Presentation will focus on TVA’s plan to close Bull Run ash ponds

Posted at 2:45 pm November 25, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Amanda Garcia

A Tuesday presentation will focus on the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plan to close ash ponds at the Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton, a press release said.

Amanda Garcia of the Southern Environmental Law Center will discuss closing ash ponds at Bull Run, the pollution and risk involved in closing the ash ponds, and the role of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in reviewing TVA’s plans and addressing pollution at Bull Run and other sites, the press release said. There will be opportunities for the public to weigh in, the release said.

The presentation is sponsored by Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning. It is free and open to the public. It starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 29, in the Oak Ridge Civic Center Craft Room.

The release cited the failure of a coal ash storage area at the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant in late 2008, which created one of the largest spills in the world, the release said. It said the Bull Run Fossil Plant sits at the intersection of the Clinch River and Bull Run Creek, with the drinking water intake for the West Knox Utility District just over a quarter-mile downstream from several of its ash pits.

TVA announced in July that it will proceed with a plan to permanently and safely store coal ash and other coal combustion residuals on TVA property at 10 locations across the service area, including the Bull Run Fossil Plant.

That decision followed a year-long review of the potential environmental impacts detailed in an environmental impact statement, which addressed comments from 10 public open houses and additional opportunities for public input, a TVA press release said this summer.

See the final environmental impact statements, including for Bull Run Fossil Plant, here.

See earlier story about TVA’s decision here.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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