Katies Postthe Crisis Case I Chose To Discuss This Week

Katies Postthe Crisis Case I Chose To Discuss This Week Is The Tenne

The crisis case I chose to discuss this week is the Tennessee Valley and the Kingston ash slide. On December 22, 2008, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a company that uses coal to generate electricity, experienced a significant failure when one of their containment structures holding coal ash sludge began to leak. This leak caused the containment wall to eventually crumble, resulting in a massive spill of toxic ash into the Emory River. The contaminated river flowed into a nearby community, destroying several houses and forcing families to evacuate, highlighting the grave consequences of organizational negligence and failure to manage risk effectively.

Chapter 5 emphasizes the importance of organizational members acknowledging that crises can emerge rapidly and unexpectedly. In this case, TVA was aware of a wet spot on one of the containment walls two months prior to the spill, which suggested the presence of a leak. Despite this warning, TVA persisted in adding ash to the pond, neglecting the structural issues indicated by the moisture. This denial of warning signs exemplifies a critical failure in crisis preparedness, where prior knowledge of potential problems is ignored, leading to disaster. When the spill occurred, TVA accepted blame and initiated efforts to dredge the Emory River to mitigate environmental damage.

However, the response was marred by a lack of transparency and external oversight. No independent party was authorized to assess TVA’s dredging plan before its implementation, raising concerns about accountability and the adequacy of the remediation efforts. If TVA’s plan failed, the organization would be solely responsible, underscoring a reactive rather than proactive approach to crisis management. Further examination revealed six primary failures within TVA’s systems, controls, standards, and organizational culture: a lack of clear responsibility and accountability, absence of standardized procedures, inadequate training and metrics, siloed responsibilities with poor communication, insufficient checks and balances, a lack of prioritization and resources for prevention, and a tendency to respond reactively to crises instead of preventing them (Ulmer, Sellnow, & Seeger, 2017).

The consequences of TVA’s negligence extended beyond environmental damage. The spill polluted the Emory River, destroyed homes, and posed long-term health risks due to exposure to toxic ash. Residents expressed fears about health effects, uncertain environmental impacts, and declining property values, highlighting the social and economic toll of the disaster (Ritchie, Little, & Campbell, 2018). TVA’s failure was most pronounced in their inadequate risk assessment regarding the storage of vast quantities of fly ash near the river and community, a decision driven by cost-cutting and complacency rather than safety considerations. This case underscores the importance of rigorous risk management, transparent communication, and organizational accountability in preventing environmental crises and protecting public health.

References

• Ulmer, R. R., Sellnow, T. L., & Seeger, M. W. (2017). Effective crisis communication: Moving from crisis to opportunity. Sage Publications.
• Ritchie, L. A., Little, J., & Campbell, N. M. (2018). Resource Loss and Psychosocial Stress in the Aftermath of the 2008 Tennessee Valley Authority Coal Ash Spill. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, 36(2), 179-198.
• Gauthier, J., & Kliem, R. (2010). Environmental crisis management: A review of case studies. Journal of Environmental Management, 92(8), 1587-1595.
• O'Neill, M., & McCarthy, S. (2009). Risk communication during environmental crises. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 17(3), 180-190.
• Rigby, D. K., & Ledingham, J. A. (2012). Organizational response to environmental disasters: Case analysis of the Tennessee spill. Public Relations Review, 38(4), 601-610.
• Beck, U. (1992). Risk Society: Toward a New Modernity. Sage Publications.
• Coombs, W. T. (2014). Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding. Sage Publications.
• Heath, R. L. (2005). Explaining Crisis Communication: Signaling Theory and Action-Based Theory. In The Handbook of Communication and Crisis (pp. 45-59). Routledge.
• Seeger, M. W. (2006). Best practices in crisis communication: An expert panel process. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 34(3), 232-245.
• Mitroff, I. I., & Anagnos, G. (2001). Managing Crises Before They Happen: What Every Executive and Manager Needs to Know about Crisis Management. AMACOM.