accounts of the aftermath of the TVA coal ash spill: Basically a slow response on the part of TVA (clip above) and the type of damage which has happened (see clip below). Clips were recorded by United Mountain Defense.
via: OnEarth
TVA Coal Ash Spill
2.6 Million Cubic Yards of Toxic Coal Ash Slurry Released in Tennessee Dike Burst
Massive Tennessee Toxic Ash Spill May Have Been Prevented by Fixes Rejected by TVA Officials
Arsenic Levels 300 Times Safe Limits in TVA Coal Spill Water, Independent Tests Show
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Although I don't have any first hand account of what has happened, I do live within about 40 miles or so of this site. So I don't know the facts of this situation but I can say that TVA has a pretty good reputation in this area. In every situation a number of things could have been done before the incident and after to either prevent it or make the remediation go more smoothly. I have confidence that TVA will clean up their mess and make things right with the individuals involved.
@mus302:
You "don't know the facts of the situation". Err... did you read ANYTHING on this and other websites over the past few days? The FACTS are really quite simple - a bunch of toxic cack got spilled into the forest and threatens to screw up the water supply. It ain't rocket science! What other "facts" are you asking for exactly?
The only reason TVA has a good reputation in the area is JOBS. For the people that visit the area (like the millions of tourists who go there for hiking, biking, white-water rafting), TVA is a dog. They make beautiful vistas ugly, they control water flow on the rivers so the fish die and the river is only passable on certain days of the year. Their toxic coal burning plants chuck out CO2 27/7/365, and they green-wash it all by claiming they're really a hydroelectric company. Hydro accounts for a minuscule percentage of their total power output - the rest is good ole' king coal.
Most of mid-southern Appalachia (VA, WV, NC, TN) has been turned from the last remaining pristine forest wilderness in the US, into a complete disaster zone, within about 25 years, thanks to TVA, Massey energy, and a handful of other coal companies.
Yeah, I'm sure they'll do the right thing, like buy off the right politicians and inject enough money into DC to make the regulators go away.