Another county eyes ash spill reparations
November 05, 2009 14:51 PM
It only took about a day for the ash that broke containment in Kingston to make its way 30 miles downstream to Spring City. At Terraceview Marina and Resort, they say it was enough to fill up their harbor with silver color.
It took even less time for the phone calls from guests to pour in.
"We've had phone calls about concern about water quality, 'Is it safe to be in? How is it affecting fish?'" Paul LeQuire, the manager of the resort said. "We're too early into it. It's only been 11 months since it happened."
LeQuire estimates this year's business is down about 35 percent. In previous years, they'd been experiencing a 15-25 percent growth.
Despite clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency, those questions about water safety keep piling up. While the experts say the water won't hurt you, the bad publicity may have hurt marinas.
"I don't see it as much as harmful as they say, other than the bad media. It's the bad media that kills places like this," he said. "All the ones on Watts Bar are down. Bad publicity is going to hurt you."
In a meeting last week, the county executive backed the businesses, saying he believes they are owed something from Tennessee Valley Authority.
TVA hired an insurance company to help the situation. They're encouraging marinas like LeQuire's to file loss claims with the agency. If they can prove a loss, the agency says they will reimburse the business.
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