On December 22, an accident at a TVA facility near the East Tennessee city of Kingston caused about one billion gallons of toxic coal ash to dump into a 300 acre area, which included parts of the nearby Emery River.

Reports now say that the river and surrounding areas are contaminated with deadly arsenic and antimony at rates 150 times allowed by the EPA.

A few days ago, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen visited the site, and famously had a picture taken with his hands covered in the sludge.

Perhaps not the brightest idea for a Harvard grad, say health and environmental experts, according to a recent article in the Tennessean. Experts advise regular citizens not to try the same experiment at home.

Meanwhile, TVA executives received significant bonuses, and Governor Bredesen defended their leadership.

Accountability, anyone ?