Thursday, July 9, 2015

No new detections of acrylonitrile in Blount County well water, beekeepers worried








MARYVILLE (WATE) – 

More well water sampling results are in, and officials say no new detections of acrylonitrile have been found in wells near the CSX train derailment site in Blount County, but the well water advisory had not been lifted.

The results were sent to the City of Maryville, City of Alcoa, Blount County, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

TDEC’s Water Resources Division was requested to monitor 100 wells in the area. Results are back on 56 of those with no new detections of the chemical acrylonitrile, but one well in which the chemical had been detected continues to show elevated levels.

CSX says it will continue to aggressively sample and monitor the area.

The CSX Community Outreach Support Line will continue to be operational from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The CSX support line is 800-331-4031. Health-related inquiries can be directed to 866-812-9565. The Center will be open through 8 p.m. on Wednesday, noon until 8 p.m. on Thursday, and noon until 5 p.m. on Friday. At that time, additional needed operational hours will be announced.

The special advisory is directed to the area between Mount Tabor Road, Old Glory Road, West Lamar Alexander Parkway and Robert C. Jackson Drive. City officials are advising residents within this area to refrain from using well water after a sample within 350 feet of last week’s train derailment tested positive for a small trace of acrylonitrile. This flammable and poisonous material was inside of the single-tank car that derailed and caught on fire July 2.

A surface water advisory issued Sunday after around 50 dead fish were found in Culton Creek has been lifted. CSX says testing shows significant declines in the hazardous chemical and it is now safe for livestock and aquatic life.

Blount County beekeepers worried about derailment’s effects

Blount County beekeepers are worried their population and honey may be impacted by the derailment. Two beekeepers say depending on the test, the derailment could cost them thousands of dollars.

Bees work to cool the inside of their hives by bringing back water.

“Up to a gallon a day,” said beekeeper Coley O’Dell.

Four of his hives are about 100 feet away from Culton Creek. O’Dell has been checking twice a day to see if his bees are flying strange or if any are on the ground.

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“With contaminants, it may show up in a day or two or two weeks or three weeks,” he said.

Beekeepers wonder if the current population is okay, as well as larvae which hasn’t hatched yet. The other big question is if the honey is safe.

“If the test is positive, then these hives will probably have to be destroyed,” said O’Dell.

“The state asked everybody to not extract their honey. Then they said it’s okay to extract, but keep it in separate tanks and wash your equipment,” said Howard Kerr.

That is exactly what he’s doing, but beekeepers all over Blount County are not taking any risks and being more cautious until results from tests are in.

“What I told CSX yesterday was, ‘Well, if my honey is contaminated you guys will be buying about $50,000 worth of honey.’ They said no problem,” added Kerr.

It’s now a waiting game.

“That derailment hopefully won’t cost me that much,” said O’Dell.

Some beekeepers are expecting officials with the state and EPA to visit Thursday. They’ll be inspecting each hive and even taking samples of the larvae back to test and see if in fact there was any kind of contamination.

Beekeepers say the local honey that may be in your home or you’re currently buying in stores is safe. That honey was extracted well before the train derailment.