The claim that TVA said for everyone too boil their drinking water is simple not true. It has been repeated like a high school hallway rumor, and I would expect the spokes person for a high priced Washington law firm to get her facts correct rather than expose herself to a loss of credibility. Here's where that nonsense came from: In the aftermath of the spill, TVA equipment was immediately working to clear the portion of the road along TVA property. An excavator cut through the waterline serving homes along that stretch of road. It was temporarily patched and the "boil" recommendation was issued for those homes and those homes only, not because of ash contamination, but because that is the standard procedure for the situation anytime a waterline is breached.

Good grief. Everyone saw the news reports. So you now claim the media got it wrong? Didn't TVA have press releases stating people should boil the water?

Personally, I tried to track that down, too, and could never find the original source (TVA or otherwise). I 'll take WhitesCreek's word for it because he should know. The problem is that the media didn't explain who was saying that or why, which made all the other "official" statements suspect.

The blogs got it right...The media got it wrong. TVA made a public statement at a meeting held at Roane Coutny High school over two weeks ago clarifying the situation but it was ignored. Over 200 people were there, including Chris Irwin and several other UMD representatives. I truly believe they have good intentions, but this bothers me at times. It's like they want to see black and white as far as good guys and bad guys, when it's all shades of gray in reality.

.. is one created by TVA and (I hate to use the term, sorry) "corporate America" overall. People know if they play nice and are reasonable, the larger moneyed interests will run all over them. If it weren't for the tiny army of inspectors and regulators, industry is happy to poison our water, pollute our air, sells us faulty pharmaceuticals, and tainted food. Turn on the news every day, and Joe Six Pack sees that the only person who might possibly come to their aid (but only when things go SERIOUSLY south) is a class action attorney....

... or Erin Brokovich.

And so, we all play this little dance. The companies see the class action attorneys show up and they entrench. Admit nothing, say nothing, downplay the hazards and risks. TVA sends a guy out with a portable GAS monitor that can't measure the airborne metals risks (but it looks like they're being proactive). The attorneys and experts will (often through lack of technical knowledge) exaggerate some (but not all of) the risks.

TVA is doing a better job than other companies in the same position. That doesn't mean we give them a pass and that Erin's team is all wet. Even if they are, the history of these situations means we have to be willing to give the advocates for the citizens MORE of a pass when they get it wrong. TVA will try to do this on the cheap if they're allowed to (as evidenced by their handling of the earlier pond leaks). I don't see the airborne metals dust issue being given serious consideration (maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see hydroseeding being successful in that acidic muck.. if you want to hold in that dirt to keep it from getting airborne, that's going to have to be some seriously plush lawn..even then, a nice drought like 2006 and we'll have an airborne metals problem). Digging it all up and putting it back in a new pond would be much safer, but a lot more expensive. But what's the right thing for the health of the community?

In a perfect world, companies would step up to the plate, say they screwed up, and say they'll do what it takes to make it right, if the other side is reasonable. And perhaps TVA is trying to do that more than other companies, and they're paying the price for the previous malfeasance of other private companies. I just wanted to describe the dynamic and why advocates like EB exist, are needed, and why they might get the details wrong at times. Their past experience is that they have to in order to get things done.

Brockovich didn't just get details wrong...She added to the problem by fanning the misinformation driven hysteria. She had a blatant disregard for truth.

There are a number of other tort attorneys capable of handling these cases.