Oak Ridge Scary stuff (Knoxville, Maryville: cheap apartments, transporting, home)

[Catsndogs]

Originally Posted by ZoesMom

I am worried, only because I do not want to move to the town X that has been labeled a higher risk for Cancer than town Z, due to some contamination that has not been completely contained.

Both of my parents passed away young due to Cancer, if I can prevent unnecessary exposure to something to increase my life expectancy I will.

Absolutely. No rose colored glasses here

[Doogie]

For those concerned about cancer rates, I found an interactive map put out by the government that compares states and / or counties. Looking at the data briefly, it looks like cancer mortality in Anderson county (Oak Ridge) is very low relative to US averages from 2000 to 2004. Knox county and those surrounding to the south are also low. Grainger and Claiborne to the northeast are much higher. Take a look for yourselves.

[12buttons]

Originally Posted by yarddawg

One reason for the large ratio of lab seizures to users is that most of the labs seized in Tennessee are of the single idiot variety not the big gang-type labs pumping out hundreds of pounds of the stuff. And the new laws have helped. Be prepared to go to the pharmacy window show some ID and sign a book to get the good cold medicine. You're limited in how much you can buy over a certain period of time. Sorry, don't know the specifics. I've only bought one box under the new system so it hasn't been an issue.

And since I seem to have started a bunch of accusations about alarmist locals back at the beginning of this thread....a little background. I'm an environmental scientist and worked directly with developers for over a decade. I have friends who work in various emergency services and disaster planning fields. Yeah, we're a cheery bunch. I stumbled over this forum quite by accident during a google search gone awry. I'm just here to provide information and most of what I have is of the environmental problem variety . Know the bad and the good about where you're considering moving. Decide whether or not the risks are acceptable, but don't pretend they aren't there and don't let a developer convince you that you're moving into a '50s TV show. Those places didn't even exist in the '50s.

Hi there - I live in Lascassas- any problems that you know of out here? (just East ten miles of Murfreesboro - middle of nowhere in other words...)

thanks!

12b

[ann13820]

Find out yourself from the horse's mouth. Attend this meeting. Also... monitor the federal register for periodic announcements of interesting things going on -- you know, publications, meetings that you wouldn't necessarily hear about.
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October 10, 2007 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Oak Ridge Reservation - This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Oak Ridge Reservation. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. No. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register. DATES: Wednesday, October 10, 2007, 6 p.m. ADDRESSES: DOE Information Center, 475 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat Halsey, Federal Coordinator, Department of Energy Oak Ridge Operations Office, P.O. Box 2001, EM-90, Oak Ridge, TN 37831. Phone (865) 576-4025; Fax (865) 576-2347 or e-mail: halseypj@oro.doe.gov or check the Web site at Home page. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose of the Board: The purpose of the Board is to make recommendations to DOE in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and related activities. Tentative Agenda: The presentation topic will be an ``EM Program Update.''
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Again, monitor the Federal Register for activities pertinent to Oak Ridge (google "federal register" - I don't have the link info right now. The government is very interested in OR, and I'm sure you're not going to hear about it at public meetings.
----
From someone who grew up there,
Karen [Whittlesey] Anderson

PS - My sister called me in 1985, when she had a 15-month old baby asking if mercury could get into the water supply. OR had LOST TONS of mercury - they finally found some of it in one of the creeks that runs through town.

[Cassie7]

Without offering an opinion either way, I do have to say that some parts of Oak Ridge that I've seen are downright scary.

A few years ago, my husband took a gov funded truck drivers course and since the gov owns much land in Oak Ridge, that's where the school was placed. There was a long drive through woods to get to the remote school location and that drive was frightening.

There were many roads marked off limits to the public. And by off limits, I mean the signs threatened lethal force. There were also signs stating 'no photography allowed'. What would anyone want to take a pic of? The dead, rancid looking rivers and ponds where the surrounding woods look like something straight out of a horror movie.

Next to the school was an area that housed hundreds of barrels which the students and teachers were 'warned' to keep away from.

Yep, OR is a very scary place indeed.

[hiknapster]

Coming back from the drive-in, we got lost up in those mountains admist all that government land. Of course, I forgot to fill-up back at the highway.

We were terrified, too, with all those intimidating signs.

After we were out of there, and only then, did we laugh about the fact that had we run out of gas, at least someone would have known about it, with all those cameras.

[inave]

I have kind of a funny story. Not long after moving to Oak Ridge (we're looking to move out, for more reasons than the "scary stuff"), DH and I accidentally drove up to Y12. When we saw the guard gate, we sort of figured we were someplace we shouldn't be - although there were NO signs at all. DH started to make a U-turn back out to the main road. Understand, we hadn't actually gotten TO the guard shack when we realized we needed to turn around. The next thing we knew, cars were coming out of nowhere and "escorted" us INSIDE the gate to examine our car. I guess after that and after running a "check" on us (thank goodness I had my purse with me since we had to show our driver's licenses), they finally let us go. It took about 30 minutes. DH and I figured the faux-police were having a slow day and needed something to do!

[bbkaren]

Just a thought--could it be they go overboard on security because of the threat of terrorism? It might not always be a bad thing; in fact if that's the case, I'd say it's a good thing.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by bbkaren

Just a thought--could it be they go overboard on security because of the threat of terrorism? It might not always be a bad thing; in fact if that's the case, I'd say it's a good thing.

DEFINITELY.

[tennesseedreamin]

Originally Posted by ZoesMom

OMG I don't know where it was posted to do a google search of Oak ridge and uranium.. but I had NO idea. This really is some scary stuff.

I have family that is moving to Farragut, and I am moving there in the Spring time. Any idea what the effects of the surrounding areas areas, such as Knoxville, Farragut and even Maryville are?

Is the water and air even safe... GAH this is really got me stressed here :\

If anyone has some recent links of information to help me feel a bit more confident in moving there, it would be greatly appreciated

I have a book on Cancer and it says more people develope cancers around that area than just about anywhere in the US. They didn't say why however, but I'm assuming it's the Oakridge plant.