Oak Ridge Today

Reporter to discuss coal ash in Kingston, Anderson County

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Jamie Satterfield

Investigative reporter Jamie Satterfield will discuss the impact of the coal ash spill in Kingston and the coal ash stored in Claxton during an online meeting in January.

The presentation by Satterfield, who worked for the Knoxville News Sentinel, will be hosted by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. The Lunch with the League is scheduled from 12-1 p.m. Tuesday, January 4.

“In an effort to keep everyone safe during this time of pandemic, the gathering will again be virtual,” a press release said. “Those who desire to gain access to the meeting may do so by following the instructions provided at the close of this article.”

The press release said a retaining wall of a dyke at the Kingston coal plant failed on Monday, December 22, 2008. It became the largest coal ash spill in United States history.

[Read more…]

TVA says Claxton material that caused concern is consistent with soil

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Note: This story was last updated at 4:50 p.m.

The Tennessee Valley Authority said Thursday that the material that caused concern in Claxton, near the Bull Run Fossil Plant, is consistent with surface soil.

The material had reportedly fallen on vehicles, houses, mailboxes, and driveways in Claxton near Bull Run, a coal-fired TVA power plant. That raised concerns that the material might be coming from Bull Run.

On Thursday, TVA said it collected 11 samples and received three samples from a home owner and sent them to an independent laboratory for testing. That was in response to the concerns about the airborne materials found on vehicles and property around Bull Run, TVA said.

“Results show the material is not coming from air emissions at Bull Run and is consistent with surface soil in the area,” TVA said. “TDEC (Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation) also sampled material at several locations, and their results affirm that the material is consistent with surface soil.”

[Read more…]

TDEC: Most material tested in Claxton, after residents expressed concern, was soil

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Note: This story was last updated at 4:50 p.m.

The vast majority of the material tested in Claxton, after residents raised concerns about an unidentified substance falling around the Bull Run Fossil Plant, was soil, a state official said Thursday.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said it sampled material in the area, and TDEC Deputy Communications Director Kim Schofinski released a short statement Thursday.

“TDEC takes the concerns of citizens very seriously, and in response to their direct requests, we independently conducted sampling of the material in the area,” the statement said. “We also reviewed lab results from samples taken by TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) and citizens…All results indicated the vast majority of the material was soil. As it relates to coal ash, sampling results ranged from non-detectable amounts, amounts too low to quantify, or trace amounts.

[Read more…]

TVA creating community group for Bull Run Fossil Plant, looking for volunteers

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Fossil Plant is pictured above in Claxton on Monday, Aug. 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Tennessee Valley Authority is seeking volunteers as it creates a Community Action Group for the Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton.

The volunteers could focus on issues related to TVA’s management of the plant, an email notice said.

“TVA is committed to doing the right thing to handle the legacy of coal generation and ensuring the safety of the workforce and the communities where TVA has or had fossil plants,” the notice said. “As part of its commitment to safety and best practices to protect its workers and local residents, TVA is creating a Community Action Group for the facility (Bull Run).”

According to the notice, the core responsibilities of this volunteer group will be to:

[Read more…]

TVA has open houses about Bull Run Fossil Plant this week

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Fossil Plant is pictured above in Claxton on Monday, Aug. 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Tennessee Valley Authority will have two open houses next week to discuss the future of the Bull Run Fossil Plant, a coal-burning power plant in Claxton that is scheduled to close in about four years.

One open house will be in Oak Ridge, and the other will be in Claxton. Both are open to the public.

The first open house is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, at the YWCA at 1660 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The second is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, July 15, at Claxton Elementary School at 2218 Clinton Highway.

“This will be an open house format, where the public can interact with TVA staff and experts on the various activities at Bull Run, including the future of coal combustion residuals at the site,” TVA said in an announcement.

[Read more…]

TVA seeks public input on proposed changes to ash storage at Bull Run

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Fossil Plant is pictured above in Claxton on Monday, Aug. 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Tennessee Valley Authority is proposing changes to plans for closure of a coal ash storage area and wastewater treatment at its Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton. TVA is asking the public to comment on those revisions in a draft supplemental environmental assessment issued on April 22. That document is available at www.tva.com/nepa.

The revised draft supplemental environmental assessment will consider the potential environmental impacts of several alternatives for closure of the main ash impoundment, a press release said. The project would include turning a portion of the impoundment into a temporary process water basin during construction of a permanent basin for wastewater and storm water at the site. The current stilling pond would be closed, with ash removed to an existing onsite landfill, and turned into the permanent process water basin, the press release said.

[Read more…]

Watts Bar Reservoir has returned to conditions before Kingston coal ash spill, EPA says

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

River Reaches Arcadis Updated Data Analysis and Temporal Trend Evaluations in Biota 2009-2015 TVA Kingston

River Reaches—Updated Data Analysis and Temporal Trend Evaluations in Biota: 2009-2015, Tennessee Valley Authority, Kingston, Tennessee (By Arcadis)

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Atlanta reported Thursday that monitoring data shows that areas of Watts Bar Reservoir affected by the 2008 ash spill in Kingston have returned to “pre-spill” conditions.

The ash spill occurred at the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil Plant. It released 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash on December 22, 2008.

Environmental data collected from 2009-2015 shows the fish community, benthic macroinvertebrates (bugs), sediment quality, and tree swallow colonies have recovered to baseline conditions that existed before the spill, the EPA said.

The cleanup was accomplished in three phases under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or CERCLA, commonly known as Superfund. [Read more…]

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

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Bull Run Fossil Plant

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
By Leave a Comment

Amanda Garcia

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
By Leave a Comment

Bull Run Fossil Plant Ash Impoundment Closure

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…]

TVA: Kingston Ash Recovery Project follows new EPA guidelines

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

TVA Kingston Fossil Plant Dike C Reinforcement

Photo courtesy TVA

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for coal combustion products released on Friday are consistent with work the Tennessee Valley Authority has already done at the Kingston recovery project, the public utility said in a press release.

“TVA is already making substantial changes in the way we work with coal combustion products, including coal ash and gypsum, said TVA President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Johnson. “This included committing an estimated $2 billion to convert all our coal fleet impoundments from wet to dry storage. While recognizing the significant potential for beneficial reuse of ash and other products, we agree it needs to be handled and stored safely.”

The project area surrounding the Kingston Fossil Plant near Harriman is in the final restoration stage following the coal ash spill in December 2008. It was the largest ash spill in U.S. history. [Read more…]

Letter: Write-in House candidate says coal is obsolete

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Leslie Agron EPA Clean Power Plan Hearing

Oak Ridge resident Leslie Agron testifies at an EPA clean power plan hearing in Atlanta on July 29. (Submitted photo)

Note: This is a copy of testimony given July 29 in Atlanta by Oak Ridge resident Leslie Agron, a write-in candidate in the Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives on Thursday.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the EPA. Thank you for taking my testimony.

My name is Leslie Agron. I am from Oak Ridge, Tennessee. As the son of a Manhattan Project scientist, I was born and raised there. I grew up within walking distance of Appalachia.

I am currently a candidate for the Tennessee state legislature. I have previously served on Oak Ridge’s Environmental Quality Advisory Board. I hold an Executive MBA from The Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. Given that credential, the thrust of my remarks will be about business and business climate.

I hold that, contrary to industry remarks that coal makes jobs, coal is not good business. To be clear, in a historical sense, coal was very important to the development of America in the 19th and 20th centuries. During those historical times, coal very much enhanced the business climate of our country by supplying affordable energy when no other source of energy was available. [Read more…]