Channel 41, WDRB General Manager made the following comments on air recently.
Disaster is Bad Business (5/1/07)
Last week, a panel of experts recommended lowering the water level of Lake Cumberland an additional 30 feet because they believe not doing so makes it more likely that the seeping Wolf Creek Dam will fail.
Several people involved in the area’s recreational industry oppose this idea. They say the threat of a dam failure is exaggerated, and that lowering the lake level even more would hurt their businesses.
Well, they’re probably right about business being hurt. But it’s pretty clear the danger is real, and I have a hard time balancing their business interests against the billions of dollars and many lives that would be lost if that dam ever does fail.
This situation seems typical of America’s current attitude that no one should ever have to suffer for the greater good, and that sacrifice is for saps.
Our parents didn’t see it that way. They faced some of the century’s greatest threats and paid the necessary price to overcome them. It wasn’t easy, wasn’t fair, and wasn’t cheap, but they did it.
It’s only natural to act in one’s own self-interest. But sometimes, that self-interest needs to give way to bigger needs. And I hope the marina owners around Lake Cumberland understand that.
What’s your opinion? Call and tell us at 588-2433.
I’m Bill Lamb, and that’s my…Point of View.
Since Channel 41 has a policy of rebuttal, I contacted the station and was offered time. However in looking at the entire issue and the ramifications of it, and importance to an area of the state that is going to be devastated by this economically more than a minute was needed.
I contacted Channel 41 and asked Mr. Foushee, the PR person who handles requests if Mr. Lamb had read any of the reports by the Corps of Engineers, or the independent report. Surprisingly, ( I am being humorous here) Mr. Lamb had NOT read according to Mr. Foushee any of the engineering reports. I asked Mr. Lamb and Mr. Foushee to meet me for a Lunch paid for by me in order to bring them up to speed on why folks around the damn had asked the Corps to hold the lake at current levels. I was refused.
Here is the letter I got:
Just to make sure, I checked with Mr. Lamb, and he’ll be unable to have lunch with you -- primarily because his schedule is extremely tight, and the majority of his lunches also double as business meetings that deal with matters of more immediate concern regarding the operation of our stations. While he understands your disagreement with him on this issue, it should be obvious that Lake Cumberland is not the number one issue with which he has to contend. He had his opinion, he expressed it, and he’s extended you the opportunity to reply with an equal time rebuttal.
The fact that you’ve chosen not to do so doesn’t obligate him to meet personally with you. If it did, I feel safe in saying he’d never be able to carry out his job because of endless meetings with people who disagree with his editorials but lack the motivation to write and present one of their own.
If this changes your mind and you’d like to accept our invitation to reply on-air, I can still make that happen. Just let me know.
Ray Foushee
Director, Marketing, Research and Publicity
WDRB-41/WMYO-58
(502) 562-5746
Rush Limbaugh talks daily about the Drive By Media.
This is an excellent example of what he is talking about.
Mr. Lamb has sensationalized an issue without having the slightest bit of information about the dam, its engineering, I am guessing he does not even know the history of the dam and its previous leaks. He also ignores a report that was published by the Corps of Engineers itself in January of 2007 that selected the 680 lake level that the Business Owners are asking for.
He has chosen to condemn the marina owners, motel and hotel owners, guides, and other businesses that depend on the lake for their living.
Let us make no mistake here.
Families will be destroyed by this.
People will lose their homes.
Jobs, businesses and communities are going to be damaged and Mr. Lamb could take the time to comment, but would not take the time to learn the issues.
HERE Are the issues:
The dam began to fail almost immediately upon completion in the 1950's. IN the 60's a crater formed and muddy flow below the dam signaled severe problems. The dam was built over a Carst Geology, (Carst meaning cave) water was leaking under the Dirt portion of the dam. The Corps of Engineers had failed to properly position the dam, and to deal with caverns found when doing the original building of the dam. The dam was within weeks of failing at that time, if not days. Grouting began and emergency repairs were undertaken. IN the early 70's more severe measures were taken to repair the dam
To repair the dam the lake was lowered and a second dam was built inside the first. This second dam was built by drilling into the bedrock below the Carst Geology to solid rock.
The second dam was built to within 20 or 30 feet of the concrete dam, when funds ran out. The leaks stopped but the second dam was never finished, leaving a 20 to 30 foot section that could still leak. Piezometers were buried in the dam to track any leakage or movement. In the last few years more water and movement were detected.
Due to this the Corps of Engineers was required to make the dam a priority for repair. At the same time several dams down stream of Lake Cumberland also began to fail including the dam directly below the lake on the Cumberland River in Tennessee. Should both dams go at the same time the city of Nashville would be endangered.
Because of this situation many people wanted the lake lowered drastically to prevent any issue of failure.
NOW comes the bizarre part.
The Corps engineers know that this dam at Lake Cumberland will take months to fail if not longer. Why? Because the dam only has a problem with the area where the 2 dams were not joined. The leak is currently small and is relegated to that one area. While a breach could occur, it would take days for the water to make its way through the smaller area, any rise would be gradual at first and plenty of warning would be available to get people out of the way of any rising waters. There would be damage to low lying buildings.
Then there began to be other safety issues caused by lowering the dam too much.
Now comes the part I have trouble explaining...
Because the lowered lake is steeper, a small 1" rain that would normally raise the lake maybe half a foot to a foot, at the lowered level the lake would rise double that. Lower the lake below 650 and the change is even more dramatic. The very lowering of the lake would put changing pressures ON the dam at the very place that pressure is the most critical.
So the COE in a report detailed this information. This report came out in January of 2007.
This is the information that led many around the lake to ask for the 680 level instead of the 650 or lower 580 level.
At 680 the lake is big enough to take the water in and have no major changes in pressure. At 680 some power can still be generated. At 680 water intake valves for all cities on the lake are still able to take in water, businesses still can get water to run. However most of the boat ramps would be out of the water.
Thanks to the Governor of Kentucky, those ramps will be in place by Memorial Day.
The most recent Engineering Survey suggested that the lake be lowered another 30 feet. Businesses around the lake are asking that the higher level of 680 be used.
They are NOT asking this out of greed, but out of self preservation.
Current Grouting efforts have slowed the deterioration of the dam.
Any Dam failure would take weeks if not longer, simply because of the previous efforts. There is no need shown in the new report, and the engineers were given parameters for a TOTAL failure of the dam to err on the side of safety.
While some engineers are for a lower lake level, they are forced to deal with this dam and make plans based on a Worst Case Scenario, that is unlikely to occur. They are erring on the side of safety.. However the Corps of Engineers has determined that the safest thing to do is hold the dam at 680 through the summer and to see if the grouting effort has worked.. then to finish the rest of the second dam over the next 5 to 7 years.
Mr. Lamb
You may be right, in that the lake should be lowered for the greater good.
However the lake is currently in no danger and there are circumstances that YOU are not aware of and which make lowering the dam an issue as well.... and they have NOTHING to do with economics.
It is a confusing issue and the reality is that the dam is NOT in imminent danger and the Corps believes the situation is in hand. Do we for the greater good of the people below the dam lower it and destroy the lives of people in 3 counties or for the hold the dam at 680 and hope that the GREATER good is served.
With the situation as it stands, I believe the Corps of Engineers has made the right choice and the businesses areound the dam are doing nothing more than supporting that decision. The grouting is working. The dam is currently in no danger of PARTIAL Failure, and if the Corps is correct in its assessment lowering the dam could pose MORE of a problem at lower levels than at higher levels.
This is NOT as Mr. Lamb suggests, people failing to be willing to suffer for the greater good. This is not an enemy attacking our country. It is a dam with a leak. A leak that has been for the time being slowed if not stopped.
Mr. Lamb has escalated a small problem with the Wolf Creek Dam into an issue of such importance that he portrays these people as unwilling to sacrifice.
OK What is Mr. Lamb willing to sacrifice?
Some Time? NO he is unwilling to read the reports to understand the situation.
Some Money? No he is not willing to do anything to help the businesses around the lake by detailing their plight and encouraging tourism to the area.
Some Sacrifice? NO. Mr. Lamb has nothing to lose on this issue.
It is very easy to sit in an office in Louisville and ask for people to bow to the greater good. It is another thing to actually DO SOMETHING for the greater good and Mr. Lamb has failed the test himself.
The "Greatest Generation" made sacrifices of time, money and their lives. Mr. Lamb is not willing to sacrifice 30 minutes and a free lunch.
Thats My Take on it.
Jim Dicken
