Warning Old Hickory Lake Gallatin Steam Plant

[Reel Tune]

Dangerous levels of Arsenic "10 times Federal Standards", Lead "100 times Federal Standards", and Mercury found in soil samples under the surface of the water.

http://www.fox17.com/news/features/t...e-225166.shtml

It might not be a bad idea to practice CPR. I do a lot of things that are unhealthy, and one thing I think I'll stop doing is keeping fish in or around the Gallatin Steam Plant. I've only kept 5 or 6 Tilapia, and that was 2 years ago, so I think I'm ok.


What are everyone's thoughts?

[XxthejuicexX]

I tend to be skeptical when it comes to any reports like this. One thing that jumped out to me was the scientist pulling up the mud samples and saying that it was solid black, not like mud or clay so it must be ash. If you have ever spent any time on the water you know that you get that black muck all over the place. The river I fish has a cove that is about 1' deep and that muck is 3' deep.... found out frog gigging with MN last summer, it also stinks to high heaven. I'm not saying that I trust TVA to be 100 percent honest but I also don't trust some jack leg riding around in a boat with a PVC pipe collecting samples. I think that if the levels were that high there would be medical records from the area to prove the increase in all the diseases listed. I'm not a scientist nor the smartest person in the room but I will wait and see how this proceeds. I will still be out there this winter catching and potentially eating fish, mostly the 40+ pounds stripers.

[Buccaneer]

When I first moved up here in 1998 my kids and I hunted the hell out of the Steam Plant property, archery only, and it was an absolute paradise with little pressure due to the archery only regulations. We hunted the edges of the ash ponds and they were teaming with geese, ducks and fish. Yes, there are many rock holes throughout the property but it is like the land in Wilson County and Cedars of Lebanon, 1" of soil over rock with cedar trees everywhere. Since the EPA has required TVA to install dry ash storage, virtually the entire property has been stripped and there remains very little wooded acreage to bow hunt. It is amazing how many tress and how much ground has been altered for this EPA "solution".
I hate to see what has happened to the land but I can't quit get my head around the claims of such significant arsenic and lead outside of the boundaries of the existing ash ponds. If it has leached into the groundwater, there are numerous homes on Odoms Bend Road that I would bet are on well water systems. Have any of those wells been tested? Taking the report for face value it would seem you should not keep fish from the GST downstream to the dam. Maybe we should all be fishing upstream of the GST to prevent the growth of a third eye?

[jad2t]

Quit with the CPR propaganda Jeremy!

This really is a disappointment. I'm not going to worry about all the Stripers I ate last year from there, nothing can be done about it now. I would like to see actual fish tested to see if they are contaminated. Really what this means to me is don't drink the water but then again if it took this news to realize you shouldn't drink water out of Old Hickory, you're probably already dead.

To play it safe, I won't be eating any fish from there this Fall/Winter. I don't even know if I'll fish there because God only knows what you're breathing in that air in that canal. A buddy of mine was there a few days ago and said the smell was awful and he had to leave. That was probably SAMBOLIE somewhere in the vicinity though. He doesn't shower. I'd like to see more testing done specifically on air quality and actual fish contaminants.

[MNfisher]

Agreed, if I were you all, I would never fish GSP again! Or you might die!!


Mike

[XxthejuicexX]

Originally Posted by MNfisher

Agreed, if I were you all, I would never fish GSP again! Or you might die!!


Mike

I see what you did there! When is it cold enough to start risking my health and well being to fish those Polluted waters?

[Adrian]

Agreed. Everyone should stay far away from the steamplant until at least April!

[SAMBOLIE]

Originally Posted by XxthejuicexX

I'm not a scientist nor the smartest person in the room but I will wait and see how this proceeds. I will still be out there this winter catching and potentially eating fish, mostly the 40+ pounds stripers.

I never doubted that statement. Of course Jimmy is right there with you.

Originally Posted by jad2t

This really is a disappointment. I'm not going to worry about all the Stripers I ate last year from there, nothing can be done about it now. I would like to see actual fish tested to see if they are contaminated.

No doubt the OH fish have lead contamination. Merv has eaten so much he has lead in his ass.

[tkwalker]

Originally Posted by MidTNKayakAngler

Dangerous levels of Arsenic "10 times Federal Standards", Lead "100 times Federal Standards", and Mercury found in soil samples under the surface of the water.

http://www.fox17.com/news/features/t...e-225166.shtml

It might not be a bad idea to practice CPR. I do a lot of things that are unhealthy, and one thing I think I'll stop doing is keeping fish in or around the Gallatin Steam Plant. I've only kept 5 or 6 Tilapia, and that was 2 years ago, so I think I'm ok.


What are everyone's thoughts?

Yep !! Everyone needs to stay away from GSP !!! <'TK>< But seriously, Gallatin city water supply and filter plant is1.5 miles down stream from GSP ... They also produce water for a national bottled water company. I am hoping the city of Gallatin also has their independent inspectors as well, besides a contract company out of Mt. Juliet who looks for violations for creating law suits.

[TnCreekMaster]

There was a well tested right up the road from the steamplant http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/b...-plant/332543/

Hexavalent chromium is rarely found naturally and is typically the result of an industrial process. It has been found to cause cancer in lab animals when they drink it in water and can cause lung cancer when inhaled, according to the National Institutes of Health and the EPA. It can be found in coal ash, the waste created when coal is burned to produce electricity.

[TNBronzeback]

Eh, dont bite the line to cut it, and dont inhale the fine mist off the baitcasters when casting and we should be alright!
"rub a little dirt on it and move on" lol.
With all this being said about gallatin, whats the status of the pollution from Kingston when they had that massive spill how many years ago? Last time i drove by last year, they were still running dozers.

[XxthejuicexX]

Originally Posted by TNBronzeback

Eh, dont bite the line to cut it, and dont inhale the fine mist off the baitcasters when casting and we should be alright!
"rub a little dirt on it and move on" lol.
With all this being said about gallatin, whats the status of the pollution from Kingston when they had that massive spill how many years ago? Last time i drove by last year, they were still running dozers.

That spill was rough. I'm sure even the dirt has cancer now.

[TNBronzeback]

Originally Posted by XxthejuicexX

That spill was rough. I'm sure even the dirt has cancer now.

Yes it was....didnt somebody even hire Erin Brackovich, that bigtime environmental attorney when all that went down?
And oh....them striped fishies still visit that plant! ;-)

[XxthejuicexX]

Originally Posted by TNBronzeback

Yes it was....didnt somebody even hire Erin Brackovich, that bigtime environmental attorney when all that went down?
And oh....them striped fishies still visit that plant! ;-)

I think you are correct. I'm not driving that far to see those fish. I will stick with polluted water closer to home.

[lupanfreitag]

I agree. I advise all of you stay away from now till, let's say March when the arsenic flies north for the summer.

Again, stay clear of the steam plant. Tell your friends. Especially on Sunday mornings when the arsenic congregates the tightest.