Tennessee Riverkeeper Files Lawsuit Over Pollution into Lake Guntersville at Gunters Landing Lagoon

Tennessee Riverkeeper Files Lawsuit Over Pollution into Lake Guntersville at Gunters Landing Lagoon

For Immediate Release- October 2011

Contact: David Whiteside, Executive Director and Riverkeeper- dwhiteside@tennesseeriver.org

Mark Martin, Prosecuting Attorney – mmartin@tennesseeriver.org

GUNTERSVILLE – Non-profit Tennessee Riverkeeper recently filed a lawsuit against Jimmy Kennamer, the owner of Marshall County Land Company, for 1,077 violations of the Clean Water Act since July 2009 at Gunters Landing Lagoon. The lagoon treats sewage from Gunters Landing, a housing development along Lake Guntersville, and discharges into waters of the United States, namely, Lake Guntersville, an impoundment of Tennessee River.  The discharges have violated parameters for pollution indicators such as Fecal Coliform, Suspended Solids, and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD.)

Tennessee Riverkeeper, Inc. filed the lawsuit under section 505 of the Clean Water Act, against Jimmy Kennamer, for violations of the Clean Water Act and the Alabama Water Pollution Control Act and the regulations there under, by Gunters Landing Lagoon located at Marshall County, Alabama.  Buddy Cox of the Birmingham law firm Lightfoot, Franklin & White is providing legal representation to Mr. Kennamer.

The lawsuit, case number 2:11-CV-03506-IPJ, has been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The case is styled Tennessee Riverkeeper, Inc. vs. Jimmy Kennamer.

David Whiteside, the staff Riverkeeper, states: “This lawsuit demonstrates Riverkeeper’s commitment to protecting our water by ensuring proper enforcement of environmental laws. Riverkeeper will not stand for illegal sewage being dumped into the rivers and creeks of the Tennessee River Valley.”

Mark Martin, prosecuting attorney for Tennessee Riverkeeper says: “Pollution from sewage treatment plants is a major problem on the Tennessee River.  These violations at Gunters Landing have been allowed to persist for far too long. We are attempting to make them stop violating the Clean Water Act.”

Untreated sewage can contain a dangerous cargo of infectious bacteria, viruses, parasites and toxic chemicals. When it ends up in our recreational and drinking water, it can negatively impact human health and the environment.

The mission of Tennessee Riverkeeper is to protect the Tennessee River and its tributaries by enforcing environmental laws and educating the public.  Tennessee Riverkeeper monitors polluters and their pollution permits, responds to citizen complaints, and utilizes other methods to further protect the Tennessee River and its tributaries. When the organization discovers illegal pollution, we will seek enforcement of environmental laws.  Tennessee Riverkeeper was founded in 2009 by David Whiteside and Mark Martin.

Tennessee Riverkeeper – http://www.tennesseeriver.org/