Note about COVID-19 guidance: Keep up to date with the most recent Sierra Club guidance by checking this document monitoring indoor & outdoor events and activities.
Tennessee News
Company asks for revocation of federal, state permits for Byhalia Connection Pipeline. "Plains All American is giving up its state and federal permits for the proposed Byhalia Pipeline as it continues to close out the project since the company announced July 2 it was abandoning its plans... 'If Plains All American Pipeline wants to reintroduce plans, it will have to start at square one,' attorney says." Read more by Carrington J. Tatum - MLK50.com - July 19, 2021.
Commissioner, citizens want faster action on Bull Run ash. "Local residents are asking for faster action regarding Bull Run Fossil Plant's ash after studies showed issues with sediments and groundwater." TVA said that TDEC "is six to eight months behind in its process of studying and preparing a plan to deal with coal ash." Read more by Benjamin Pounds - Oakridger - July 20, 2021.
Wilson County residents push back against state efforts to approve limestone quarry. Farmers who live nearby the quarry fear contamination in the wells and ponds they rely on for water. "County officials issued a work-stop order in December after residents were taken surprise by blasting at the site. The company was cited for zoning and stormwater runoff violations of local rules. The mine isn’t zone for a quarry under county zoning rules, Wilson County Planning Director Tom Brashear wrote to TDEC. Instead it is zoned for agriculture and residential purposes. The county has since filed suit to against the company." Read more by Anita Wadhwani - Tennessee Lookout - July 14, 2021.
TN to add electric car charging in state parks. Tennessee officials say they are partnering with electric vehicle automaker and auto technology company Rivian to add electric vehicle charging stations at all 56 state parks. "Charging will initially be free for drivers. Any future costs for drivers will depend on systemwide use to recover electricity costs. Rivian will provide utility upgrades for charger installation at no cost to taxpayers and will cover network access fees, equipment service and maintenance for 10 years." Source: Associated Press - July 23, 2021.
Marchers make their way towards Memphis City Hall from the National Civil Rights Museum protesting the proposed Byhalia Connection Pipeline during an April demonstration. Photo by Brad Vest for MLK50.
Environmental Updates
Board recommends state reject Middle Point Landfill expansion plan. "Donna Barrett, a member of the Central Tennessee Region Solid Waste Planning Board and a former state representative, called for the unanimous 9-0 vote because the 99.45-acre expansion permit application was "incompatible" and "inconsistent" with Rutherford County's 10-year solid waste plan. That plan calls for "an integrated system for responsible solutions that are socially, environmentally and economically feasible."Read more by Scott Broden - Murfreesboro Daily News Journal - July 11, 2021.
TVA proposing 10 barriers to limit spread of Asian carp. "The Tennessee Valley Authority is proposing to build 10 barriers to help limit the spread of four invasive species of Asian carp at Chickamauga, Watts Bar, Nickajack, Kentucky, Pickwick, Wilson, Wheeler, Guntersville and Fort Loudoun dams, and the federal utility is seeking public input on ideas for controlling the fish. A draft report was released by TVA this month to evaluate installation of deterrent systems at selected lock and dam sites along the Tennessee and Clinch rivers. The plan involves assessing the potential environmental and economic effects of Asian carp expansion and control, according to an agency news release issued July 7." Read more by Ben Benton - Times Free Press - July 14, 2021.
Official concerned by Monsanto site: Possible toxins may be harmful with land now zoned as residential. "A Maury County commissioner has led a failed push to rescind the commission’s decision to rezone a plot of land previously occupied by the Monsanto Company for residential development. Commissioner Sue Stephenson says 75 acres of the land in question is too dangerous for development due to possible chemical waste left underground decades ago by the American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation." Read more by Mike Christen - Columbia Daily Herald - July 9, 2021. And see Sue Stephenson's coverage July 18: "Residential zoning at former Monsanto site dangerous for future homebuyers."
'There is value in the litter stream.' Can cleaning up litter improve Tennessee’s economy? “There are real costs associated with having litter just willy-nilly on the ground. And it's something that can be addressed and fixed,” CEO of Tennessee Wildlife Federation Michael Butler said. It impacts tourism, damages farming machinery, is a safety hazard, and environmentally harmful. Read more by Corinne S Kennedy - Memphis Commercial Appeal - June 30, 2021.
New bird disease affecting common songbirds across U.S. "A new bird disease is affecting several common songbird bird species causing eye swelling and weeping from the eyes." Scientists have not yet found the cause. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency advises not to feed birds right now, and to clean feeders and bird baths with a 10 to 1 bleach solution (one part bleach with nine parts water) and do not refill them. Read more by Marshall Benson - WSMV News - July 23, 2021.
Asian carp is an invasive species that has few natural predators, high reproductive rates, and voracious appetites. Photo credit: Prairie Research Institute of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Health & Justice
Toxic TVA coal ash on Claxton playground confirmed by Duke University testing. "More than two years after Knox News sounded the alarm that children could be exposed to radioactive coal ash on an East Tennessee playground, an independent scientific study has confirmed coal ash waste at the site...Coal ash is the byproduct of burning coal to produce electricity, and it contains a toxic stew of 26 cancer-causing pollutants and radioactive heavy metals." Read more by Jamie Satterfield - Knoxville News Sentinel - July 27, 2021.
TN Building Commission votes in favor of removal of Nathan Bedford Forrest bust from State Capitol. "After several years, the State Building Commission voted on Thursday morning to remove the controversial Nathan Bedford Forrest bust from the Tennessee State Capitol. The commission voted 5-2 in favor of the removal of that bust as well as busts of U.S. Admiral David Farragut and U.S. Admiral Albert Gleaves from the capitol. In addition, Gov. Bill Lee voted in favor of the removal of the statue." Read more by Joseph Wenzel & Tosin Fakile - WSMV - July 22, 2021.
Memphis must stay vigilant in preventing another potential Byhalia Pipeline | Opinion. "While we celebrate this hard-fought victory over Big Oil, we know that the battle is not over and that the fight continues." Read more by Jarnell Stokes & Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. - Memphis Commercial Appeal - July 22, 2021.
Tennessee workers at military research facility continue strike for health and safety. "Approximately 670 skilled workers at the Arnold Engineering and Development Complex (AEDC) in Tullahoma, Tennessee, voted overwhelmingly on Friday to reject a new contract proposal, choosing instead to continue a strike that began on July 2. The deal had been reached between the Air Engineering Metal Trades Council (AEMTC) union and the workers’ employers, National Aerospace Solutions, LLC (NAS) and Chugach Federal Solutions Inc., which are contractors for the AEDC." Read morebyWarren Duzak - WSWS - July 12, 2021.
'There is always more we can do': TVA pauses plans to bury Allen coal ash in Memphis. For now. "The Tennessee Valley Authority paused plans Friday to bury coal ash from the Allen Fossil Plant in Memphis. For now.. The federal power provider, reacting to consternation from Memphis politicians who were taken by surprise by its Tuesday disclosure, announced it would further "listen and engage with our customers, communities, and the people we are privileged to serve." Read more by Samuel Hardiman - Memphis Commercial Appeal - July 23, 2021.
Out of the pipeline: The city’s water movement and how it evolved. Four years ago, "the protest over a pipeline from Oklahoma to the [Valero oil] refinery was the start of the road to this month’s defeat of a different pipeline, the Byhalia Connection Pipeline, that included a connection to the same refinery. And it represented the birth of a burgeoning environmental movement that has the city’s underground water aquifer at its center." Read more by Bill Dries - Daily Memphian - July 11, 2021.
"The study reveals coal ash contamination at a children’s playground (pictured above) adjacent to the Tennessee Valley Authority's Bull Run coal-fired power plant in Claxton and on several properties downwind of the plant" (Jamie Satterfield, Knoxville News Sentinel). Photo credit: Todd Waterman.
Proposed EMDF Hazardous & Radioactive Waste Landfill in Oak Ridge Reservation
By Virginia Dale, Sierra Club
On July 12, the Department of Energy (DOE) publicly released its long-delayed draft Record of Decision (ROD) for a proposed new landfill for low-level radioactive and hazardous waste from building demolition at the Oak Ridge Site. The draft ROD of the Environmental Management Disposal Facility (EMDF) will undergo a 60-day review by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EMDF ROD is available on TDEC's website. Additional information about the proposed landfill can be found at AFORR - Hazardous Waste Landfill (EMDF).
Furthermore, EPA has announced that it will review the Trump Administration decision on nuclear cleanup. This review follows a letter spearheaded by the Southern Environmental Law Center and signed onto by the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club and other community groups that requested that the EPA review and reconsider the December 2020 decision issued by former EPA Administrator Wheeler. Issues of concern regard the discharge to surface water of wastewater generated at the existing Environmental Management Waste Management Facility and proposed EMDF.
Meet Amy Kelly, Beyond Coal Organizer!
Amy Kelly has recently joined Tennessee's Beyond Coal campaign and brings a deep sense of dedication to a just and clean energy transition in the southeast. She has previously worked with two of our allies focused on transforming TVA -- Appalachian Voices and Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment. At these organizations, she helped lay the foundation for what has become the Tennessee Valley Energy Democracy Movement.
Amy's familial roots date back to the 18th century mountain region of Tennessee. Her work with partner organizations in the region has focused on grassroots leadership in green jobs, anti-racism, and utility programs. She holds a master’s degree in Community Development and her most recent study focused on applying participatory economic development models in coal-dependent regions of Appalachia. Amy considers herself a world citizen and has lived in Ghana, Peru, and most recently Québec, Canada. Amy resides in East Tennessee with her husband and two daughters. Welcome Amy, we are glad to have you!
Events
Listed in order of occurrence:
The People's TVA Hearing. Since TVA has stopped having public listening sessions where residents can actually make their voices heard, we’ve decided that we’ll just hold our own hearing: The People’s TVA Hearing! The hearing will feature opportunities for people to deliver public comments as well as facilitated breakout discussions to dive deeper and discuss specific issues together in smaller groups with fellow citizens and issue experts. Virtual event held Wed. Aug. 4th at 6:00 pm ET.RSVP here.
Bull Run Neighbors Community Meeting. Bull Run Neighbors will host a grassroots meeting on beautiful Melton Lake, with the Bull Run Coal Plant looming downstream. We will discuss the good news (our community and its officials are powerfully united in demanding that TVA properly clean up its coal ash, and the press is broadcasting our message) and the bad news (recent test results show that local waterways are contaminated with Bull Run coal ash toxins). Meeting held Thurs. Aug. 5th at 6:00 pm ET at Melton Lake Park Pavilion (697 Melton Lake Dr, Oak Ridge TN - blue-roofed pavilion on the right at end of parking lot). Please wear a mask and be fully vaccinated. RSVP on Campfire, or access the event listed here on Facebook.
Sowing Justice Eastern Tennessee Environmental Coalition Meeting. Join the Sowing Justice Team and dozens of East TN activists to learn how you can join in the fight for environmental justice and increase civic engagement in traditionally marginalized communities. In-person only event held Wed. Aug. 11th at 6:00 pmET at SEEED, 1617 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville TN. RSVP here!
Deadline for submitting comments to TVA Board. Comments must be submitted via email by Tues. Aug. 17th 5:00 pm ET. Submitting comments to the board is especially important as TVA decides how to replace the power that will be lost when it shuts down Cumberland, Kingston, and the rest of the aging coal plants. TVA Board Meeting to be held virtually Wed. Aug. 18th, time TBD.
Learning Lots podcast: convo with Jane Fonda and Hop Hopkins. Political activist, environmentalist and double academy award winner Jane Fonda teams up with Hop Hopkins of Sierra Club to discuss climate crises, climate justice and activism on the Learning Lots podcast, hosted by actress Brie Larson and actress and director Jessie Ennis. Listen here (49 min).
Save the Date: Cherokee Group is hosting the next Chapter Retreat on October 29-31 at Booker T. Washington State Park in Chattanooga, pending National Sierra Club loosening restrictions for in person meetings. Hopefully, we can all get together and meet in person again!
Melton Lake Park, just downstream from Bull Run Coal plant. Photo: Todd Waterman.
Special Features
Dear Eartha: Advice from an Eco-Guru
Dear Eartha, I'm starting my senior year of high school and am thinking about what college to attend next year. I want to stay in-state because of cheaper tuition, and I would like to attend a school that incorporates sustainability and environmental responsibility. Which schools in Tennessee stick out for being green friendly? —Grace the Student
Dear Grace,
I like where your head is at! Your interest in eco-friendly higher education is shared by the majority of college-bound teens and their parents. According to a survey done by The Princeton Review (2020 College Hopes & Worries Survey), 66% of the 12,845 respondents said that “having information about a college's commitment to the environment would affect their (or their child's) decision to apply to or attend a school.”
In the state of Tennessee, there are 184 accredited colleges and universities, which includes public and private universities, community colleges, and technical and vocation-specific schools. I’m not sure which you are interested in, but the Princeton Review’s recent guide may be helpful. Each year since 2010 they release a Guide to Green Colleges that ranks the greenest schools. Their ranking methodology is based on “a combination of school-reported data and student opinion” using the following criteria:
whether students have a quality of life on campus that is both healthy and sustainable.
how well a school is preparing students for employment in an increasingly green economy.
how environmentally responsible a school's policies are.
This year’s guide compared 700 colleges, and out of the Top 50 Green Colleges list, only one school is in Tennessee: Vanderbilt University came in at #20. The Princeton Review also developed a list of 416 Green Colleges.This larger list included a few more Tennessee schools: Belmont University, Tennessee Technological University, The University of the South, and University of Tennessee—Knoxville. As you can see, there is a mixture of public and private universities, and it looks like they only included 4-year institutions. I encourage you to do a deeper dive on those schools to see what resonates with your morals (and your budget!).
Keep in mind that most schools have a student environmental group, Office of Sustainability, or green efforts underway to some extent. Wherever you decide to go, studious Grace, find that activist group or committee on campus and join! Back in the mid-2000s in my college days, I helped with a campus campaign to raise funding for sustainability efforts at UT Chattanooga. We were successful, which meant we were able to start recycling on campus, retrofit existing buildings to be more efficient, and purchase blocks of green power. It’s satisfying to know that I helped make that happen. Your involvement can really make a difference!
As they say—Think globally, act locally. Here’s to being lifelong learners and doers! Editor Allie
P.S. Tune in next month for Eartha's triumphant return. Keep sending in those questions!
Dear Eartha is penned (usually) by Rita Bullinger. Got an environmental query for Eartha? Submit your question to "Dear Eartha" via Enews.SierraTN@gmail.com
Species Spotlight
This month's featured genus is: Crepe Myrtle(Lagerstroemia)
A mid-sized crape myrtle tree thrives in a church lawn in Chattanooga, Tenn, July 22, 2021. Photo credit: Allie Stafford.
Crepe (crape) myrtles are bushes or small trees that come in a variety of colors depending on the variety (pink, purple, red, white). Blooms will last from early summer through early fall.
Large varieties can reach 30 feet in maturity. Crape myrtles tolerate most soil conditions. They can be planted during summer, so you can see them in bloom and pick the color you want!
Crape myrtle trees do not require much pruning. In fact, overzealous landscapers are criticized for committing "crape murder" due to excessive pruning. Master gardener Betty Montgomery says that "you get a lovelier shape and many blooms if you leave your tree alone."
In spring, crape myrtles have exfoliating bark that peels off in thin layers, revealing mottled and colorful bark underneath.
Crepe myrtles are native to east Asia and were brought to North America via Charleston, SC in the late 1700s, and they have thrived ever since in the humid and warm climate of the southeast.
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