The Tennessee Valley Authority will rely on natural river processes and long-term monitoring to take care of ash in the Clinch and lower Emory rivers as part of the recovery from the 2008 coal ash spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant, a press release said.

The process, known as Monitored Natural Recovery, was the preferred option among several alternatives proposed to manage an estimated 500,000 cubic yards of remaining ash dispersed intermittently over more than 200 acres in the river system, the release said.

The alternatives were proposed in an Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis, which was released for public review and comment in August.

Here is more information from the press release:

TVA’s selection of Monitored Natural Recovery, also called EE/CA Alternative 1, is documented in an Action Memorandum released by the agency. It is based on extensive research, including human health and ecological risk assessments, and aligns with the majority of public comments received on the EE/CA alternatives.

The selection was also approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

Monitored Natural Recovery avoids disturbing legacy contaminants from past U.S. Department of Energy projects in the river system, provides the best balance with respect to effectiveness and implementation, and is the most cost-effective option for consumers of TVA power.

The release said the Action Memorandum has been posted to the Administrative Record for the Kingston Ash Recovery Project at www.tva.com/kingston. It also is available for review at the Kingston and Harriman public libraries.

TVA has encouraged the public to review and comment on the Action Memorandum from Nov. 9 through Dec. 8. Pertinent comments and their responses will be included in a Responsiveness Summary document and placed in the Administrative Record.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporation owned by the U.S. government, and it provides electricity for nine million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development.