[Bristol-Birds] "Catastrophic failure" of Gatlinburg sewage plant impacts Little Pigeon River

From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2011 19:14:27 -0400
A  "catastrophic failure" of the Gatlinburg City wastewater treatment
plant,  today, has caused nearly a million gallons of untreated sewage to 
spill directly into the Little Pigeon River just four miles upstream from the
popular resort area of Pigeon Forge, TN.

An estimated 850,000 gallons were released when a basin's wall collapsed. 
The basin holds 1 million gallons, according to authorities. 

Wastewater that would normally go into the plant is being by-passed into 
a nearby older facility that has the capacity to screen some solid materials, 
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) 
spokeswoman Tisha Calabarese-Benton said.  The wastewater is being 
chlorinated before going into the river, she said.

Untreated wastewater was sent directly into the Little Pigeon River 
and flowing thru the business and tourist district of Pigeon Forge.
The spill is flowing 16 miles downstream into the French Broad River
just below Douglas Lake in Sevier County.

This is well downstream from our famous and unique waterbird nesting
area and shorebird area which is in the headwaters of Douglas Lake.

The Little Pigeon River flows in the median between the highway lanes
of the four-lane highway (US 411) which runs between Gatlinburg and
Pigeon Forge.

At last report, about four years ago, a Great Blue Heron colony was
located on the Little Pigeon River at the junction of Highway 66 and 
Highway 338 near Sevierville, at Sanders Islands.  On 10 March 2007 it
had 15 nests with 12-15 herons standing in or near the nests and was
reported by Mary Jane Erwin, of Kingsport, on Bristol Birds Net.

We do not have a recent report as to whether that colony is still
active.  However,  they may well have young.  Swamping of their
wetlands with sewage could cause stress for the herons.

Two workers at the plant are missing, and officials are searching through 
the rubble of the plant as well as the river.  Construction cranes are lifting
heavy pieces of concrete.  Jackhammers are being used to cut away
are slabs where the workers might be trapped.

State officials are urging people to stay away from the Little Pigeon River 
waters during this crisis.  However, state officials say drinking water and 
well water are safe.

The wall of the so-called wastewater equalization basin, where untreated 
sewage is kept before entering the plant for treatment, broke around 9 a.m.,
officials said. The basin is 70 feet wide, 40 feet tall and has 12-inch-thick 
reinforced concrete walls. No cause has been revealed.,

Nobody could say for sure when the plant might be fully operational again.


Calabrese-Benton, (TDEC) says emergency crews are trying to set up 
a portable treatment plant because the main plant was knocked off line 
by the tank failure.

Officials from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency are on
 the scene, helping to deal with the problems.

"That is a large spill for such a small stream," said Renee Hoyos, 
executive director of the Tennessee Clean Water Network. "This is 
not something that happens routinely."

US National Park spokesman Bob Miller said 2.8 inches of rain fell in an 
eight-hour period Monday night into Tuesday, and that is affecting the depth 
and flow of the Little Pigeon.

Flow on the river was heavy and churning today as a result of overnight 
rain. The water is extremely muddy.

The heavy rainfall on the area has streams in the area at very high levels and
major water flow in the Little Pigeon River at 5 p.m. this afternoon shows the
river depth at 7.14 feet.  A high river flow will serve to help dilute the raw
sewage and additional dilution will be achieved when the flow reaches the
French Broad River.  Such high flows will also serve to help keep banks and
standing water areas free from lingering pools of sewage.
[Bristol-Birds] "Catastrophic failure" of Gatlinburg sewage plant impacts Little Pigeon River

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