On December 22, 2008, billions of gallons of coal sludge broke through an earthen wall at TVA's Kingston coal-fired power plant and spilled into the tributaries of the Tennessee River. It has often been referred to as the largest environmental disaster of its kind, but just how can this be measured?

Gregory Button, anthropology professor at UT, delivered an insightful lecture on disasters. He has actively studied environmental disasters for three decades and has worked on twenty-three, including the benchmark ordeal with Love Canal.

Disaster research has, in the past, not been as prominent a field as it is considered now.

"This [research] was not examined in any kind of academic way until WWII," said Button. According to him, the advent of the nuclear age forced the U.S. to learn how it would deal with a national disaster in terms of health, political, and social issues.

And these issues are exactly the kinds of things that make disaster research so multi-faceted.

"Over time," said Button, "we ended up having a field that has by now grown to be quite complex."

There are two types of disasters: acute and chronic. Acute disasters are those which can most easily be recognized with a date and time, like a tornado or earthquake. Chronic disasters are those such as Love Canal, which unfold slowly over time and are at first invisible. Both can have rippling effects on the surrounding communities and can often be underestimated and misunderstood. Button said we need to examine disasters in a larger context-it is not just as simple as reporting on the event, identifying the victims, and engaging in cleanup.

 "Disasters are grounded in an intensely political and social world. . .there is a strong undeniable political component to them," explained Button.

Blaming becomes an inevitable and undeniable part of the whole ordeal, as well as pinpointing responsibilities. Problems easily arise with this, especially because Button says, "there's always a contestation over the meaning of a disaster." Those to blame may not feel as strongly about the event and may not agree to do everything in their power to make it right.

"Decisions and policies can be made that can be as harmful, if not more harmful, than the actual triggering event." -Gregory Button, professor in anthropology at U.T. 

The TVA coal ash spill most recently depicts the skewed meaning of a disaster, as it was not even considered one by the federal government, and therefore the area affected has not qualified for federal aid and assistance. 

Because of this wide range of connotative meanings for the term, another very serious issue arises. Just exactly who is considered a disaster victim? Some people argue that if they are in any way affected, they are a victim. Hypothetically, this means that a person whose house has been demolished by the coal ash could claim victimization right alongside a money-tight artist whose favorite subject was the river and may not find as much inspiration elsewhere.

"It leads to a lot of social and political unrest in the affected communities," said Button. But he also noted that if those who are in any way harmed, then they are in fact a disaster victim.

The issue that always arises is the future. In regards to the ash spill there could be victims yet to come, not only because of the contaminated groundwater or the looming possibility of the tiny ash particles becoming airborne, but also because there is talk that all of the waste will be stored in a landfill somewhere. What about the people whose communities will be affected by a proposed waste dump? Certainly they will become victims as well.

Furthermore, results from a disaster are often confusing and conflicting.

"It generates a huge discourse of uncertainty," said Button.  "You get a lot of gossip and rumors."

The media, always rushing to get their first, has often sacrificed accuracy. Policies and decisions involving the disasters are also not thoroughly thought through.

Button explained, "Decisions and policies can be made that can be as harmful, if not more harmful, than the actual triggering event."

There exists a wide array of issues involving disasters, and it can be shocking to examine these in depth. However, analysis is an essential part of managing them.

"After thirty years of doing this," Button commented, "the sad thing is we haven't learned the lessons we needed to learn."