2 Bodies Found After Tenn. Sewage Plant Collapse… Bodies Were Found Beneath The Rubble At A Sewage Plant In Gatlinburg

In some very sad and disturbing news, as reported by the AP…Crews recovered the bodies of 2 workers from the rubble of a wastewater-treatment plant wall that collapsed, while officials investigate what caused the breach that released sewage into a rain-swollen river at Great Smoky Mountain National Park…(Source)

Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller identified the victims as John Eslinger, 53, and Don Storey, 44, employees of contractor Veolia Water North America.(NPR)

The river, the Little Pigeon, flows through the town of Pigeon Forge, which is seven miles north of the plant and is home to the Dollywood amusement park.(Source)

It also flows through part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.(Source)

Dollywood is magical...

The treatment plant was rendered inoperable.

Gatlinburg’s utilities director said the plant should be repaired soon but he could not say when.(Source)

A Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation spokeswoman said that for now, wastewater is being discharged directly into the river.(Source)

(Little Pigeon River)