TVA Plan to Use Herbicides on Chickamauga Lake Has People Riled Up
Submitted by Nordia Epps on February 24, 2011 - 10:47pm. News | Community | Environment | Government & Politics | Regional | Rhea County News
A plan by TVA to use herbicides on plants in Chickamauga Lake has a lot of people riled up.
This will be the first time the agency has done that since 1992.
Some welcome the chemicals to curb the grass.
Others worry about health risks and polluting the water.
Starting this year TVA will treat public areas on Chickamauga Lake like Chester Frost Park with herbicides as needed.
The goal...to suppress wicked weeds in the water that are getting out of control.
Steve Rogers, Harrison Bass Masters, "I really don't want to drink the poison and not enough tests have been done to me to prove that they can filter it out."
A meeting to explain the new policy drew an overflow crowd.
So many people like Steve Rogers showed up that TVA had to do two presentations.
Besides worries of polluting the drinking water, Rogers and other fishermen are concerned the plan will decrease the amount of fish in the lake...sending away tournaments and the money they bring to the area.
Trey White, Lakefront Property Owner, "Would I love to come up with some other solution besides spraying? I would. I think it's going to be hard to control though."
But lakefront property owners like Trey White point out something needs to be done.
Many of them say they can't enjoy swimming or boating on their land because of the pesky plants.
As for the health risk, White says, "You've got to worry about the boats putting pollution out in the water. You have to worry about our food system and there's a lot there, so, if it's regulated I think you know we ought to be able to spray."
TVA says herbicides are the best approach, considering the scale of the problem.
And it will use only EPA approved chemicals registered through the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
David Webb, TVA, "We will get a permit from TDEC. Part of that TDEC permit requires that the applications be done by a applicator, licensed applicator.That's somebody who knows how to put these herbicides out according to the labels."
TVA plans to use herbicides only on 150 acres of the lake...that's 5 percent of the area with the plants.
It has one of 10 existing state permits to use chemicals in the lake.
Homeowners can apply for them too.
Submitted by Nordia Epps on February 24, 2011 - 10:47pm. News | Community | Environment | Government & Politics | Regional | Rhea County News
A plan by TVA to use herbicides on plants in Chickamauga Lake has a lot of people riled up.
This will be the first time the agency has done that since 1992.
Some welcome the chemicals to curb the grass.
Others worry about health risks and polluting the water.
Starting this year TVA will treat public areas on Chickamauga Lake like Chester Frost Park with herbicides as needed.
The goal...to suppress wicked weeds in the water that are getting out of control.
Steve Rogers, Harrison Bass Masters, "I really don't want to drink the poison and not enough tests have been done to me to prove that they can filter it out."
A meeting to explain the new policy drew an overflow crowd.
So many people like Steve Rogers showed up that TVA had to do two presentations.
Besides worries of polluting the drinking water, Rogers and other fishermen are concerned the plan will decrease the amount of fish in the lake...sending away tournaments and the money they bring to the area.
Trey White, Lakefront Property Owner, "Would I love to come up with some other solution besides spraying? I would. I think it's going to be hard to control though."
But lakefront property owners like Trey White point out something needs to be done.
Many of them say they can't enjoy swimming or boating on their land because of the pesky plants.
As for the health risk, White says, "You've got to worry about the boats putting pollution out in the water. You have to worry about our food system and there's a lot there, so, if it's regulated I think you know we ought to be able to spray."
TVA says herbicides are the best approach, considering the scale of the problem.
And it will use only EPA approved chemicals registered through the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
David Webb, TVA, "We will get a permit from TDEC. Part of that TDEC permit requires that the applications be done by a applicator, licensed applicator.That's somebody who knows how to put these herbicides out according to the labels."
TVA plans to use herbicides only on 150 acres of the lake...that's 5 percent of the area with the plants.
It has one of 10 existing state permits to use chemicals in the lake.
Homeowners can apply for them too.