Oak Ridge Scary stuff (Knoxville, Chattanooga: crime rate, houses, neighborhoods)

[pdq]

Oak Ridge is the largest Superfund Toxic Waste site in the state of TN, not just the plants, the entire city is considered the Superfund site. They find mercury and others throughout the city. I'm definetly not an alarmist, just a realist. Talk to any old timers that are still left and they'll tell you what happened to all the toxic material, they dumped it in the river, streams and quarry. One of our neighbors was retired from Y12 and K25, he used to talk of the craziness that went on there. To dispose of tainted sodium they would take the barrels suspended by cranes drop them into the river while shooting them with machine guns, the eruption happened underwater, river washes it all somewhere else, problem solved as far as they were concerned. The News-Sentinel had an article a few years ago about scientist finding uranium, mercury, etc in bird droppings as far away as Knoxville.

What explains the fact that nearby Loudon County/Lenoir City has the highest cancer rate in the whole state of TN? Why is Knox county in the top 5 highest counties for cancer? I really don't know but I do think about it often.

Right now in our small neighborhood we have three women with cancer, another died last year. One lady is only in her 20's and has two small children. Very sad indeed.

Do some research on Oak Ridge, you might be amazed at what you find.

Good luck to all.

[hiknapster]

Once a year, they allow hunters to kill deer in Oak Ridge. However, the feds monitor it. It is very regulated. They scan the deer for radiation. Deer that are unsafe are whisked away.

But please understand, this is not an abandoned area that was instrumental in the "Fat Man" and "Little Boy" nuclear bombs that annihilated Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

This area is a fully operational nuclear research facility. Now they are going to store all of the country's enriched-uranium. They invited the press in to tour the facilities. They are either full of crap, or they are stupid. Why would you advertise this?

LauraC says they allow planes to fly overhead.

A couple of months ago, some local man tried to sell secrets to France. It was national news. The Feds descended on this idiot, and he will probably be locked up for life, if not executed for treason.

The only reason we knew was because the moron called the French embassay and they, in turn, called us.

[Pimpy]

Originally Posted by pdq

What explains the fact that nearby Loudon County/Lenoir City has the highest cancer rate in the whole state of TN? Why is Knox county in the top 5 highest counties for cancer? I really don't know but I do think about it often.

I don't know what explains it, but considering that Oak Ridge is in neither Loudon or Knox Counties, it's probably not uranium, radiation, or any other poppycock that paranoid alarmists keep freaking out about.

[Catsndogs]

The 2 counties mentioned, Knox and Loudon: what does that matter, it is close enough. Maybe that is where there was more dumping. The hazzardous substances don't know boundaries of counties when airborne/waterborne, would they? Who knows...back in those days there were few safeguards, if any. I don't doubt there was dumping.

Even, in recent times...I know of a government lab in Maryland where at least 10 women got breast cancer, which usually comes in twos. At least 6 men, technicians, died of cancers...All of this within about ten years. There was a man there that worked with a particular chemical, Dr. X, and he talked like a zombie. Last year, I met a woman in the area of Oak Ridge who had worked at OR and her husband still did...she talked just like Dr. X. But I am just a citizen - it is conjecture. However, we are not stupid people. I don't think the alledged alarmists mentioned here are wrong. But I do think we should be careful what we say because it can get out of hand...rumors tend to pick up fiction. However, if one has first hand information or very reliable info-you just cannot dispute that. As for me, I don't want to live near there. From what I have seen in the way of regulations around "here" I do miss some sleep.

[Monicaabc]

is fountain city safe????

[JMT]

Originally Posted by Monicaabc

is fountain city safe????

yes, Fountain City is safe.

[firepower]

Originally Posted by Catsndogs

Even, in recent times...I know of a government lab in Maryland where at least 10 women got breast cancer, which usually comes in twos. At least 6 men, technicians, died of cancers...All of this within about ten years. There was a man there that worked with a particular chemical, Dr. X, and he talked like a zombie. Last year, I met a woman in the area of Oak Ridge who had worked at OR and her husband still did...she talked just like Dr. X.

What does a zombie talk like?
I mean seriously,is it like in the movies?


firepower

[Beretta]

Originally Posted by JMT

yes, Fountain City is safe.

Except for possibly eating too much ice cream at the creamery and too many of those -to die for- hamburgers, fries and desserts at Litton's!

[hiknapster]

Some of the ducks can be aggressive!

Seriously, the only really bad thing about Fountain City is the bumper to bumper traffic on the main drag.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by SmokyMtnGal

Except for possibly eating too much ice cream at the creamery and too many of those -to die for- hamburgers, fries and desserts at Litton's!

That's great! And don't forget the guava pastries at Taste of Havana Cuban restaurant and bakery and the lasagna at Louis Drive-In.

And hiknapster is correct, the traffic on Broadway can be maddening. Fortunately, from downtown Fountain City to I-640 isn't much more than a mile. It just seems longer.