May 7 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Heather Mullinix Crossville Chronicle, Tenn.


Residents of the Crab Orchard community are concerned about the health and environmental effects of fly ash disposal in their community.

"Whatever price they will pay to do it is not enough because penny-wise and pound-foolish -- I can't understand how money can buy a beautiful town like this," said Jody Sherrill during Tuesday's meeting of the Crab Orchard Board of Aldermen.

The Tennessee Valley Authority recently announced it was considering three sites to dispose of fly ash following thespill in Kingston.

Two of the proposed disposal sites are in Cumberland County -- in an unused coal mine on Smith Mountain and the old Crab Orchard rock quarry.

"My opinion is we don't want fly ash here," said Sherrill, a former mayor and alderman of the town.

In January, the Crab Orchard Board of Aldermen voted against allowing a landfill at the Crab Orchard quarry. At that time, the council was acting under the Jackson Law, which requires landfill applicants to get local approval for solid waste facilities.

Tuesday, Jean Cheely questioned if the law would apply in this case since the fly ash is not public waste and the Tennessee Valley Authority is a government agency. Mayor Emmett Sherrill said the town attorney was researching that issue.

No permits have been issued, and the county commission has not yet voted on action regarding the Smith Mountain mine reclamation site. See related story in this issue for information from Wednesday's environmental committee meeting.

Residents of Crab Orchard voiced concern over possible contamination of the area's ground water. There are currently 56 active wells inside the city limits, one speaker said, and the water from the area drains into Grassy Cove and Hebbertsburg.

Wendell Delaney said, "Now, they're trying to poison the best water in the world. We already have enough problems with the dust."

Delaney said that dust was a product of mining in the area.

But more upsetting to residents was what could come after the fly ash.

Delaney showed a news clipping from 1981 that said Crab Orchard was being considered as a disposal site for low-grade radioactive waste.

"This could possibly happen again," Delaney said. "This could be a start if they ever got a foothold in our city."

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