Bull Run Fossil Plant Archives

Emergency preparedness exercise at Bull Run on Wednesday

Posted at 1:51 pm July 10, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton is pictured above. (File photo)

Emergency responders from state and local agencies will join Tennessee Valley Authority personnel in an emergency preparedness exercise involving the Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton on Wednesday, July 12.

The exercise is part of an ongoing series of training drills and exercises at TVA plants across the service area, a press release said.

“The exercise will involve personnel working in multiple locations, including at and near the plant,” the press release said. “Residents may see increased vehicle traffic and may hear on- and off-site sirens briefly activated.”

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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TVA proposes new storage for coal ash, coal burning byproducts at Bull Run

Posted at 1:11 am December 6, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton is pictured above.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is proposing to expand the capacity for managing and storing coal combustion residuals at Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton.

TVA has committed to convert the handling and storage of coal ash and other byproducts of burning coal from a wet system to dry at all its fossil sites, including Bull Run, a press release said. As part of that process, TVA evaluated numerous sites on TVA property around Bull Run for a new dry storage landfill.

In a final Environmental Impact Statement released Thursday, TVA considered the potential environmental impacts of a new landfill, as well as two other alternatives—hauling the coal combustion residuals, or CCR, materials to a permitted landfill off-site, and a “no action” alternative in which TVA would not consider additional options for long-term storage of CCR at the plant. [Read more…]

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. [Read more…]

TVA decides coal combustion residuals more safely stored in place, including at Bull Run

Posted at 9:44 pm July 31, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Valley Authority will move forward 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 in Claxton, officials said Friday.

The decision follows 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 press release said.

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

The EIS looked at two options for the future storage of coal combustion residuals, or CCR: closure-in-place and closure-by-removal. The preferred option for the 10 impoundments is closure-in-place, the press release said. [Read more…]

Knoxville man dies in motorcycle crash on Old Emory in Claxton

Posted at 7:16 pm March 19, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Old-Emory-Road-Motorcycle-Crash-March-19-2016

A Knoxville man died after he lost control of his motorcycle, struck a guardrail, and landed down an embankment on Old Emory Road in Claxton on Saturday afternoon, authorities said. The Tennessee Highway Patrol investigated the crash, which was reported at the intersection with Walnut Valley Road on Saturday afternoon, March 19, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

CLAXTON—A Knoxville man died after he lost control of a motorcycle, struck a guardrail, and landed down an embankment on Old Emory Road in Claxton on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

The single-vehicle crash was reported at about 2:21 p.m. Saturday at the intersection with Walnut Valley Road, just north of Bull Run Fossil Plant.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol said Peter Bolen, 52, was driving south on a 2005 Suzuki motorcycle when he lost control going around a curve and hit the guardrail. The motorcycle crossed the road and stopped in a ditch on the opposite side of the road. [Read more…]

ACSD enhances security after Chattanooga shooting

Posted at 3:02 am July 17, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department sent deputies to provide security at the National Guard Armory in Clinton and to the area around the Tennessee Valley Authority facilities at Norris Dam and Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton after officials learned of the fatal shootings at military centers in Chattanooga on Thursday.

Additional deputies were also sent to the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton and to county government buildings, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said.

He said the Tennessee Highway Patrol notified the ACSD on Thursday morning, July 16, about the unfolding events in Chattanooga.

“We informed all of our local police departments of this information,” Lucas said. “Our dispatch was also in contact with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency State Emergency Operations Center in Nashville.” [Read more…]

TVA starts public process for future ash storage at Bull Run

Posted at 12:08 pm May 21, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton is pictured above in an aerial photo from August 2012.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is asking for public input on its plans to expand the dry onsite storage of ash and other coal combustion products generated at Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton.

TVA is proposing to build a new dry storage area on TVA property next to the plant to provide greater capacity for managing coal combustion products at Bull Run. TVA is seeking public comments on an environmental review of the project.

Bull Run Fossil Plant, which has state-of-the-art air pollution controls, is expected to play a continuing role in TVA’s coal-fired generating fleet, a press release said.

“The Bull Run storage project is consistent with TVA’s commitment to convert all wet coal combustion product storage systems to dry systems,” the release said. [Read more…]

Motorcyclist dies in four-vehicle crash on Edgemoor Road

Posted at 11:10 pm August 13, 2014
By John Huotari 6 Comments

Edgemoor Road was closed for several hours near the Bull Run Fossil Plant on Wednesday evening as authorities investigated a four-vehicle crash that killed a motorcyclist.

CLAXTON—A Powell motorcyclist died Wednesday afternoon in a four-vehicle crash on Edgemoor Road in front of the Bull Run Fossil Plant, authorities said.

Kenneth Lubthisophon, 55, was riding east on Edgemoor Road at about 4:41 p.m. Wednesday when he hit the left rear of a car driven by a 54-year-old Knoxville woman who was slowing down for stopped traffic, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said.

Lubthisophon’s 1989 Honda G15 was then hit from behind by a pickup truck driven by a 25-year-old Clinton man, and Lubthisophon was thrown from the motorcycle into the westbound traffic lane, where he was hit by a second pickup truck driven by a 70-year-old Clinton man, according to a preliminary THP report.

Lubthisophon was wearing a helmet, the report said. [Read more…]

Reader photo: Bull Run at sunrise

Posted at 3:03 pm March 24, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge resident Michele Brandenburg took this picture of the Bull Run Fossil Plant at sunrise. The coal-fired plant is in Claxton on Edgemoor Road. It’s across the Clinch River from Oak Ridge.

“The steam plume looks really different with the sun behind it,” Brandenburg said.

Environmentalists, others to challenge Fleischmann, Duncan on global warming

Posted at 10:18 am February 20, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

Volunteers have organized two press conferences today (Thursday) to challenge Tennessee congressmen John Duncan and Chuck Fleischmann to accept and then work to stop human-caused climate change, a press release said.

The first press conference is at 11 a.m. Thursday at Duncan’s Knoxville office at the Howard H. Baker Jr. U.S. Courthouse. The second is at 2 p.m. in front of the Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton.

The press release said the press conferences will include prominent business people, clergy, a fossil fuel technologist, a child advocate, environmentalists, educators, and students. [Read more…]

Demand low, Bull Run plant idled

Posted at 9:56 am April 10, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton is idled due to mild weather and low power demand

The Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton, which can produce close to 900 megawatts of electricity, is currently idled due to mild weather and low power demand. Residents have noticed that the normal white plume of smoke, mostly water vapor, is not being emitted from the plant’s shorter smokestack. The single-unit Bull Run plant will be brought back online when it is needed in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s power mix.

Note: This story is from Spring 2012, but it has apparently been picked up by someone and widely shared, which would explain how it ended up in our most popular posts list today. I apologize that the photo caption runs off the right side of the main content column. This photo was posted when we were using a wider version of this site earlier this year. We’re using a version that’s more narrow now. (John Huotari – 10/31/2012)