Tennessee River in danger of becoming more polluted, group says
The Tennessee River is one of the 10 most endangered waterways in the country, a report released Wednesday by a national conservation group contends.
Inadequate, aging wastewater systems and untreated sewage are two of the primary reasons American Rivers named the 652-mile long Tennessee River among the waterways throughout the country that will reach a crossroads during the next year. The group’s list is comprised of input from thousands of river groups, conservation organizations and outdoor clubs, along with American Rivers’ own staff and scientific advisers.
Other rivers that made the Washington, D.C.-based organization’s endangered list include the Colorado River, the Mississippi River, the Snake River and the Spokane River.
The Tennessee River made the list not because of previous sewage spills but due to spills that could occur in the future, said Jamie Mierau, outreach specialist with American Rivers.
“This is not a list of the most polluted rivers,” Mierau said. “These are the rivers most at risk of taking a turn for the worst.”
The study identifies the main pollution facing each river. For the Tennessee River, it is sewage. For the Mississippi River, the primary culprits are sediment, nutrients and pesticides.
Urban decay and suburban sprawl were blamed in the report for causing millions of gallons of raw or partially treated sewage to be accidentally or deliberately dumped into the Tennessee River each year. It cited a January 2002 incident in Sheffield, Ala., in which 1 million gallons of raw sewage poured into the Tennessee River after a pipe in the river burst during heavy rains.
Chattanooga’s sewer system is labeled outdated and overloaded, while Knoxville’s sewage situation was singled out as being worse shape.
Within the past three years, the report alleges, the Knoxville Utilities Board has violated Clean Water Act sewage regulations about 1,000 times, dumping millions of gallons of raw or partially treated sewage into the Tennessee River. Part of the sewage comes from permits illegally issued by the state that allow bypassing, a violation of the Clean Water Act, the report says.
Bill Elmore, KUB’s senior vice president and chief operating officer, said in a prepared statement that all KUB plants hold valid state permits and are in compliance with the permits.
Environmentalists believe the problem is widespread.
“This is a serious issue, and not just in Knoxville,” said Renee Hoyos, executive director of the Tennessee Clean Water Network. “These urban sewer systems are 80 or 90 years old. They haven’t been repaired since they were built.”
The report also criticizes the Bush administration for its proposal to cut federal funding that would help local communities upgrade their sewage and drinking water plants.
The rivers that make the American Rivers top 10 list are chosen in part because of their regional and national significance.
The Tennessee River last made the annual list in 1997. At that time, the report identified TVA’s proposal to eliminate federally funded nonpower programs as a major water-quality threat.
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On the Net:
American Rivers: http://www.amrivers.org/
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Information from: Chattanooga Times Free Press, http://www.timesfreepress.com; and The Knoxville News Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.com