Nashville is well known for its music, nightlife, honky-tonks, football, hockey, and much more. There are some issues that may not be as well known, and that's what I'd like to address today.
Did you know they're burying toxic waste near the Cumberland river?
Do you know what Radon is and why it's dangerous? (Not that there's much we can do about that issue, but a little awareness can go a long way.)
I love this city, but there are a few things that need to be seriously addressed. The only way to bring about change is by raising awareness.
The 1,200+ acre (4.45 km²) nature preserve lies in the heart of Nashville, unusual for a major American city. Four unpaved trails wander through the woods surrounding the lake, where hikers enjoy wilderness native to Middle Tennessee, including river otters, beavers, mink, muskrat, bobcat, coyote and the white-tailed deer. The most popular trail is the paved road that runs along the water, where cars are no longer allowed. There is a visitor's center open daily.
Radnor Lake was created by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company in 1914, and was initially used for watering steam locomotives and supplying the watering pens for shipped livestock. Afterwards, it became a local sportsman's club for L & N executives and guests. In 1962, the property was sold to be developed but initial work proved to be problematic and public pressure influenced the state to purchase the property in 1973 and create the State's first Natural Area." -Wikipedia.
I couldn't believe how beautiful the park was. I'm glad I took my camera along with me, because it's hard to believe it's surrounded by city. I'm going to include some photos I took from my trip to Radnor Lake BEFORE the accident. (I haven't been back yet.)
I saw deer, turtles, snakes, countless birds, and many other natural beauties tucked into the middle of a metropolitan area. Here is a picture of an endangered alligator snapping turtle. He was just strolling along the walking path with everyone else. Good thing he wasn't hungry.
The Accident-
Let's start with the "clay spill" that happened at Radnor lake. The media gave 2 conflicting stories. One story said they were drilling a water well. Other sources said they were drilling to lay an oil pipeline.
One news source had the AUDACITY to call a chemical drilling compound "clay", and they proceeded to use a picture of POTTERY instead of a giant chemical mess.
"It's not toxic, what's the problem?"
Below, is a screen shot from the report from SEDD.To read the entire .pdf, click here.
If you're not familiar with the term "ambiguous" it means hard to categorize. Basically, it's a convenient way to make the public relax, when, in reality, we don't really know what happened out there. Large companies are good at handling bad publicity, and covering themselves legally.
This is why basic AWARENESS is SO important.
Why wasn't there more media coverage about the pipeline in the first place?
Can anyone explain it to me? I honestly would love to know. It seemed like this was a decision made behind semi-closed doors. Public opinion was totally ignored. Some of the people that live around the park were aware of the situation, but I'd say the general population of Nashville is entirely unaware that anything like this happened locally.Pardon me while I step up on my soapbox.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH EVERYONE? How can people ignore issues like this, yet they're able to quote movies for days? Why do so few people care about these things? The oil companies pretty much control the world if you haven't noticed. Accidents DO happen. They happen all the time.How is it possible they were allowed to drill through a protected wildlife area? Who would give them clearance for that, and why?
How can you keep yourself, and others informed? Well, the easiest way is going to be to share this blog. I will include as much information as I possibly can.
What about the toxic waste dump sites?
According to local news source WSMV:
"And the city's plan, it seems, is to leave it, bury it and cover it up."
"We're talking 300 yards from the Cumberland River and 20-something feet below the water table. Right here at the Cumberland River, less than seven blocks from the state Capitol," Jakes said. "In essence, Metro is creating their own landfill."
