Yummy...brown, murky, water...with a side of mercury, please

You know how people say not to swim in the Chattahoochee south of Atlanta?

Less than a mile from my work is the reason why.

On either shore of the Chattahoochee River we have disgusting pollution and just "blagh-ness."

Side 1: Plant Atkinson:

The beautiful Atlanta skyline.....and Plant Atkinson's smoke stack blocking the view...

If you go onto the Georgia Power website, it says Plant Atkinson was opened in 1930 (thereabouts) and hailed as the first steam power plant. Woo hoo! Doesn't that sound clean and hydro-friendly? Au contraire. In 2005, there was a news release that Atlanta will demolish Plant Atkinson in the Fall of 2005. Every morning, I see the smoke stacks rising above the river, the plant in full operation and fully intact. "The plant was designed to burn coal" is what you find on other websites.

Let's assess a coal-burning plant:
1) Creates more smog and soot - coal-burning plants are the United States' main source of air pollution
2) Emits mercury pollution (hey, look! Atkinson is ON the river!)
3) Think about the amount of coal required to power such a plant that helps power Atlanta!

Needless to say, Plant Atkinson is not at all environmentally-friendly and is one of the causes of Chattahoochee toxicity.

Side 2: City of Atlanta Incincerator: Opposite of Plant Atkinson is one of the City of Atlanta's incinerators. In other words...burning garbage. When you drive past, you see the matching dilapidated building perched on the shores of the Chattahoochee like a lame eldery vulture hovering over death. You see streams and run-off areas that flow right into the river...and trash bags - intact and torn scattering this route down to the city. With a good rain (or any liquids in the bags), the liquids and garbage flow right into the Chattahoochee River to mix and mingle with any Plant Atkinson run-off.

So before you look at the brown and murky Chattahoochee on a hot summer's day SOUTH of the perimeter, you might want to think twice. What are you swimming in?