To the Roane County Community Advisory Group December 9, 2010

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group

December 9, 2010

Reconstruction of Skimmer Wall Complete

The final pours of three caisson caps for the Skimmer Wall are complete which finishes the reconstruction of the original Skimmer Wall that was destroyed by the ash spill.

Contractors Demobilize

The work of two contractors at the recovery project is finished and both are in the process of demobilizing.  MACTEC, the contractor responsible for ash loading, has a target date of December 17 to complete demoblization.    Aquarius Marine, LLC, the contractor hired by TVA to reconstruct the Skimmer Wall is scheduled to be demobilized by the end of December.

Utility Installation

Work to install utilities along Swan Pond Circle Bridge continues requiring one lane of the bridge to be closed intermittently.   We appreciate the patience of drivers who cross the bridge and hope to have the work complete within the next couple of weeks.

If you have any questions, please call Katie Kline or me on my cell phone at 806-7688.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group December 7, 2010

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group

December 7, 2010

Units Return to Service

As we told the CAG in the update we provided on November 30, and at the meeting Thursday night, Kingston Fossil Plant units 1-5 will begin an outage for maintenance tomorrow,  December 8 that will continue until December 18, 2010.  Due to decreased power demand, the units have been in “NID”, Not in Demand, status over the last few weeks.   KIF returned units to service this past weekend due to cold weather.

If you have any questions, please give Katie Kline or me at call at 806-7688.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group November 19, 2010

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group

November 19, 2010

 

Update on Ash Shipping

As of Wednesday, November 17, 404 trains have shipped approximately 3.9 million tons of ash to the Arrowhead Landfill in Alabama.  We are still on schedule to complete shipping by early December. 

Skimmer Wall Reconstruction

The last of three caissons for reconstruction of the Skimmer Wall has been poured and six of eight concrete panels have been set.  Installation of the beams is scheduled for completion on Friday.  After this work is completed the Skimmer Wall will be operational.  Caps are to be placed next week.

MACTEC Demobilization Plan Approved 

The demobilization plan for MACTEC, the ash loading contractor, has been approved by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and has been posted to the administrative record.  MACTEC will continue its planning for demobilization and will have fulfilled its contract by mid-December.  The contractor will be off the site soon after. 

Utility Installation Along Swan Pond Circle Bridge 

Installation of utilities on Swan Pond Circle Bridge is to be complete by mid-December.  Utilities on the approaches to the bridge are complete and the contractor is expected to begin utility installation on the bridge by November 29.   During this installation one lane of the bridge may be closed intermittently. 

New Haul Road Complete 

The new haul road running under the Swan Pond Circle Bridge is complete.  Workers will begin using the haul road to remove ash from the northern embayment next week.

Thanksgiving Holiday

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday and short work week, we will not have a weekly update next week but will provide one the following week.   We extend our best wishes to members of the CAG for a wonderful Thanksgiving!

If you have any questions please call Katie Kline or me at 717-1645.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group November 10, 2010

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group

November 10, 2010

Swan Pond Circle Bridge is Open!!

The new Swan Pond Circle Bridge opened today.   Over the next two weeks one lane of the bridge will be closed intermittently as workers complete utility installation.  Removal of the bypass road will begin immediately.

Skimmer Wall Reconstruction 

Crews are scheduled to pour the last of the three concrete caissons for the reconstruction of the skimmer wall on Friday, November 12.  The original wall was destroyed during the ash spill.  The reconstruction project is 65% complete.

Update on Shipping

To date 397 trains have been loaded and over 3.8 million tons of ash have been transported to the landfill in Uniontown, Alabama.

If you have any questions please give Katie Kline or me a call at 717-1645.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group November 5, 2010

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group

November 5, 2010

In response to questions posed by members of the CAG to TVA in preparation for the subject meeting, the following answers were provided.

Q.  Amount of ash left in Emory River

A.  Leo and Craig have covered this multiple times and a link was sent to the CAG to view the areas of the river with ash. There has been no change and the river EE/CA will address any remaining ash in the river.  TVA has agreed to conduct a shoreline assessment of ash over the winter.

Q.  Treated sewage water discharge status in Emory River

A.   TDEC was notified last week by Harriman Utility contractor that the plant has connected to the repaired 20" effluent line and is now discharging to their permitted discharge point. 

Q.  Status of extra rail crossings on Swan Pond Rd after ash removed to Alabama

A.  Following the end of time critical ash shipping, the extra rail crossing will not be used, but there is not a plan to remove it at this time.

Q.  Update on completion of train shipments to Alabama

A.  Shipping of time critical ash will end in early December.

Q.  Status of bridge opening

A.  The bridge is projected to open no later than Wednesday, November 10, due to delay of the guardrail company.

Q.  Status on pilot project of the barrier wall

A.  The report was emailed to the CAG on Wednesday, November 3, 2010.  A Request for Proposal has been issued for a contractor to perform the Deep Soil Mixing Project.  Bids are to be submitted by November 22, 2010.

Q.  When will the next public meeting be held (before or after holidays)?

A.  After the holidays - early 2011

Q.  Estimated date for completion on the OSC report that is being drafted?

A.  March, 2011

Q.  Structural integrity evaluation for East Dike will come out when?

A.  The East Dike structural integrity evaluation is currently being reviewed by TVA.  Following that, it will be submitted to the regulators, and once it’s approved, it will be made available to the public.

Q.  Were there any samples taken during the latest storm events and when will those results be made public?  

A.  Samples were taken for both the October 24^th and 26^th storm events.  These will be posted with other surface water data approximately 30 days after the samples were taken.

Q.  Plans for repaving Swan Pond Rd, Swan Pond Circle Rd, and Hassler Mill Road

A.  Late Spring of 2011.  The roads have extensive patching, but if we wait until late spring 2011, much of the heavy truck traffic will be finished, the patches from the utility and other work will have time to settle, and winter impacts will be over. 

Q.  Expectations on the amount of continued dump-truck and heavy equipment traffic in the area

A.  TVA committed to no more than 50 trucks a day and we are sticking to that. A best guess average per day is 30 - 35, but there are days we will be over and under that number.

Q.  Any comments or feedback from TVA relating to requests presented by residents at the Sept 21st   Swan Pond Community Town Hall Meeting

A.  No more than what we said then.  We still have a lot of work to do, however, we will certainly take the community’s feedback into consideration for any future plans.

Additional information provided to the CAG:

Restart of the Scrubber

 

In response to a question from CAG member Steve Scarbrough concerning the start up of the scrubber following the planned outage, Fossil Plant management is continuing to identify maintenance items and after that will finalize the schedule.  The date for the restart of the scrubber will be provided as soon as the schedule is complete.

No Hunting Signs to be Posted

Due to safety concerns for nearby Kingston site remediation workers, beginning Monday, November 8, “NO HUNTING” will be allowed on the island out from Dike C during the 2010-2011 Waterfowl Hunting Season, and signs reflecting this will be posted.  TVA does not want any of the workers performing buttressing work on Dike C to be the recipient of an errant bullet.  Signs posted on the island will notify the constructors of the duck blinds located there that they should remove them by December 1 or TVA will remove them.

Coast Guard Resets Permanent Channel Markers

The U. S. Coast Guard removed temporary channel markers and reset the permanent channel markers in the Emory River today up to about ERM 3.

Ash Pile Near Swan Pond Circle By-pass

Ash was temporarily stacked near the by-pass road so that a near-by trench could be cleaned out. It will be moved back and flattened out over the weekend, if not before.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group November 3, 201

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group

November 3, 2010

Scrubber to Resume Operation

The Kingston Fossil Plant scrubber will resume operation on Thursday, November 3, after being out of service since October 4 to replace a transformer.   It will go into an outage again on December 18 for additional maintenance.  The State is aware of the restart tomorrow.

Deep Soil Mixing Pilot Project Report

Attached is the deep soil mixing pilot report.  Since that pilot, the design has changed some, the bid has gone out, a pre-bid meeting has been held, and bids are due back in around the end of November.  Also, TVA has brought in the Corp of Engineers to advise us since they have done extensive deep soil mixing projects in New Orleans and other places.

 

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

November 1, 2010 To Members of the Roane County CAG

November 1, 2010

To Members of the Roane County CAG:

Good morning.  In order to not close Swan Pond Circle Road from 8 – 3 on Tuesday for paving, TVA looked into paving at night. That would delay the project 2 – 3 more weeks due to the fact that the company doing the paving has other commitments.  However, that company has revised their work sequence and schedule to help us minimize the disruptions this week.

They will pave the west side of the bridge on Monday, November 1.  This will not require closure of Swan Pond Circle Road on Monday, except for minor one lane closures.  On Tuesday, November 2, they will pave the east side of the bridge.  They will work from the bridge east to Swan Pond Circle Road & Berkshire Road and not close the road until they are ready to make the connection. This will occur late morning-early afternoon on Tuesday, November 2, and full closure of the road will be minimized as much as possible.  We think less than 1-2 hours, if that.  They will position a flagman at the intersection of Swan Pond Circle Road & Lakeshore to divert traffic when closure is for any extended time.  

The company’s guardrail subcontractor will perform their work by only shutting down one lane at a time from Tuesday-Friday, with the full road open by Friday.

Please contact Jane Greenwalt or me with any questions.

Katie

Katie Bell Kline

General Manager

Kingston Support Services

Tennessee Valley Authority

(Office) 865-717-1668

(Mobile) 865-621-8125

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group October 28, 2010

Time Critical Ash Disposal

To date, 386 unit trains have transported approximately  3.7 million tons of ash to the Arrowhead Landfill in Uniontown.  Shipping is expected to be complete by the end of November. 

Update on Swan Pond Circle Bridge

The Swan Pond Circle Road Bridge will be open for public use on or before November 8, 2010.  We had hoped not to do this, but on Tuesday November 2, it will be necessary to close Swan Pond Circle Road from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to connect the east end of the underpass to Swan Pond Circle Road and to excavate, grade and apply asphalt.  This will require traffic to detour around the area during these hours.  On Wednesday, November 3, we will intermittently close this section of road during 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. to install the final asphalt layers, guardrails and shoulders.   After we open the Swan Pond Circle Road Bridge, we will begin removal of the by-pass road.  We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we continue to restore the areas impacted by the spill.

Air Quality Audit

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, performed a quarterly audit of the Kingston Ash Recovery Project air monitoring program the week of October 18.  No items requiring immediate attention were identified.  A full audit report is forthcoming.

Skimmer Wall Reconstruction

Concrete is expected to be poured this week for the second of three caissons for the reconstruction of the skimmer wall.  The original skimmer wall was destroyed during the ash spill.  The skimmer wall serves two purposes.  It blocks debris from entering the plant intake and allows cool water to enter for use in plant processes.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

Photos from the spill

Kingston Mayor Troy Beets, Roane County Mayor Mike Farmer, TVA CEO Tom Kilgore, Roane County Department of Homeland Security Howie Rose.

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group October 22, 2010

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group

October 22, 2010

Kingston Ash Recovery Project Comparison Video

Video and photos comparing the Kingston Ash Recovery Project site as of October 1, 2010, to the site immediately following the spill have been placed on the Recovery Website and can be viewed here.

Ash Disposal

Ash disposal work continues ahead of schedule. As of October 19, 379 unit trains have been loaded and transported offsite.  Through October 19, approximately 3,658,000 tons of coal ash have been placed in the Arrowhead Landfill in Uniontown, AL.

Swan Pond Circle Bridge

Approach slabs have been installed on each side of Swan Pond Circle Bridge.  Installation of utilities along each approach of Swan Pond Circle Bridge has been initiated.  Swan Pond Circle Bridge and Road are scheduled to reopen the first week of November.  For a few days after opening the bridge for public use, it may be restricted to one lane of traffic while workers complete utility installation.

If you have any questions, please call Jane Greenwalt or me at 865-717-1645.

Katie Bell Kline

General Manager, Kingston Support Services

Tennessee Valley Authority

865-717-1668 (Office)

865-621-8125 (Mobile)

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group October 14, 2010

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group

October 14, 2010

Bridge and Underpass Construction

The bridge and underpass construction on Swan Pond Circle Road are now scheduled for completion the week of November 1, 2010.  The concrete for the approach slabs to the bridge will be poured this week. The sides of the bridge are scheduled to be poured on Thursday, October 21, and the initial asphalt layer on the bridge approach will also be poured next week.  For a few days after opening the bridge for public use, it may be restricted to one lane of traffic while workers complete utility installation.

Vehicle Safety in Work Zones

TVA has received a number of complaints from residents and workers about speeding and careless driving in work zones along Swan Pond Road and Swan Pond Circle Road.  The speed limit in work zones is posted at 15 miles per hour.  We appreciate the patience of residents while we work to restore the areas impacted by the ash spill and ask that travelers drive safely and be especially diligent where workers are present and flaggers strive to keep traffic moving.  It is our goal to restore the roadways, but the safety of our employees and the public is our first priority.

Ash Shipments

We continue to load and ship ash to Alabama.  To date, 371 railcars have been loaded and approximately 3.6 million tons of ash have been transported to Alabama.  Shipments of time critical ash are scheduled to be finished before the end of this year.

Skimmer Wall Reconstruction

The concrete pour for the first of three caissons for the reconstruction of the Skimmer Wall is complete.  The original skimmer wall was destroyed during the ash spill.   Completion is scheduled for mid-December, 2010.

Update on Utility Installation and Enhancements

Installation of offsite utilities is 98% complete.  All service connections to customers have been completed and the water turned on.  After completion of the bridge and underpass the installation of the remaining utilities will be completed.

If you have any questions, please call Katie Kline or me at 865-806-7688.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group October 8, 2010

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group

October 8, 2010

For those of you who missed the CAG meeting last evening this update includes most of the information we provided to the CAG and the information in the TVA Roane County News column today.

Scrubber to Undergo Maintenance

The Kingston Fossil Plant scrubber was removed from service Monday, Oct.4, and will be out of service through Tuesday, Oct. 19, to replace a transformer.  During this period, up to five units will be on line using the south stack.

Utility Restoration and Enhancement

Residents are being connected to the new water lines along Hassler Mill Road to State Highway 70.

Other new utility lines, except those near the Swan Pond Circle Road Bridge, are being tested in preparation for their transfer to the City of Harriman. The bridge and the underpass are expected to be completed by Oct. 26, after which the remaining utility lines will be completed.

The Next Phase of Ash Cleanup, The Non-Time Critical Phase

In this phase we will continue restoration of the environment impacted by the ash spill, including area waters, upland areas and surface soils, and the embayments and tributaries west of dike two. About 2.8 million cubic yards of ash will be recovered from these areas and stored on site in an engineered containment structure designed to withstand a local 6.0 magnitude earthquake.

In preparation for this work,

·         We are consolidating ash from the middle embayment to the central dredge cell where it can be dried and graded.  We will begin the same action from the north embayment in November.

·         We are building a steel and concrete underpass and bridge on Swan Pond Circle Road that will allow heavy trucks from the ash recovery site to pass beneath the road without impacting residential traffic. 

·         We have completed a new haul road from Swan Pond Circle Road underpass to the central dredge cell area.

·         We are smoothing, or contouring, the surface of the central dredge cell in preparation for storing recovered ash.

Environmental Sampling

As recovery work continues so will environmental sampling. Tennessee Valley Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation will continue to sample air, sediment, surface and ground water, and frogs, fish and other animals and plants that live in the river.

For sampling results and additional information on the cleanup, visit our website at www.tva.com/kingston/index.htm,

Reconstruction of the Skimmer Wall

The first of three caissons will be poured tomorrow for the reconstructed skimmer wall.  The original skimmer wall was destroyed by the ash spill.   Completion scheduled for mid-December 2010.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Katie Kline or me at 806-7688.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

TVA Presentation Public Meeting 9-23-10

EPA Power Point

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group September 09, 2010

·         Memorial ceremony in remembrance of 09/11

TVA Kingston employees will hold a memorial ceremony at 9 a.m. Friday, September 10, at in remembrance of the victims of the September 11, 2001, tragedy.  The ceremony will take place on the lawn in front of the Kingston Fossil Plant office building.  The Kingston and Harriman Police and Fire Departments, the Roane County Sheriff’s Department and the TVA Police are invited guests and, if schedules permit,  the Harriman VFW Military Honor Guard will bestow full military honors for those who lost their lives that day and those military members who lost their lives in the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.

·         Update on restoration and enhancements of utilities

o   Installation of the Harriman effluent line is complete and is scheduled to be tested next week before its transfer to the City.  

o   The installation of all utility lines up to the Swan Pond Circle bridge, including the Hassler Mill Road lines, will be completed next week.

o   In case travelers along Swan Pond Road saw a small geyser this afternoon near the ash recovery site trailers, here’s why.  In the process of testing the utility lines that run along the Road, a hose ruptured on the water line of the truck that was filling the lines creating a geyser of water shooting into the air from the pressurized line.   The hose was quickly repaired and the geyser was gone as soon as the pressure in the line dropped.   

·         Skimmer wall reconstruction scheduled to begin next week

The debris removal necessary to begin work on the skimmer wall that was destroyed by the ash spill is finished.  The reconstruction of the skimmer wall will begin next week and is scheduled to be complete by the first of December. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Katie Kline or me at 717-1645.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

Emory River Opened, No Wake Zone Reduced

Emory River Opened, No Wake Zone Reduced

 

Contact Information: James Pinkney, 404-562-9183, pinkney.james@epa.gov

 

(Atlanta-August 30, 2010)  Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) shortened the no wake zone on the Emory River. The main river channel is accessible to the public, but caution is advised. The Emory River channel has been marked as a fully enforced no wake zone by TVA Police under Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) authority from mile marker 2.1 to 1.8.  Large equipment remains in the intake channel with booms separating it from the main river channel.

 

The initial river closure began on Aug. 11, 2009, and was last extended through May 15, 2010. The U.S. Coast Guard, EPA and TVA reevaluated river operations and concluded that an extension to the closure area was necessary for continued public safety. Emory River reopened on May 29, 2010.

 

For safety reasons, no trespassing signs have been posted along shorelines of the recovery site. The public will not be allowed in work zones. EPA, in consultation with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and the Tennessee Department of Health, has determined that any coal ash remaining in the river presents minimal health risks to recreational users.

Casual contact with ash in the river should not cause skin irritation, although long-term contact could result in some irritation from sand-like particles in the ash. River users are therefore advised to wash after exiting the river, especially in areas where ash is clearly visible.

 

Individuals requiring further information or instructions regarding recreational use of Watts Bar Reservoir should contact EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, Stephanie Y. Brown at 1-877-718-3752 or 865-717-1635.

 

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group August 27, 2010

Emory River No-wake Zone Reduced

We received concurrence from EPA late yesterday on the reduced no-wake zone.  Effective immediately, the posted no-wake zone in the Emory River, previously posted from Emory River Mile (ERM) 1.7 to 2.8, has been reduced to ERM 1.8 to 2.1.  While the boom has been removed, the no-wake buoys in this zone will not be removed until Monday. 

Some work continues at the Kingston Fossil Plant intake channel adjacent to the main channel and the work zone is boomed off.  The public will not be allowed in this work zone.

These changes will be posted at local marinas and boat ramps and on the TVA Kingston Website today and an ad announcing the reduced no-wake zone will appear in local newspapers next Wednesday, September 1, 2010.  A copy of the ad is attached.

If you have any questions, please call Katie Kline or me at 717-1645.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

TVA to the Roane County Community Advisory Group August 25, 2010

Rocks to be Placed on West Side of Discharge Channel

The Kingston Fossil Plant will begin routine work to place rocks, also called riprap, on the west side of the discharge channel for erosion control on Monday, August 30, 2010.  The area where the work is to be performed is visible from the river.  Riprap is made from a variety of rock types, usually granite or limestone, and is used on  waterways or water containment  areas where there is potential for water erosion.
Mechanical Dredging Complete/New Water Surface Monitoring Plan to be Implemented
The mechanical dredging in the area where Bob Summers Boulevard was located is finished and has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in consultation with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.    Bob Summers Boulevard, which has been removed, was built soon after the ash spill to help earth moving equipment reach the east embayment and the north point.  With the completion of the mechanical dredging, the Revised Surface Water Monitoring Plan will be implemented on Monday, August 30, 2010.

If you have any questions, please give Katie Kline or me a call at 865-717-1645.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

August 20, 2010 To Members of the Roane County CAG

August 20, 2010

To Members of the Roane County CAG

Emory River Buoys

On August 18, a crew checked the section of the Emory River where temporary buoys have been installed. The installed buoys are in their original place and did not appear to have drifted, and are in at least five feet of water. However, near river mile marker 1.7, it appears that the sand bar across from the skimmer wall protrudes out into the marked channel. An additional red buoy was added between the two existing red buoys to adjust the channel to avoid this obstruction.   The TVA river navigation group is helping us coordinate with the Coast Guard’s buoy tender to install the final markings.

ORAU Medical Screening Results

ORAU’s report on medical evaluations of Roane County residents were announced on Tuesday, August 17.  Information can be found on ORAU’s website, located at http://www.orau.org/

Please do not hesitate to contact Jane Greenwalt or me for more information.

Katie

Katie Bell Kline

General Manager, Kingston Support Services

Tennessee Valley Authority

865-717-1668 (Office)

865-621-8125 (Mobile)

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group August 12, 2010

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group

August 12, 2010

As TVA continues to commission the scrubbers, part of the commissioning is to see how different blends of coal work with the new scrubbers in reducing Sulfur Dioxide emissions.  Beginning August 14, the Kingston Fossil Plant will begin test burns with different types of coal.  These test burns will only be performed on one unit at a time, though we will have multiple units in service. 

The public will not see anything different, but we want to make sure we keep our commitment to let you know about any coal test burns we plan to do.  During the test burns, the units will be continuously monitored, both inside and outside.   The State has been notified about the testing. 

Please contact Katie Kline or me (717-1645, or cell, 806-7688) should you have any questions.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

ORAU Study to be Presented

http://www.orau.org/occupational-exposure-worker-health-studies/projects/kingstonproject/default.aspx
Oak Ridge Associated Universities, in conjunction with Vanderbilt University Medical Center toxicology experts, will host an open house on Tuesday, Aug. 17, to present the results of the medical screenings offered to Roane County residents who have health concerns related to the Kingston Fossil Plant fly ash spill of December, 2008.
The open house is scheduled from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at Roane State Community College.
The open house will include briefings by Donna Cragle, Ph.D. vice president for Occupational Exposure and Worker Health at ORAU, and John Benitez, M.D. medical toxicologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
To ensure the transparency of our work on this project, we are providing the results to everyone at the same time via this project web page.
Please check back on this site at noon on Tuesday, August 17, for the report and other material, such as an executive summary and an at-a-glance brochure, to help explain the results. The presentations from the open house will be posted at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 17.
ORAU, in partnership with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, completed the initial round of medical screenings in April 2010.
More than 200 individuals were screened. The results report contains no personally identifiable information and consists of statistical data showing results of the screening population as a whole.

"The Plane, The Plane!"

To the Roane County CAG

June 19, 2010

 

Ultralight Plane Lands at Kingston Ash Recovery Project Site

This morning there was a bit of excitment at the Kingston Ash Recovery Project when an ultralight plane, low on fuel, landed safely at the ash site.  Police responded quickly, there were no injuries, and after the pilot was provided with five gallons of fuel and the plane was decontaminated, he was on his way again. 

 

To the Roane County Community Advisory Group June 04, 2010

Kingston Fossil Plant Scrubbers to be Commissioned

The Kingston Fossil Plant (KIF) will start up to five units on June 14, 2010, that will tie onto the new scrubber; the four remaining units will tie in at a later date.  The scrubber is just one part of TVA’s overall air quality program that will lower sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from burning coal by more than 95 percent.  The scrubbers work by mixing limestone and water with flue gas.  The limestone mixture converts the SO2 to gypsum which will be stored on site. You may see a white plume that will rise from the scrubber--this is water vapor resulting from the scrubbing process.  

Commissioning activities will continue through the summer with various units to test and verify that the scrubber operates properly at varying levels of power production.  All units will be removed from service in September 2010 and will remain off unless needed for system reliability.

Temporary Closure of Swan Pond Circle Road

Swan Pond Circle Road near Berkshire will close on June 16, 2010 for up to two days.  The final tie-in of the bypass road, parallel to Swan Pond Circle Road, will be executed on these two days.   During this time travelers will need to use the northern Swan Pond Road intersection for access to Swan Pond Circle Road.  After the bypass road has been completed and is ready for use, Swan Pond Circle Road will be closed for construction of the underpass bridge.  Traffic will be diverted to the bypass road until the construction of the bridge is complete.  When the bridge is complete, Swan Pond Circle Road will be reopened and the bypass road will be removed. 

Utility Restorations Continue

Utility work will begin at the intersection of Hassler Mill Road and Highland Drive early next week and continue east toward Swan Pond Road.   One lane of Hassler Mill Road will be closed in the work zones and flaggers will be in place to direct traffic.   The work is expected to be complete in about three weeks.

Also beginning next week and continuing for about two weeks, utility work will begin at the intersection of U.S. Highway 70 and Swan Pond Road.  While equipment is being unloaded one lane of traffic will be closed.  Flaggers will be in place during this time. 

Upper Bluff Road Lease to Expire

The lease for the Upper Bluff Road facility expires at the end of June and will not be renewed.  TVA has offered the Outreach Center for use by the CAG for its future meetings.

Emory River No-Wake Zone to Be Reduced

Effective immediately, the no-wake zone on the Emory River has been reduced from Emory River Mile 1.7 to Emory River Mile 2.9.  The main river channel continues to be accessible to the public.  For safety, work zones will be marked and boomed off.  The public will not be allowed in these work zones. 

Ash Consolidation

Ash consolidation work being performed at Berkshire is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month.  However, other work will continue in that area for a number of weeks.

Next Public Meeting

We are looking at the August/September timeframe for the next public meeting where we will report on the status of the non-time critical work.

If you have any questions, please give Katie Kline or me a call at 865-717-1645.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

To the Roane County CAG

To the Roane County CAG

May 25, 2010

Rain Event Sampling Results

As requested, attached are two laboratory reports for surface water samples collected from Swan Pond Embayment on April 27, 2010, and May 2, 2010. The samples collected on April 27 were part of the routine twice-weekly (Tuesday/Thursday) sampling schedule and were not associated with a storm event.  A sample and a field duplicate were collected from the Clean Water Ditch (“KIF-CWDITCH”) and one sample was collected from the effluent of the Embayment settling basins for the Dirty Water Ditch (“KIF-SETTB”). The sample collected May 2 in response to a 24-hour heavy rain event was from the Clean Water Ditch.  The effluent of the settling basins could not be sampled, as the effluent pipes were under about 2 feet of water and could not be accessed safely.

·         The samples were analyzed for total and dissolved metals and total suspended solids (TSS).

·         As expected following a storm event, the TSS shows that concentrations of two primary constituents of interest – arsenic and selenium – were higher than in the routine samples.

·         All arsenic and selenium values reported for all of these samples were less than the Tennessee Fish and Aquatic Life Standards of 0.15 milligrams per liter for arsenic and 0.05 milligrams per liter for selenium.

     

Swan Pond Circle Bypass Road

The construction of the bypass off Swan Pond Circle is underway and will continue for the next few weeks.  Travel along Swan Pond Circle will only be affected for a day or two or for the time required to connect the bypass to the existing road.  We will give advance notice to residents before the road is closed.

Emory River Reopening

The main channel of the Emory River will reopen for public use on Saturday, May 29, at 7 a.m.  Although the main river channel will be accessible to the public, caution is advised.  A no-wake zone has been established from Emory River mile 1.5 to mile 3 where some large equipment may still be operating. For safety, work zones will be marked and boomed off but will only partially obstruct the main channel.  The public will not be allowed in the work zones.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Tennessee Department of Health, has updated the River Advisory previously issued.  They have determined that any coal ash remaining in the river presents minimal health risks to recreational users.  Casual contact with ash in the river should not cause skin irritation, although long-term contact could result in some irritation from sand-like particles in the ash.  River users are advised to wash after exiting the river, especially in areas where ash is clearly visible.  A letter to local Roane County residents will be mailed and an ad will be place in the local newspaper announcing the reopening.

If you have any questions, please give me a call at 865-717-1645.

Jane Greenwalt

Project Manager, Community Outreach

Tennessee Valley Authority

Kingston Ash Recovery Project

Office:  865.717.1645

Cell:  865.806.7688

jmgreenwalt@tva.gov

To the Roane County CAG

To the Roane County CAG

May 24, 2010

Due to Transmission System reliability needs, the Kingston Fossil Plant will place two units online using the south stack this evening with the potential to stay online the remainder of the week.  If you have any questions please contact me at 865-399-5298. 

Michael Clemmons

Jacobs/Public Relations/Outreach

865-399-5298

TVA Proposal Does Not Isolate Coal Ash from Watts Bar Lake Watershed

TVA Will Store All Ash On Site in Next Phase of Kingston Cleanup

KINGSTON, Tenn. ― The Tennessee Valley Authority will securely and permanently store onsite all ash removed in the next phase of recovery work to begin soon at Kingston Fossil Plant in Harriman, Tenn.

The decision was announced today in an Action Memorandum issued by TVA and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

TVA’s work to remove more than 3 million cubic yards of ash from the Emory River will be substantially complete later this month. TVA then will immediately begin the longer-term phase of recovery of the Swan Pond Embayment near Swan Pond Road and Swan Pond Circle Road that is addressed by the memorandum. This will include closing the dredge cell that failed in December 2008 and ensuring that public health and safety continue to be protected. This work is expected to take almost four years and cost about $270 million.

Several alternatives for this work were proposed in an Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis released for public review and comment in January. After carefully reviewing all comments received through April 5, TVA, with approval from EPA and TDEC, selected alternative 3B which was the most effective, protective and least disruptive measure for nearby communities and the least expensive option for consumers of TVA power.

The environmental protection and beneficial economic value of the work for the State of Tennessee and Roane County was determined to be the same for each of the alternatives considered.

In the alternative to be implemented, all ash removed from the embayment will be permanently stored on site, virtually eliminating the risks and costs associated with shipping ash over public roads or rails. Keeping all the ash on site will minimize heavy truck traffic in the Roane County community, reduce wear and tear on area roads, and be less disruptive to local traffic and commerce. Onsite disposal also will address community concerns about proper disposal and management of ash in private landfills.

TVA will place the dry ash atop an engineered foundation of sand, gravel, and geo fabric enclosed by an underground perimeter wall constructed of cement mixed with subsurface soil to divert drainage and control runoff. Upon completion, the area will be capped with layers of clay and topsoil, and graded to drain in order to minimize water moving through the ash. The area then will be seeded, mulched and regularly inspected to ensure public health and safety.

 The area will not include a liner system, however the long-term closure plan will include extensive groundwater monitoring of existing and new wells.

On May 4, 2010, EPA issued its proposed rules for regulating coal ash. These proposed rules do not affect TVA’s selected alternative for recovery of the ash spill site. TVA will continue to follow the Comprehensive Emergency Response, Compensation, and Liability Act guidelines as outlined in the Administrative Order and Agreement on Consent signed by TVA and EPA in May 2009.

The Action Memorandum has been posted to the Administrative Record for the Kingston Ash Recovery Project at www.tva.com/kingston. It also is available for review at the TVA Outreach Center and Kingston Public Library in Kingston, Tenn., and at the Harriman Public Library in Harriman, Tenn.

The memorandum will be the subject of a public meeting Thursday, May 20, at Roane County High School, 540 Cumberland St., Kingston, Tenn., from 5:30-8:30 p.m. EDT. Representatives from TVA, EPA and TDEC and other agencies and groups will be available to provide information and answer questions about current recovery activities at the Kingston site and those planned under the Action Memorandum.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states at prices below the national average. TVA, which receives no taxpayer money and makes no profits, also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development.

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Contact:          Barbara Martocci, Knoxville, (865) 632-8632

                        TVA Media Relations, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000

                        www.tva.com/news

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