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TVA Moves Forward with Plan to Store Coal Residuals On Site

Erica Peterson, WFPL News

The Tennessee Valley Authority will move forward with a plan to permanently store coal ash and other coal combustion residuals on TVA property at 10 locations. 

TVA announced the decision Friday after reviewing potential environmental risks associated with two options detailed in an Environmental Impact Statement. The EIS looked at closure-in-place and closure-by-removal.

TVA Spokesperson Scott Brooks said closure-in-place is the easiest method of control.

“We are talking about putting a liner system down that includes topsoil clay or whatever we think is appropriate at each location, designed to keep water from getting back into the coal ash once it's dried out. Without water it’s a lot harder for the ash and other byproducts to move anywhere so we think that provides a safe stable option and then we will continue to monitor each of those sites as required for at least another 30 years,” Brooks said.

The compliance measures will cost TVA approximately $200 million dollars. Brooks said the cost will be absorbed by the annual budget and will not translate into higher rates for customers.

Changes should be complete within 5 years as determined by the EPA CCR rule.

Nicole Erwin is a Murray native and started working at WKMS during her time at Murray State University as a Psychology undergraduate student. Nicole left her job as a PTL dispatcher to join the newsroom after she was hired by former News Director Bryan Bartlett. Since, Nicole has completed a Masters in Sustainable Development from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia where she lived for 2 1/2 years.
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