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TVA Spill Worries Farmers

CHATTANOOGA (WRCB) - Maximum levels of arsenic were found in well-water and springs near the Kingston plant. The findings have a lot of people concerned. Including local farmers Who rely heavily on the Tennessee River.

Picturesque is the first word that comes to mind when you visit Howard Hornsby's dairy farm. But for Hornsby this land is livelihood.

"Land like this is practically irreplaceable," said Hornsby. "There's not much of it in one place."

The place is Meigs County, some 500 acres nestled along the Tennessee River.

It's water Hornsby uses for the crops that feed his cattle. So you can imagine his initial concern when he learned of the coal ash spill 30 miles up river in Kingston last week.

"If heavy metals get in the ground, it's very difficult to do anything with," said Hornsby.

Samples taken by the EPA show dangerous levels of toxic chemicals in Kingston's groundwater including unusually high levels of arsenic. 

The state environment department tells us that farmers like Hornsby shouldn't worry.

"The material that was released from the ash ponds is heavy material, and it stays pretty well where it was deposited," said Dr. Richard Urban.

And for once, Urban says science is on the valley's side. The landscape of our region makes it tougher for toxins to travel.

"You've got the ridges and the valleys that intercept it, and it keeps it fairly well contained within an area," said Urban.

So for now Hornsby will wait and see. But one thing's certain, when he plants corn next April, he'll think twice before he waters it.

"If I had reason to believe that water was contaminated, I would certainly want to do some testing," said Hornsby. "The last thing I would want to do is bring heavy metals into my crop land."