The Tennessee Valley Authority is proposing a long-term storage solution for its coal ash and other coal combustion residuals that TVA said "would safely keep these products on TVA property permanently."
The recommendation for closure-in-place is part of a Final Environmental Impact Statement released this week addressing options for CCR impoundments at its coal-fired power plants. The documents can be found at www.tva.gov/nepa.
The EIS is divided into two parts; Part 1 is a programmatic analysis that should generally apply to any CCR impoundment in the TVA system. Part 2 is an analysis of 10 site-specific ash impoundment closures, which integrates the findings and conclusions of Part 1.
The proposed and preferred closure method for the specific sites is the closure-in-place alternative, but the document also considers the impacts of closure-by-removal.
CCRs are byproducts produced from the combustion of coal or the control of combustion emissions and include fly ash, bottom ash, and other materials. The EIS supports TVA’s goal to eliminate all wet CCR storage at its coal plants and to help TVA comply with EPA’s CCR Rule.
TVA conducted extensive public outreach in preparing this document, including a public comment period that lasted more than 60 days and 10 open house meetings in communities near its fossil plants to allow the public to discuss the draft EIS and provide comments in person and online. TVA has addressed all substantive comments received during the comment period in the Final EIS.
Although not required, TVA will accept comments on the Final EIS through July 9.
Written comments should be sent to Ashley Farless, Tennessee Valley Authority, 1101 Market St., BR4A, Chattanooga, TN 37402, or by email to CCR@tva.gov or at www.tva.gov/nepa.