EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATING SCIENCE TO A NON-SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY: WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT DURING THE TVA KINGSTON FOSSIL FUEL PLANT ASH RELEASE

What is the most effective way for scientists to communicate with non-scientists? In critical situations, such as emergency response incidents, communication is imperative between scientists and non-scientists. Information must be provided in a format that can be easily found, widely understood, and not misinterpreted. In addition, information must be accurate and quick. The ash spill in Harriman, Tennessee at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Kingston Fossil Fuel Plant provides an educational example to break down EPA’s communication efforts and how it evolved during the time critical removal phase of the clean-up. The lessons learned from this environmental clean-up can provide benefits to other scientists’ work needing to involve other scientific and non-scientific groups.

On December 22, 2008 at 1 am, a dike surrounding the dredge cell containing coal ash (mainly fly ash) at TVA Kingston broke, releasing 5.4 million cubic yards (cys) of coal ash to approximately 300 acres including the Emory River and adjacent Swan Pond Embayment. Three homes were condemned and 40 additional properties sustained damage. Utilities, roadways, and railroad were disrupted and several residents were evacuated from the area until gas lines were restored. TVA, EPA, TDEC (state agency), and local emergency management responded to the incident. An abundance of information began emerging from the incident from media, government agencies, and environmental activist groups. With the overwhelming amount of information and inconsistents, residents were confused. Residents didn’t know where to find the most accurate, up-to-date material or which agency/group was most accurate.

Centralizing information into a trusted source was needed. As a result, one of the first time critical tasks accomplished was establishing a website where documents approved and released by EPA would be viewable by anyone. Within a month, the website became the first link produced by search engines when wanting to get information about the TVA Kingston ash spill. The popularity of the website gave scientists at the site a portal to communicate effectively with the community (scientific and non-scientific). As the site clean-up progressed, the website evolved around it displaying photographs, videos, scientific studies, work plans, and maps.