An Associated Press story is reporting that a wastewater treatment plant in a Smoky Mountains tourist town failed and spilled millions of gallons of sewage. The cause of the failure has not been determined and two workers are missing. So far they are saying there was a catastrophic failure of the holding tank.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said a holding tank at the Gatlinburg plant gave way Tuesday morning, sending possibly millions of gallons of sewage into the Little Pigeon River.
Between 1.5 and 3.2 million gallons of sewage spilled, TEMA spokesman Jeremy Heidt said.
Some of the spill entered the small river that flows from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Both cities are top destinations for tourists visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Tisha Calabrese-Benton, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, said officials were on the way there from Knoxville, about 35 miles northwest of the accident site.
People are being warned not to come in contact with the river until more is known about the accident, she said.
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