Alternative news and discussion for Scottsboro, Jackson County Alabama and the Tennessee River Valley as I see it. Responsible comments to articles welcome. As always, "Watch for Snakes," particularly those wearing suits.
JAMES MADISON QUOTE - 1822
"A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives."
Photo by Alfred T. Palmer, June 1942: Tightening a nut on a guide vane operating seromotor in TVA's hydroelectric plant, Watts Bar Dam, Tennessee. Located 530 miles above the mouth of the Tennessee River, the dam has an authorized power installation of 90,000 kw., which can be increased to a possible ultimate of 150,000 kw. The reservoir at the dam adds 370,000 acre-feet of water to controlled storage on the Tennessee River system.
If you have a few minutes please watch this 1944 "War Department" film, the purpose of the Tennessee Valley Authority - TVA for the people, all of the people, for the future of the valley. "Understanding nature and harnessing its power for the service of humanity." To conserve for our future, not destroy it with pollution, radioactive nuclear trash and unbearable debt.
The TVA utilized the natural renewable resources of sustainable energy to build our valley's future. Enjoy this 29 minute 1944 film by the "War Department."
TVA Chief Financial Officer John M. Thomas, III (above) presents the Financial Report (below) (photos by G. Morgan).
"The financial report shows TVA revenues so far this year are down because of milder weather, and a mild second quarter also is expected."
"Milder temperatures and lower prices for purchased power meant TVA used less generation from coal in the first quarter. Coal accounted for 31 percent of generation, with nuclear at 32 percent. Natural gas, hydro, purchased power, renewables and energy efficiency were the balance. TVA announced earlier this month it is idling four coal units at Johnsonville Fossil Plant ahead of schedule."
"Mike Skaggs, TVA senior vice president for Nuclear Construction (pictured above, G. Morgan photo), said two new senior level managers hired at Watts Bar 2 and TVA’s Bellefonte Nuclear Plant Unit 1 “will increase experience levels and improve the span of control. These actions create a more direct line-of-sight to top management.”"
"Skaggs also provided the board with an update on Watts Bar 2, stating that when the review is completed, the result will be a high-confidence cost estimate and milestone schedule."
Watts Bar Issues (analysis = reason for failures)
"“This review is a rigorous process that will help provide efficiency, productivity and high-quality work as we move toward completion of Watts Bar,” Skaggs said. “We are also developing independent assessments to improve our level of confidence.”" Full TVA Press Release concerning Board Meeting: http://www.tva.com/news/releases/janmar12/feb_16_board.html
LISTENING SESSION ISSUES
Prior to each board meeting the TVA provides an opportunity for citizens to express concerns. Several Environmental Groups' concerns were represented. 9 environmental groups presented a letter to the TVA Board and the CEO. This letter was covered in area press releases. Report in Scottsboro's Daily Sentinel: http://thedailysentinel.com/news/article_49a58c0e-59cb-11e1-95bf-001871e3ce6c.html
Other issues included: Browns Ferry GE Mark 1 defective reactor and cooling pool design; dangers of Plutonium MOX fuel proposed to be used in the defective Browns Ferry Reactors; biomass inceneration hazards.
Request for the TVA to fulfill its responsibilities under the Federal Sunshine Act.
PRESS CONFERENCE -After the TVA Board Meeting we had a joint Environmental Group Press Conference in front of TVA in Chattanooga, Tn. on Market Street.Representing, 15,000 members of the endorsing organizations: Tennessee Environmental Council, the Tennessee and Cumberland (Kentucky) Chapters of the Sierra Club, Tennessee Clean Water Network, Tennessee Alliance for Progress, Appalachian Voices, BEST/MATRR, Urban Century Institute, Solar Valley Coalition and the many Valley citizens who wish to see TVA generate more renewable energy.
Sierra Club Attorney Ms. Mary Mastin (above photo by G. Morgan) delivers group introduction and outline of our request to the TVA Board. "We are concerned about TVA‟s recent changes in its renewable energy incentive programs and with TVA‟s continued failure to fully recognize renewable energy, and particularly solar power, as a viable and substantial part of its energy portfolio. We believe that if TVA committed to developing and achieving greater levels of renewable energy and efficiency, no other new sources of energy generation would be necessary and TVA could further reduce its reliance on dirty and inefficient coal plants," said Ms. Mastin.
Dr. John McFadden, (above photo by G. Morgan)Tennessee Environmental Council Director discusses the advantages of Solar Power and bringing manufactoring jobs to the Tennessee River Valley. Dr McFadden Commented: "The new energy economy is the single best economic engine we have to create jobs and drive ourselves out of the current recession. Solar is a key component of the new energy economy with over 6,000 solar jobs already in Tenn. and more on the way with Sharp, Hemlock and Wacker investing in solar manufacturing jobs."
Bellefonte Efficiency Sustainability Team/Mothers Against Tennessee River Radiation ( http://www.matrr.org ) spokesperson Garry Morgan. (above photo by J. McFadden for Garry Morgan) "“We ask the TVA to implement sustainable-renewable energy technology,” Garry Morgan a member of BEST said. “In our letter we list seven advantages of renewable energy over nuclear and coal power generation options.”
Seven Advantages:
• Unlike nuclear or fossil fuels, wind and solar have no fuel costs. Citizens invest in the purchase and installation of photovoltaic panels for their homes or businesses with their own money. Minimal incentives from TVA and/or the government increases TVA‟s power generation capacity without the huge cost and need for financing of new nuclear power plant construction.
• Savings in transmission lines - Solar power from our own rooftops supplements electricity from big power plants, which has to be transported across long distances with line losses and therefore is more expensive when it comes out of the socket. Traditional fossil fuel sources of energy also require spending massive amounts for grid repair and expansion.
• The record is clear that solar energy equipment production and installation have produced many new green jobs in Tennessee over the past few years.
• The sun and wind are infinite sustainable energy sources compared to the finite availability of coal or uranium for nuclear production.
• Storage of radioactive waste from nuclear generation for up to a million years, or for coal ash from coal-fired power plants, is very costly ($1 million each for dry casks to hold spent fuel) and poses huge environmental risks. In the event of a serious incident, as we have seen with Kingston - or Fukushima- the damage can escalate to catastrophic proportions. • Renewables don't require us to use destructive extraction methods such as mountaintop removal coal mining. Surface mining in Central Appalachia has been linked with job loss, poverty, sickness, and early death in mountain communities.
• Both solar and wind are much cleaner energy sources in terms of both air emissions and water discharges. The lack of need for cooling water is also a huge advantage. As TVA must recognize, clean water is becoming a more and more important and rare resource.
“Energy efficiency and sustainable-renewable energy technology saves money for citizens and business while energy efficiency generates local jobs for citizens and serves to expand business by saving money and by creating new job growth,” Morgan said.
J.W. Randolph Director of Appalachian Voices (pictured above, photo by G. Morgan). “Mountaintop removal means fewer jobs, higher healthcare costs, damaged property values, and the destruction of Tennessee and Appalachia's proud mountains forever. TVA produces less than 2% of their electricity from mountaintop removal coal. On behalf of Appalachian citizens' health and economic well-being TVA should become the first major utility in the country to step away from the use of mountaintop removal coal."
Facebook has permanently suspended my account, CENSORED, for telling the truth about Donald Trump's criminal history and disclosing facts about racial discrimination in Scottsboro and our nation. Garry Morgan : 03/15/2025
Copyright Info
All Rights Reserved for writings, video, photographs and art by Garry L. Morgan.
U.S. Copyright Office Fair Use Rule: "Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered fair, such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, nonprofit educational purposes and research. Link: http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html
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Scottsboro Police Department Web Site
""The police are the public, the public are the police. The police are the only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties that are incumbent on every citizen in the interest to community welfare and existence." - Sir Robert Peel, 1829 https://www.scottsboropd.org/
The Sunlight Foundation uses cutting-edge technology and ideas to make government transparent and accountable. Click on image to learn more.
THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY
"I can say with confidence that the federal government needs a major overhaul. Don’t get me wrong, most public servants in government are highly educated and dedicated professionals who are committed to “the greater good.” At the same time, the government has become a bloated bureaucracy that is based on past conditions and in too many cases, federal programs and policies can’t demonstrate that they are generating real results that benefit the American people."
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David Walker President and CEO The Peter G. Peterson Foundation http://www.pgpf.org/ ; former, recently served for 10 years, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
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NPR's story on David Walker: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124460237
"public intelligence"
"What is Public Intelligence? Public Intelligence is an international, collaborative research project aimed at aggregating the collective work of independent researchers around the globe who wish to defend the public’s right to access information." http://publicintelligence.net/
A Nuclear Engineer's Report on the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant
Danger Zone: Aging Nuclear Reactors
Incident at Browns Ferry (PBS 1977)
History of nuclear power safety issues which the 1975 Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant fire brought forward. This video has been censored by the nuclear industry. The trillion dollar multinational nuclear death industry prefers to keep you the citizen in the dark and feed you crap.
Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio and others. Click on image for a tour. Left click & hold mouse to move image.
Bellefonte Efficiency and Sustainability Team/Mothers Against Tennessee River Radiation http://www.matrr.org/
"TVA at the Crossroads" a SACE Film.
"America is at an energy crossroads and the Tennessee Valley Authority has a choice to make: Will it cling to old coal power because of its historic significance or will it retire its oldest, dirtiest and least efficient plants and lead America into a clean energy future?" TVA At The Crossroads from SACE.
****************************I'm GARRY MORGAN, a Christian, U.S. Army (AMEDD) retired, Race Relations/Equal Opportunity Specialist (U.S.Army, Retired DOD-DRRI-DEOMI) a citizen of Scottsboro Alabama, a Baylor University grad-Go Bears, a political activist and a political Independent as I believe political parties divide the citizenry whom they are suppose to represent. We must learn the lessons of our history or we will surely repeat our mistakes. I think the greatest problem facing our nation is the massive national and personal debt.
