Monday, July 26, 2010

EPA has "no serious concerns" about petro-chemicals leaked into flood water in May

During the catastrophic floods last May I documented oil and chemicals leaked into rising flood waters in East Germantown and at Morgan Park here at Enclave and I've expressed my concerns about what I saw. EPA's latest findings seem to suggest that I shouldn't have worried so much:

it’s impossible to know how much leaked into flood water, but soil and water testing has raised no serious concerns for the EPA.

When the Cumberland River rose well above its banks, riverside industrial buildings were some of the first to go under. On Nester Street near Nashville’s MTA headquarters, first responders helped pump 25,000 gallons of oil-contaminated water out of a drainage system. Otherwise, Spurlin says the spills were minor.

“We didn’t see large releases. It essentially was either potential releases from the containers that had not spilled or minor releases of chemicals or oils that could be readily addressed without causing any long term issues.”

That being said, keep in mind that EPA estimates of dumped toxins have been contested by reputable sources in the past.

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