Tennessee Valley Authority
Kingston Ash Release
Area Resident Information Archive
December 23, 2011
November Monthly Report
November’s monthly report is now available on the Kingston Recovery website and can be viewed here. Visit the website for more information on day-to-day activities at the site, at http://www.tva.gov/kingston/index.htm.
Excavation and Hauling
For the week ending December 18, 2011, TVA hauled 18,905 CY of ash from the Middle Embayment, placed 4,313 CY in the dredge cell, 800 CY in the lateral expansion and 9,727 CY in the ash pond.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization (PWS)
Work continued on Segment 1 of the PWS, with 11,326 linear feet completed as of December 22. There are a total of 8 segments to be constructed.
Structure Removal
The removal of structures continues on TVA purchased property. To date 48 structures have been removed.
Holiday Closings
The Kingston Ash Recovery Project will be closed on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for both the Christmas and New Years’ holidays. Exceptions will be to support the work of GeoCon on New Year’s Eve day (Saturday) and minimum staff to support critical activities such as monitoring.
December 15, 2011
Excavation and Hauling
For the week ending December 10, 2011, TVA placed 2,480 CY of ash in the lateral expansion.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization (PWS)
Work continued on Segment 1 of the PWS, with 11,286 linear feet completed as of December 10. There are a total of 8 segments to be constructed.
Structure Removal
To date 37 structures have been removed.
Roane County News Pictorial
The Kingston Ash Recovery Project published a pictorial in the Roane County News on Friday, December 16, 2011, highlighting some of the accomplishments to date. The pictorial can be viewed here.
Holiday Closings
The Kingston Ash Recovery Project will be closed on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for both the Christmas and New Years holidays. Exceptions will be to support the work of GeoCon on the Saturday before New Years and minimum staff to support critical activities such as monitoring. Unless we need to share information that is out of the ordinary, we will not provide a weekly update the week of December 26. A routine update will be provided next week and the week of January 2, 2012.
December 8, 2011
Excavation and Hauling
For the week ending December 3, 2011, TVA placed 2,480 CY in the lateral expansion. Steady rain during this period limited the amount of ash that could be hauled.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization (PWS)
Work continued on Segment 1 of the PWS, with 10,981 linear feet completed as of December 3. There are a total of 8 segments to be constructed.
Structure Removal
Asbestos abatement has been completed on all structures currently scheduled to be removed. To date removal of structures is 55% complete.
December 1, 2011
Public Meeting Reminder
TVA will hold a Public Meeting Thursday, December 8, 2011, at Roane County High School, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium, 540 West Cumberland Street, Kingston. The meeting will include an open house with representatives from TVA, EPA, TDEC and the Roane County CAG; followed by a general update on site recovery efforts and an informal question and answer session with project personnel and agency representatives available to answer questions. More information is available here.
Excavation and Hauling
For the week ending November 27, 2011, TVA excavated and hauled 328 CY of ash from the Middle Embayment and placed 1,520 CY in the lateral expansion. Heavy rains and the Thanksgiving holiday limited the amount of ash that could be moved this week.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization (PWS)
Work on segment 1 of the PWS continued with 10,371 linear feet completed as of November 29. There are a total of 8 wall segments to be constructed.
Structural Removal
Structure removal activity has been limited due to inclement weather and the holiday, however, crews continued residential asbestos abatement and site cleanup. Thirty-eight structures have been removed to date.
November 17, 2011
Excavation and Hauling
For the week ending November 13, 2011, TVA excavated and hauled 17,345 CY of ash from the Middle Embayment, placed 11,565 CY in the dredge dell and 10,305 CY in the lateral expansion.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization (PWS)
Work continued on Phase 1 of the PWS with 9,441 linear feet completed as of November 12.
Structure Removal
Crews continued asbestos abatement and structure removal this week. To date, 26 structures have been removed.
Veteran’s Day Ceremony
The Kingston Fossil Plant and the Kinston Ash Recovery Project participated in a Veteran’s Day ceremony on November 15, at the Fossil Plant to pay tribute to our nation’s veterans. Approximately 50 veterans from the plant and from the Kingston Ash Recovery Project were recognized for their service to our country.
Thanksgiving Holiday
Except for essential operations, Kingston Ash Recovery Project site personnel will not be working during the Thanksgiving holiday beginning Thursday, November 24, through Sunday, November 27, resuming work on Monday, November 28.
November 11, 2011
Excavation and Hauling
For the week ending November 6, 2011, TVA excavated and hauled 13,095 CY of ash from the Middle Embayment, removed 1,388 CY from the North Embayment, placed 13,256 CY in the lateral expansion and 2,668 CY in the ash pond.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization (PWS)
Work continued on Phase 1 of the PWS with 8,941 linear feet completed as of November 5.
Structure Removal
Crews continued residential asbestos abatement and structure removal this week. To date, 23 structures have been removed.
November 4, 2011
Excavation and Hauling
For the week ending October 30, 2011, TVA excavated and hauled 12,788 CY of ash from the Middle Embayment, removed 9,193 CY from the Central Dredge Cell, placed 24,162 CY in the lateral expansion and 2,262 CY in the ash pond.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization (PWS)
Work continued on Phase 1 of the PWS, with 8,653 linear feet completed as of October 29.
Structure Removal
Crews continued asbestos abatement and structure removal this week on TVA purchased property. To date, 20 structures have been removed.
October 27, 2011
Excavation and Hauling
For the week ending October 23, 2011, TVA excavated and hauled 5,183 CY of ash from the Middle Embayment, removed 8,563 CY from the North Embayment, placed 18,112 CY in the Lateral Expansion and 4,217 CY in the Ash Pond. In addition, 2,698 CY were moved from the North Embayment to the Middle Embayment for drying.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization (PWS)
Work continued on Phase 1 of the PWS, with 8,379 linear feet completed as of October 22.
Structural Removal
Crews continued residential structure removal and asbestos abatement work this week. Structures on fifteen properties have been removed to date.
Materials Access Point (MAP) Move Complete
The new MAP opened this week just off Berkshire Lane. The old MAP area was moved to make way for the next phase of the perimeter wall stabilization.
One Million Safe Man Hours
At the end of September, Kingston Ash Recovery Project employees had worked one million man-hours without a lost time injury in Fiscal Year 2011.
October 20, 2011
Excavation and Hauling
For the week ending October 16, 2011, TVA excavated and hauled 13,913 CY of ash from the North Embayment, placed 2,023 CY in the dredge cell, and 8,105 in the lateral expansion. A total of 6,270 CY was hauled from the North Embayment and placed in the Middle Embayment for drying.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization
Work continued on Phase 1 of the Perimeter Wall Stabilization, with 8,301 linear feet completed as of October 15.
Removal of Structures
Crews continued asbestos abatement, where necessary, and residential structure removal this week on TVA purchased property. To date, nine structures have been removed.
Two track hoe excavators and a hauler sit atop the lone pile of ash remaining in the North Embayment. When this small pile is gone, the few spots that remain will be removed and final testing performed to ensure the ash has been removed.
August 18, 2011
River Water Monitors Removed
The Kingston Ash Recovery Project has received official approval from U.S. EPA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to remove all of the float-mounted samplers from the Emory and Clinch Rivers. The last of the monitors was removed on August 17, 2011. The surface water monitoring plan has been revised to reflect this change and was approved by the regulators. For a copy of the revised plan, please visit the TVA website at http://www.tva.gov/kingston/admin_record/pdf/NTC/NTC27.pdf.
Dike C Complete
Aside from the installation of the diffusers, the work on Dike C and the causeway removal is complete. Approximately 5,288 feet were buttressed.
Excavation and Hauling
For the week ending August 14, TVA excavated and hauled approximately 31,521 CY of ash from the north and middle embayments and stacked 6,160 CY in the dredge cell.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization (PWS)
As of August 15, 2,831 linear feet were completed on Phase 1 of the PWS. There are a total of eight wall segments to be constructed encompassing the entire cell perimeter. Completion of the PWS is scheduled for Calendar Year 2013.
August 11, 2011
World Trade Center Steel to be Delivered to the Kingston Fossil Plant
On Friday, August 12, at approximately 11 a.m., a 9,900 pound piece of steel from the World Trade Center will be delivered to the site of a planned 9/11 memorial at the Kingston Fossil Plant. TVA Kingston Fossil Plant employees, representatives from various branches of the Armed Forces and local elected officials will be present when the steel arrives. A motorcade will escort the steel from the Tennessee state line at Interstate 81 near Bristol to the Kingston plant where a short honor guard ceremony will take place when it is unloaded. Beginning at 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. the plant's south gate will be closed to all traffic. Traffic will be routed through the north gate at the recovery project trailers. Please use caution when traveling along Swan Pond Road during this time since there will be a significant increase in traffic.
Dike C Progress
Civil Projects completed placement of the rock buttress on Dike C finishing the construction a full month ahead of schedule.
For the week ending August 9, TVA Civil Projects excavated and hauled approximately 31,575 CY of ash from the north and middle embayments and stacked 5,930 CY in the dredge cell.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization (PWS)
As of August 8, 2011, 2,178 linear feet have been completed on Phase 1 of the PWS. There are a total of eight wall segments to be constructed encompassing the entire cell perimeter. Completion of the PWS is scheduled for Calendar Year 2013.
August 4, 2011
Dike C Progress
Dike C is scheduled to be completed today, Thursday, August 04, 2011, a full month ahead of schedule.
August 2 Public Meeting Presentation Posted
Just posted on the TVA website is the presentation that was given at the August 2, 2011, public meeting on TVA’s plans for purchased property and embayment restoration http://www.tva.gov/kingston/public_meetings/presentations/Kingston_Restoration_Concepts_final%208-2-11.pdf.
Ash Hauling and Stacking
For the week ending July 17, TVA Civil Projects excavated and hauled approximately 34,799 CY of ash from the north and middle embayments and stacked 15,108 CY in the dredge cell.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization (PWS)
As of August 3, 2011, 1,947 linear feet have been completed on Phase 1 of the PWS. There are a total of eight wall segments to be constructed encompassing the entire cell perimeter. Completion of the PWS is scheduled for Calendar Year 2013.
July 28, 2011
Ash Hauling and Stacking
For the week ending July 17, TVA Civil Projects excavated and hauled approximately 35,420 CY of ash from the north and middle embayments and stacked 11,482 CY in the dredge cell.
Dike C Progress
Dike C work continues ahead of schedule with approximately 5,115 feet completed. Work is expected to be complete in August.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization (PWS)
Since work began on Phase 1 of the PWS, 1,167 linear feet have been completed. There are a total of eight wall segments to be constructed encompassing the entire cell perimeter. Completion of the PWS is scheduled for Calendar Year 2013.
Reminder of TVA Public Meeting
The TVA Kingston Ash Recovery Project will hold a public meeting on August 2, 2011, at the First Baptist Church of Kingston in the Family Life Center, 215 North Kentucky Street. The Family Life Center is located directly behind, or west, of the Church auditorium. The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. with an open house until 5:30 p.m. Then, TVA and Roane County will present plans for the property it has purchased as well as for the restoration of the Berkshire Slough and the East Embayment. An informal question and answer session will follow. Representatives from EPA, TDEC, Kingston, Harriman and Rockwood and the Community Advisory Group will be available before and after the presentation to provide information and answer questions.
July 21, 2011
Dike C Progress
Construction of the buttress in the intake channel continues. Approximately 5,022 feet of buttress have been completed.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization (PWS)
The demonstration portion of the PWS has been completed and the production phase of the first wall segment began on Tuesday, July 19th. There are a total of eight wall segments to be constructed encompassing the entire cell perimeter. Completion of the PWS is scheduled for Calendar Year 2013.
July 14, 2011
Ash Hauling and Stacking
For the week ending July 10, TVA Civil Projects excavated and hauled approximately 24,576 CY of ash from the north and middle embayments and stacked 6,685 CY in the dredge cell.
Dike C Progress
Crews have finished the skimmer wall peninsula area and have moved to the intake channel area to continue buttress construction.
For more information on day-to-day activities at the site, including the Dike C Weekly Report, please visit our website at http://www.tva.gov/kingston/index.htm.
July 7, 2011
Dike C Progress
Dike C reinforcement work on the final segment of the buttress along the intake channel continues and is expected to be completed by the end of July.
Ash Hauling/Stacking
For the week ending July 3, TVA Civil Projects excavated and hauled approximately 32,755 CY of ash from the north and middle embayments and stacked 10,678 CY in the dredge cell.
Monthly Report
The monthly report for June 2011 has been added to the website and can be found at http://www.tva.gov/kingston/monthly/pdf/june2011.pdf.
June 30, 2011
Independence Day Holiday
Except for essential operations, Kingston Ash Recovery Project site personnel will not be working during the July 4 holiday weekend, Saturday, July 2 through Monday July 4, 2011. Have a safe and enjoyable 4th of July!
Dike C Progress
Dike C reinforcement work on the Emory River portion of the peninsula is complete. Work on the final segment of the buttress, approximately 450 ft. located along the intake channel, began today, June 30.
Ash Hauling/Stacking
For the week ending June 26, TVA Civil Projects excavated and hauled approximately 29,040 CY of ash from the north and middle embayments and stacked 16,108 CY in the dredge cell.
June 14, 2011
Dike Reinforcement
Construction of a rock buttress, or rocks placed to reinforce the existing dikes around the ash pond at the Kingston Ash Recovery Project, is nearing completion. As part of this buttress work, TVA is removing the road that crosses the plant’s water intake channel. This road consists of rock and clay material. Some of the clay that is below the surface of the water will become suspended and mixed in the water. TVA is trying to minimize the amount of clay and dirt that becomes suspended, however some discoloration of the water will be seen in the intake channel and on the other side of the plant where the water discharges back into the river. This work should be completed within the next 10 days.
June 9, 2011
Kingston Fossil Plant Fire Drill
The plant is sponsoring a fire drill on Friday, June 10 with the participation of the community emergency response agencies. The drill will begin at about 10 a.m. and will include three or four fire engines along with several other rescue vehicles and an ambulance that will enter through the south plant gate. Sirens will be used so if nearby residents hear them they should not be alarmed.
Gypsum Pond Work
Beginning Sunday evening, June 13, TVA Civil Projects will begin working 24-hour days, seven days per week, to complete preparations for the gypsum pond liner installation. To provide a well-lit, safe work area, approximately 10 portable lighting systems will be placed on the south side of the pond and will be aimed to the north, away from the river. The expected date for completion of the work is July 16, 2011.
Ongoing Work Activities
- The demonstration phase of the perimeter wall stabilization project has been completed and testing of the cores taken from the 100-foot demonstration section has begun to assure the wall meets quality requirements. The wall, which is designed to withstand an earthquake, will reinforce the dredge cell where recovered ash will be stored permanently. Full-scale construction of the 11,500-foot-long, 50- to 70-foot deep structure will begin this summer.
- All planned river bottom sampling has been completed in the Tennessee, Clinch and Emory rivers.
- Approximately 4,761 feet of buttress have been completed. The intake channel bridge removal has been completed and the subcontractor is demobilized. Siphon installation is underway and EPA has approved the plan for the causeway removal.
Long Term Monitoring Activities
- Ecological monitoring continues with sampling of air, water, plants and animals. For sampling results please visit our website at http://www.tva.gov/kingston/air/index.htm.
June 3, 2011
Ongoing Work Activities
Routine work continues at the ash recovery site:
- For the week ending May 29, TVA Civil Projects excavated and hauled a total of 21,799 CY of ash from the north and middle embayments and stacked 23,263 CY in the dredge cell.
- The Kingston Fossil Plant Intake Bridge demolition is complete with subcontractor equipment currently being demobilized.
Kingston Ash Recovery Project “Reboot” Drive
Recovery project personnel participated with Kingston Fossil Plant personnel in a drive to collect old, wearable pairs of boots and shoes that will be given to homeless veterans as part of Operation Stand Down, an organization dedicated to helping our nation’s veterans.
May 25, 2011
Kingston Ash Recovery Project Educational Initiative
The material developed for the TVA Kingston Ash Recovery Project Educational Initiative can be found on our website at http://www.tva.com/kingston/education. Subject matter experts presented the information to more than 1,000 Roane County high school students.
Memorial Day Holiday
Except for essential operations, Kingston Ash Recovery Project site personnel will not be working during the Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 28th, through Monday, May 30th, 2011. Have a great, and safe, Memorial Day.
The latest Dike C Weekly Report is attached. For other work activities related to Dike C reinforcement, see all the Weekly Reports on our website at http://www.tva.gov/kingston/weekly/index.htm.
May 20, 2011
Ongoing Work Activities
This week TVA Civil Projects excavated and hauled a total of 33,521 CY of ash from the north and middle embayments and stacked 33,695 CY of ash in the dredge cell.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization Demonstration Project
TVA has completed 15 of 24 cores in the first section of the Perimeter Wall with coring to be complete May 24. Testing of completed cores is underway to assure the wall meets quality requirements.
Dike C Reinforcement
For work activities related to Dike C reinforcement, see the latest Weekly Report for the week ending May 15 on our website at http://www.tva.gov/kingston/weekly/dikec/051511.pdf.
May 5, 2011
TVA’s Roane County Property Next Steps
HARRIMAN, Tenn. ― The Tennessee Valley Authority on Thursday outlined broad plans for the future use of about 900 acres acquired by TVA as a result of the Kingston Fossil Plant ash spill in late 2008.
Two years ago, as TVA began to purchase land affected by the event, Kingston Mayor Troy Beets, Harriman Mayor Chris Mason and the former Roane County executive asked TVA to consider using the property for ball fields and for public use.
Many others have since asked about TVA’s plans for the real estate, including current Roane County Executive Ron Woody. TVA has evaluated the property based on available space, access and the best use of space.
“There are many steps to developing a plan, and TVA is starting the process by taking the next steps forward. We appreciate and concur with Mayor Beets, Mayor Mason and County Executive Woody in their commitment to the people in the Swan Pond community,” Kingston Recovery Executive Bob Deacy said, “and we thank them for their continued leadership in Roane County.”
TVA officials shared information about those steps with Beets, Mason and Woody on Thursday.
TVA will retain ownership of all property purchased. Currently, there are no plans to sell any property.
Some of the property will be retained as permanent plant boundary and some will be designated as green space. For the remaining properties, a strategy will be developed following the cleanup.
Letters were mailed Thursday to about 150 former homeowners informing them that the property TVA purchased from them will not be sold. The letter states that structures on some of the properties will be removed. It also asks them to watch for more information about future plans.
TVA has requested permission to consult with local parks and recreation staff about proposed use of the designated properties.
“TVA remains committed to working with public officials and the community and to devoting the necessary resources to the cleanup and restoration,” Deacy said.
April 28, 2011
Ongoing Work Activities
TVA Civil Projects excavated and hauled a total of 30,164 CY of ash from the north and middle embayments this week. Also this week, 27,918 CY were stacked in the dredge cell.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization Demonstration Project
An internal review of the coring plan to test the strength of the demonstration wall is underway. Coring will begin after the demonstration wall material has cured and the plan has been approved.
April 20, 2011
Emory River No-wake Zone Signs to be Removed
The signs designating Emory River miles 1.8 to 2.1 as a no-wake zone will be removed this week. Work in this area is complete and after the signs are removed, boaters will be allowed to maintain a safe, consistent speed in this area.
Ongoing Work Activities
As of this week approximately 4,400 feet of buttress wall have been completed.
April 19, 2011
Fiber Optic Upgrades to Begin on Swan Pond Road and Swan Pond Circle Road
As part of the utility enhancement/improvement project, AT&T contractors will be installing utility poles and stringing fiber optic cable along Swan Pond Road and Swan Pond Circle Road beginning today, April 19. The work is expected to take about two weeks. Although minimal impact is expected to traffic along Swan Pond and Swan Pond Circle Roads, there may be periodic lane closures. If lane closures are necessary, flagmen will be on hand to safely direct traffic around the construction areas.
April 14, 2011
Ongoing Work Activities
In all, approximately 4,250 feet of buttress wall has been completed as of this week.
Drilling and Excavation to Begin on TVA Swan Pond Road Property
A few weeks ago we notified you of surveyors working on TVA purchased property along Swan Pond Road to place stakes identifying areas for soil testing. As early as Friday, April 15, drilling and excavation of soil at these staked locations are scheduled to begin and will take approximately two weeks to complete. The purpose of the test is to determine if the soil can serve as borrow material for the clay cap and/or structural fill for the closed dredge cell. Once drilling and excavation are complete, work areas will be graded and re-seeded.
April 8, 2011
Ball Field Contouring to Begin
The last of the ash staged on the ball field for processing was placed in the dredge cell this week. The area will be contoured to an elevation of 770 feet in preparation for Phase 1 of Interim Ash Stacking for Plant Ash Disposition.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization
The following Perimeter Wall Stabilization Project work activities continued during this reporting period:
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Mobilization for the demonstration
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Submitted the Quality Control Plan to the regulators for review
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Conducted an initial trial of the batch plant operations
Administrative Record
The Administrative Record has been updated with work plans and relevant documents and can be accessed on our website at http://www.tva.gov/kingston/index.htm.
Other Ongoing Work Activities
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Completed approximately 4,150 feet of buttress this week (78%).
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TVA Civil Projects stacked 9,603 CY in the dredge cell this.
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Civil Project excavated and hauled 10,470 CY of ash from the North Embayment this week.
March 31, 2011
Hauling and Stacking Continues
TVA Civil Projects excavated and hauled 21,986 cubic yards (CY) of ash this week, 17,416 CY of which was from the North Embayment, and 4,570 CY from the Middle Embayment. Approximately 25,115 CY of ash was stacked in the dredge cell.
Buttress Work 77% Complete
Construction on the buttress along the KIF intake channel continued this week with approximately 4,100 feet (77%) of the buttress completed.
Work Continues on Perimeter Wall Stabilization Project
Equipment was deployed at the work platform for the perimeter wall. Testing of the batch plant that prepares the slurry mix for the wall was completed. A test trench was completed and used to demonstrate the delivery of slurry to the work area.
March 24, 2011
Hauling from North Embayment Continues
TVA Civil Projects excavated and hauled over 20,427 CY of ash from the North Embayment for processing and stacking in the dredge cell.
Buttress Work 70% Complete
Construction on the buttress along the KIF intake channel continued this week with approximately 4,050 feet (70%) of the buttress completed.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization Project
The Quality Control Plan for the perimeter wall stabilization project has been submitted to the regulators for review and approval. The Health and Safety Plan has been approved and the Readiness Review is scheduled for Friday, March 25.
March 17, 2011
Hauling from North Embayment Continues
TVA Civil Projects excavated and hauled over 12,050 CY of ash from the North Embayment for processing and stacking in the dredge cell.
Buttress Work 65% Complete
Construction on the buttress along the KIF intake channel continued this week with approximately 3,800 feet (65%) of the buttress completed.
Perimeter Wall Stabilization Project
The perimeter wall stabilization project (formerly called Deep Soil Mixing) has begun with the following activities complete or underway:
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Contract signed with Environmental Barriers, L.L.C. (GeoCon)
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Kickoff meeting conducted
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Material and equipment delivered and being installed
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Quality Assurance/Quality Control, health and safety plan, and project work plans being finalized
For more information on the day-to-day activities, see the latest Weekly Report on our website at http://www.tva.gov/kingston/weekly/pdf/031311.pdf.
March 3, 2011
Perimeter Containment Wall
Preparations are being made to begin the Perimeter Containment Wall demonstration project this month with full scale work expected to begin this summer. The wall will reinforce the dredge cell where the recovered ash will be placed for permanent storage. The contractor selected to perform the work will employ about 20 workers. A new entrance off of Swan Pond Road into the exclusion zone of the Kingston Ash Recovery Project opened this week to allow the trucks hauling heavy equipment and cement needed for the project to enter the site. The new entrance-only area is designed to make travel along Swan Pond Road less congested, and will create fewer backups due to large trucks entering at that location. The trucks hauling some of the heavy equipment reached the site safely today without disruption to traffic.
Completion of On River Cenosphere Recovery
The scope of the Cenosphere Recovery Program has been redefined. The personnel and equipment responsible for the recovery of the cenospheres will be demobilized. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation have concurred that the cenospheres released to the river system during the spill have been recovered to acceptable levels and no further actions related to the observation or recovery on the rivers is required. Resident reports related to cenospheres will be responded to as before with observations being documented in the established outreach database. If reports require a response, an onsite crew will be utilized to address the issue. For more information please visit our website at http://www.tva.gov/kingston/admin_record/pdf/G/G39.pdf.
Routine work continues at the site. For more information on the day-to-day activities, see the latest Weekly Report on our website at http://www.tva.gov/kingston/weekly/pdf/022711.pdf.
March 2, 2011
Large Trucks to Travel Swan Pond Road
On Thursday, March 3, at about 8:30 a.m., travelers and residents on Swan Pond Road may see seven or eight large trucks moving heavy equipment to the ash recovery site in preparation for the Perimeter Containment Wall demonstration project. We do not expect any disruption to traffic.
Soil Testing
Project personnel will soon begin evaluating TVA property along Swan Pond Road to identify areas for soil testing. The work will take place on the property located between the plant and State Route 70. The testing will help determine if the soil can serve as borrow material for the clay cap and/or structural fill for the closed dredge cell.
February 25, 2011
Swan Pond Road Railroad Crossing
The train crossing signals at the Swan Pond Road railroad crossing will be out of service this Saturday, February 26, 2011, beginning at 8 a.m. for three to four hours while repairs on the utility pole that provides electricity to the signals are completed. The repairs will be made as quickly as possible to restore the signals. Flaggers and the TVA police will be present to direct traffic, but during the time the work is being performed, please use caution when approaching this crossing.
Outreach Center Closing
As you know, the Outreach Center in Kingston will close on March 15, 2011. The phone number that members of the public can call to report issues or concerns is 865-717-1635. This number will be published and TVA’s community relations representatives will be available to personally handle any issues or concerns that may arise. Additionally, Crawford & Company (800) 257-2675 will continue to be available for reporting damage claims until the end of 2011.
Kingston Ash Recovery Project Public Meeting
The quarterly TVA Public Meeting to discuss the recovery efforts at the Kingston Ash Recovery Project took place Feb. 24, at the Roane County High School auditorium. The EPA’s presentation slides can be viewed HERE. Audio and a transcript of the meeting will be added to the site as soon as it becomes available.
February 16, 2011
Swan Pond Circle Road will be closed for approximately one hour on Thursday (tomorrow) beginning at 8:30 a.m. The closure will stretch from the Lakeshore intersection to the Swan Pond Road intersection. The closure is necessary to erect a tower near the Berkshire intersection. The tower will house a camera device which will help officials monitor the majority of the site throughout the duration of the recovery project.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause local residents. A flagman will be stationed at each end of the closure to help control traffic.
Local Emergency Response will be notified of the closure. We will be prepared to stop work for emergency response vehicles to pass through the closure if necessary.
This section of Swan Pond Circle Road will be reopened as soon as the tower has been secured and no longer poses a danger to passing motorists.
February 11, 2011
Outreach Center Closing
Due to a decreasing number of visitors and inquiries overall, TVA is transitioning the Outreach Center to a phone center only on March 15, 2011. The physical location will close on that date.
We will continue to remain available and accessible. A phone line will be published (865-717-1635) so the public can continue to report any issues or concerns, and TVA’s community relations representatives will remain on the ash recovery site to personally handle issues and concerns related to the ash recovery site work.
Kingston Ash Recovery Project Public Meeting
The quarterly TVA Public Meeting to discuss the recovery efforts at the Kingston Ash Recovery Project will take place Feb. 24, 2001 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Roane County High School auditorium. Click this link for more information.
Dike C Reinforcement
The buttress construction on Segment A continued this week. Approximately 3,120 feet of buttress has been completed.
Ash Stacking
TVA Civil Projects excavated and hauled over 6,200 CY of ash material from the North Embayment.
February 4, 2011
Materials Access Point
The Material Access Point (MAP) used as an access point for construction equipment is being reconfigured to allow better onsite access. The entrance off of Swan Pond Road will not be affected.
Dike C Reinforcement
TVA plans to demolish the Intake Channel Bridge to clear the area for the buttress work along Dike C within the Kingston Fossil Plant Intake.
January 28, 2011
Next Public Meeting
Our next public meeting is Thursday, February 24, at Roane County High School from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. It will begin with an open house from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with subject matter experts available to field questions. EPA’s Craig Zeller will present a general recovery update from 6:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. and from 6:45 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. we will hold a question and answer session with TVA, EPA, and TDEC representatives available.
January 21, 2011
Routine work on the site continues.
Soil Testing
As mentioned in last week’s update, we began soil testing on the former Gupton property to see if the material can serve as a clay cap and/or structural fill for the closed dredge cell.
Kingston Plant South Access Road Open
The south plant access road has been re-opened to the public, along with access to the fishing area and boat ramp. Signs are posted in the area where fishing is allowed.
Next Public Meeting
We are planning another public meeting on Thursday, February 24, at Roane County High School, which will include a general update on cleanup progress and a question and answer session. A more specific schedule for the public meeting will be shared with you when it’s ready.
EPA Air Audit Results
EPA completed its quarterly air audit and results indicated continued excellent performance in the monitoring network accuracy and performance. There were no audit findings and the auditors commented that network accuracy was at the level they wished all sites had, but none achieve. They invited TVA to attend EPA’s annual air monitoring conference and present on how we have achieved this level of performance.
January 14, 2011
Utility Installation
Utility installation, including connections, and testing of the gas and water lines, with the exception of one water line awaiting chemical test results, are complete.
Dredge Cell
Soil testing of the former Gupton property will begin next week to see if some of the material could potentially serve as a clay cap and/or structural fill for the closed dredge cell.
December 20, 2010
On Wednesday, Dec. 15, a small leak was identified in the gypsum pond at the Kingston Fossil Plant facility. TVA identified the leak during routine inspection and immediately notified the state and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and began repairs.
The Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) has sent TVA an order outlining the repairs expected to the pond. TVA will comply with TDEC’s order to install a synthetic liner in addition to the existing clay liner on the gypsum pond at the Kingston Fossil Plant.
With the additional liner, TVA should be able to meet new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements expected in coming years.
While TVA is adding the liner to the pond, the scrubbers used at Kingston to remove sulfur dioxide from the flue gases will not operate when the plant is operating. All flue-gas emissions will go out the two tall stacks at the fossil plant site, just as they had before the scrubbers went into service in 2009 and 2010. The plant will meet all air permit requirements during this bypass operation.
The existing impoundment, built in 2006, can hold up to 5.7 million cubic yards of gypsum, and its surface area is about 50 acres. Because the area has been in use for only a short time, it contains about 22,000 cubic yards of material, which had settled in the far end of the pond away from the leak.
The leak that occurred last week on the northeast edge of the pond was from an area where no gypsum is stored. The water that leaked from the impoundment last week appeared to be clean water ready for discharge. Samples have been taken to confirm this. No reportable quantity of any pollutant was released.
The small leak occurred at the bottom of a depression in the clay liner. The depression was about 1 foot by 2 feet across and about 1 foot deep.
TVA verified the leak was present Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 15, and isolated the leak at about 1 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 16. TVA estimates the volume of the leak was 20 to 100 gallons per minute.
TVA has no immediate estimate as to how much the liner installation will cost or how long it will take to install. Those plans will be developed by TVA and submitted to the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation in the next several weeks.
December 17, 2010
Update on Kingston Fossil Gypsum Pond Leak
Late Wednesday, a leak in the Kingston Fossil Plant gypsum pond was discovered during a routine inspection. Mitigation steps were taken during the night to stop the leak so that repairs could be made. As with all TVA ponds, we have an inspection and maintenance program. Part of our maintenance program, the “Seepage Action Plan,” addresses this issue. Per that plan, we have our engineers of record onsite, and they are in the process of developing the detailed work plan for repairs.
We are also working with, and keeping, TDEC and EPA apprised of our actions. Based on observations, our consulting engineers have determined there are no structural integrity issues with the impoundment dike.
Utility Installation
Work on utilities along Swan Pond Circle Bridge continues. Due to weather conditions, installation work was delayed and should be complete the week of December 20th.
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 demobilization. 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.
November 30, 2010
Kingston Fossil Plant Units to Begin Outage for Maintenance
KIF units 1-5 will begin an outage for maintenance on December 8 that will continue until December 18, 2010. Due to decreased power demand, the KIF units have been in “NID”, Not in Demand, status over the last few weeks. In the next couple of days, KIF will return some units to service.
Last Train to Uniontown
The last train shipment of ash to Uniontown, Alabama is scheduled for Wednesday, December 1, 2010. The final shipment marks the end of the Time Critical phase of the ash recovery. The final shipment was delayed by one day because of the heavy rain.
November 24, 2010
Update on Ash Shipping
As of Tuesday, November 23, 409 trains have shipped approximately 3.95 million tons of ash to the Arrowhead Landfill in Alabama. We are still on schedule to complete shipping by early December.
Skimmer Wall Reconstruction
All skimmer wall concrete panels have been set. Concrete cap pours are scheduled for November 29. After this work is completed the Skimmer Wall will be operational.
Thanksgiving Holiday
There will be no work at the recovery project on Thursday, Thanksgiving day. Depending on the weather, there will be limited work on Friday. Ash shipping and loading will reconvene Saturday and Sunday. The Community Outreach Center will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 25 and 26, 2010, in observance of the holiday and reopen on Monday, November 29, at its regularly scheduled time.
November 10, 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 were 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!
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.
November 3, 2010
Scrubber to Resume Operation
The Kingston Fossil Plant scrubber will resume operation on Thursday, November 4, after being out of service since October 4 to replace a transformer. It will go into an outage again on December 13 for additional maintenance. Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is aware of the restart tomorrow.
November 1, 2010
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.
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. 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 bridge 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 same 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.
Special Meeting Planned
The Roane County Economic Development Foundation will hold a special called meeting on Friday, October 29, 2010, in order to consider a request from Roane County to amend the previously approved Roane County School Facilities Plan. The meeting will be held at the Roane Alliance (1209 N. Kentucky Street, Kingston) and will begin at promptly at 3:00 p.m.
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.
October 21, 2010
Comparison Photos & Videos: Before and After October 2010
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.
September 23, 2010 Public Meeting Recap
October 8, 2010
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,
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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.
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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.
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We have completed a new haul road from Swan Pond Circle Road underpass to the central dredge cell area.
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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 today for the reconstructed skimmer wall. The original skimmer wall was destroyed by the ash spill. Completion scheduled for mid-December 2010.
September 23, 2010
Skimmer Wall Reconstruction
The first of four concrete pours for the skimmer wall reconstruction is scheduled to begin on October 11, 2010. The reconstruction of the original skimmer wall that was destroyed during the ash spill is scheduled to be complete by mid-November.
Dry Ash Stacking
Dry ash stacking in the central dredge cell is under way. Ash and associated soil and sediment excavated from the middle embayment is being transported by pan scraper, a type of earthmoving equipment, to the dredge cell. The remaining material will be mechanically excavated and is expected to be hauled to the dredge cell in the same manner. To avoid transportation impacts to residents, a new haul road under Swan Pond Circle Road and a concrete bridge on Swan Pond Circle Road are being constructed. Construction is expected to be complete by October 22. Dredged material will be stacked in the dredge cell until its final closure after which the haul road will no longer be needed and will be removed.
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Installation of the Harriman effluent line is complete and has been transferred to the City.
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The installation of all utility lines up to the Swan Pond Circle bridge is progressing and will be completed when the bridge is finished.
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Residents are being connected to the new utility lines for services on Hassler Mill Road.
- Installation of the Harriman effluent line is complete and is scheduled to be tested next week before its transfer to the City.
- The installation of all utility lines up to the Swan Pond Circle bridge, including the Hassler Mill Road lines, will be completed next week.
- Travelers along Swan Pond Road might have seen a small geyser this afternoon near the ash recovery site trailers. 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.
- As a result of the one-day safety stand-down last week at the site, workers were asked to identify conditions that have the potential to create accidents and those are being addressed. In addition, an agreement was signed by TVA and the managers of each contractor that requires supervisors to evaluate fitness for duty of any employee who requests or is asked to work more than 60 hours a week. After the meeting with site workers, the Site General Manager authorized employees to return to work.
- With the exception of the work under the I-40 Bridge, the utility work from Highway 70 to the Swan Pond railroad crossing is scheduled to be complete early next week. The contractor encountered a rock shelf under the I-40 Bridge that prevented work to proceed as quickly as planned in this area.
- The Dredge Plan is in the final stages of approval. As soon as it is approved it will be posted to the Web site.
- Final preparations are being made to begin using the new rail spurs that will take most of the train traffic off of Swan Pond Road. Only full and empty coal and ash trains will block the road, most often in the early morning or in the evening.
- TVA has received requests for maps showing all air and water sampling locations. Click here to see the fixed air sampling locations and view slide #8 here to see water sampling locations.
- Repair work on a dredge located in the cove adjacent to several Swan Harbour residences is expected to be completed within the next few days. After the repairs are made and the dredge begins operating it will begin moving south and will be out of the area soon. We apologize for any disturbances this work has caused.
- Heavy equipment operating in the gypsum stilling pond disturbed an overflow pipe that connects the main gypsum pond to the stilling pond. While neither pond is in use, the disturbance allowed a very small amount of rainwater to seep along the outside of the pipe (rather than inside the pipe as designed) into the stilling pond. Repairs are underway and should take less than a week.
- Due to demands on the TVA power production system, and cold temperatures, it will be necessary for units at the Kingston Fossil Plant (KIF) to go online Saturday, January 30, 2010, to help meet the need for electricity throughout the system.
We anticipate having to turn units on and off during the next month or so, but they will only remain on for as long as needed to meet demand. Since the scrubber is not operational yet, the units will run through the south stacks.
Any fly ash produced from the plant will go through the normal sluicing process. Due to the anticipated short term of the units being on, the additional fly ash introduced into the system will not cause an undue burden to the sluicing process.
TVA has notified the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation of this action and a representative from TDEC will be present to observe the start-up. We have shared this information with residents living across from the plant along Swan Pond Road. - Mayse Construction will be working in the following areas beginning February 1, 2010:
- Easement along US 70 - Clearing right-of-way (ROW) and setting up directional drilling operations.
- Intersection US 70 and Swan Pond Road – Clearing ROW and setting up boring operation under I-40.
- ROW along Swan Pond Road from I-40 underpass – Installing water line north toward ash recovery project.
- Easement along the church slough (north of the first intersection of SP Road and SP Circle Road) – Installing water line.
- The headline article in the Knoxville News Sentinel today referred to contracts associated with the clean-up. There was a typo in the transmission of the information – the Environmental Standards contract was listed at $105 million, and it should have been listed at $10.5 million. The Sentinel has corrected it in the online version of the story and we expect a written correction tomorrow.
- TVA has installed the filter presses (an ash dewatering system) we told you about earlier. This should help us maintain high dredge production.
- TVA has completed the first increment of the lateral expansion – a dike with a weir that will help settle the fine ash particles from the ash pond. This, too, will allow us to continue an aggressive river dredging schedule and stay within our permitted total suspended solids level.
- Dike C buttressing is progressing. Our goal is to build 20 feet per day.
- TVA has submitted a plan to install a liner in the storm water pond (next to the gypsum pond) and we are awaiting approval from TDEC for this corrective action.
- Two rail spurs are under construction in the rail yard with an anticipated completion date of the end of January. As we have discussed, this will significantly reduce the impact to Swan Pond Road.
- When the ash spill occurred last December, a TVA excavator (large piece of equipment) was pushed into the river. We are now at a point that in order for dredging operations to proceed without delay, the excavator must be removed.
We will begin this removal process on Thursday, December 3, and it could take as long as a week to complete. The plan for removal begins by putting a barge-mounted crane in place at the Site. A dive team will be on-hand to perform all underwater rigging. They will rig the crane equipment to the proper points on the excavator. The crane will then lift the excavator from the water, and crews will thoroughly wash the excavator before placing it onto the barge. The barge will then take it to the south dock at the Kingston Fossil Plant where it will be offloaded onto a flatbed truck for transport to TVA’s Watts Bar Plant.
Turbidity curtains will surround the work area to control turbidity issues during work operations. A spill boom will be used in the event of any fluid leakage during excavator removal.
All personnel, vehicles and equipment are subject to decontamination requirements as required by the Site Health and Safety Plan prior to leaving the Site. - You may see this…TVA Police will be escorting a barge through the work area in the next day or so. The barge will be hauling materials used to build a dock for a near-by resident.
- A Report to our Roane County Neighbors is in print and will be mailed soon. The information contained in this report is information you all have. It is intended to update those who have not been involved in what’s happening at the Site.
- TVA power system demand is low and the power from the Kingston Plant is not needed at this time. Due to the economic conditions, lower cost generating assets, mild weather and increased hydro generation, there are multiple coal-fired generating units off-line throughout the TVA system.
- On the Ash Recovery Site, we continue to remove material from the Emory River faster than we are able to dry it and ship it off site. Increased ash production from the plant would further impact this situation.
- Wear protective footwear if you plan to get into the water; rinse footwear thoroughly once you leave the water.
- Hand protection is recommended if your hands will be in the water.
- Try to avoid direct contact with ash.
Update on Restoration and Enhancements of Utilities
September 15, 2010
The approved, updated Community Involvement Plant (CIP), dated August 26, 2010, can be viewed here. The CIP was originally issued on October 19, 2009, to facilitate two-way communication between the community surrounding the Kingston Fossil Plant and TVA and encourage community involvement in site activities following the ash spill of December 22, 2008. When originally issued it covered community involvement and communication activities for the time critical phase of the recovery and was issued for public comment at that time. The CIP has been updated to include community involvement and communication activities for the non-time critical phase of the work.
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
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.
Labor Day Holiday Schedule
In observance of the Labor Day holiday, most activities at the Kingston Ash Recovery site will be suspended September 4-6. Critical activities, such as dust control, train loading, and site security, will continue. A normal schedule will resume Tuesday, September 7.
Underpass Beams
Concrete beams that will support the road bed for the bridge over the underpass will be set next week. After the beams have been set, concrete will be poured, forming the road bed. At some point, the remainder of the restored and new utilities will be tied into the existing lines. The bridge is scheduled to be complete by October 18.
August27, 2010
Posted No-wake Zone Reduced to Emory River Mile 1.8 to 2.1
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.
August 20, 2010
ORAU Report: Kingston Project Surveillance Program: Baseline Medical Screening Results (Adobe PDF)
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 Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has been notified about the testing.
August 9th, 2010
The Kingston Fossil Plant will be conducting a test of the Emergency Notification System on Wednesday, August 11, at 4:00 p.m. Residents living close to the plant may hear the sirens along with a message announcing “This is only a drill.” Please do not be alarmed. The test is only to prepare plant and Kingston Ash Recovery Project employees in the event of an emergency situation. The test will last about 10 minutes.
July 29, 2010
Non-Time-Critical Removal Action Surface Water Sampling Plan
TVA, with EPA and TDEC approval, has issued the Non-Time-Critical Removal Action Surface Water Sampling Plan. This plan, which will not begin until sometime in early August, describes surface water sampling activities for the non-time-critical removal action and can be viewed here.
Non-Time-Critical Removal Action Site Dust Control and Air Monitoring Plan
TVA, with EPA and TDEC approval, has issued the Non-Time-Critical Removal Action Site Dust Control and Air Monitoring Plan. This plan describes dust suppression and ambient air monitoring activities for the non-time-critical removal action and can be viewed here.
Dredging Contractor’s Work Finished
All hydraulic dredges have now been removed from the river, dismantled and moved to storage. Most employees of the contractor performing the work, Sevenson Environmental Services, Inc., have exited the site. We appreciate the long hours and hard work of these employees as they performed the difficult task of removing the spilled ash from the Emory River.
July 23, 2010
Swan Pond Road Opens to Traffic
Ahead of schedule, at approximately 2:30 p.m. today, Swan Pond Road reopened to traffic. The road has been closed for utility restoration and enhancement work since July 6. We appreciate the patience of Swan Pond community residents while this work was being performed
July 22, 2010
Kingston Fossil Plant Scrubber
Commissioning of the scrubber at the Kingston Fossil Plant is continuing as planned. During the commissioning, and to help TVA meet high power demand during this time of extreme heat, the plant is running between five and nine generating units. To meet the plant’s increased demand for coal, more coal trains will be arriving at the plant. When logistically possible, the recovery project will continue to ship seven trainloads of ash each week to the licensed landfill in Alabama.
Dredge Dismantlement
Now that the work of the hydraulic dredges is finished, they are being dismantled and transported to a local storage facility. Two of the five have been moved into storage already, and work is in progress to dismantle and remove the other three.
Ongoing Utility Upgrades and Enhancements
Utility restoration and enhancement work along Swan Pond Road is ahead of schedule and could be finished by Friday, July 23. The section of the road that has been periodically closed while construction is under way will be reopened to normal traffic as soon as the work is completed. We appreciate Swan Pond community residents for their patience while this work has been going on.
Utility work at the corner of State Highway 70 and Swan Pond Road is complete. Next week, TVA will begin installation of the Harriman Utility Board 20-inch effluent line. The work will begin in front of the Kingston Ash Recovery Project trailers, between Swan Pond Road and the railroad and continue north to Swan Pond Circle Road. Most of the work will be performed in the deep trench area between the railroad and Swan Pond Road. Only one lane of traffic will be affected intermittently to deliver material and move heavy equipment. Flaggers will be used when needed.
Customers will be connected to the new utility lines in August.
Deep Soil Mixing Process
Testing of a deep soil mixing process that will be used to build the containment structure for the closed dredge cell at the Kingston Fossil Plant began last week. The equipment used in the process can be seen by residents and motorists along Swan Pond Road and Swan Pond Circle Road near the recovery site.
During the testing, concrete and other materials are mixed with soil at depths up to 70 feet to form “soilcrete” columns. When finished, most of the equipment will be removed from the site. The soilcrete columns will be allowed to cure for 28 days before their strength is tested. The results will help refine the design and construction parameters of the containment structure.
July 9, 2010
Deep Soil Mixing Demonstration Project
Equipment began arriving this week for testing of a deep soil mixing process that will be used to build the containment structure for the closed dredge cell at the Kingston Fossil Plant. The equipment will be visible to residents and motorists along Swan Pond Road and Swan Pond Circle Road near the materials access point of the recovery site.
During the test, concrete and other materials will be mixed with soil at depths up to 70 feet to form “soilcrete” columns. This process will begin mid-July and continue for about a week, after which most of the equipment will be removed and taken off site. The soilcrete columns will be allowed to cure for 28 days before their strength is tested. The results will help refine the design and construction parameters of the containment structure.
Reminder: Utility Upgrades near Kingston Fossil Plant Will Affect Local Traffic
A portion of Swan Pond Road near Kingston Fossil Plant is closed weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. over the next few weeks. The closure is necessary to complete utility restoration along a small stretch of Swan Pond Road between north and south Swan Pond Circle Road near Swan Pond United Methodist Church. This restoration is part of extensive work by a TVA contractor to replace City of Kingston and Harriman Utility Board water, gas and effluent lines that were disrupted by the Kingston ash spill in December 2008. TVA also is providing enhancements to the utilities that will benefit residents who previously may not have had service.
During the closure, area residents will need to detour from Swan Pond Circle Road North along Hassler Mill Road or take Swan Pond Circle Road South to Swan Pond Road to reach local destinations. A map of the closed area can be viewed here. To minimize inconvenience for motorists, the closed section of Swan Pond Road is being reopened nights and weekends, with any disturbed pavement covered by thick metal plates over which vehicles can safely travel.
Each week, a status report is compiled to document the progress of the Kingston recovery effort. Highlights of those reports are presented here, along with a link to a PDF version of the entire document.
July 2, 2010
Fossil Plant Update
Seven units are currently running during commissioning of the scrubber. Two will be taken off for the weekend leaving five running until next week when another unit will be added. The bypass stack (formerly the south stack) is also available for units to run through, if needed, to maintain system reliability.
Time-Critical Dredging is Finished
Demobilization of the dredges will begin next Wednesday, July 7. The first of five dredges will be lifted out of the river by a 500-ton crane onto the landing area at the south dock where it will be dismantled and transported by a local crane service to its facility for dry storage. It is expected to take approximately 3-4 days to dismantle each dredge.
The dredges have been decontaminated and approved by the U.S. Coast Guard for demobilization. Following their dismantlement, they will be loaded onto trucks and placarded as wide loads, if necessary, and accompanied by escorts. The trucks will leave via the south plant road and travel over the appropriate TDOT approved routes.
In addition to the end of dredging in the river, dredging of ash out of the rim ditch is complete. The ash was pumped through dredge pipes into the rim ditch and placed on the ball field to dry before being loaded into lined railcars for transport to the permitted landfill in Alabama.
Underpass Construction
Excavation for the underpass in the Swan Pond Circle Road area will continue Friday, but no work will take place over the Independence Day Holiday July 3 - 5.
Independence Day Holiday Schedule
Normal work activities will be suspended from July 3 – 5. Critical activities, such as water trucks, decontamination, and site security, will continue.
Reminder: Utility Upgrades near Kingston Fossil Plant Will Affect Local Traffic
A portion of Swan Pond Road near Kingston Fossil Plant will be closed weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for about three weeks beginning Tuesday, July 6. The closure is necessary to complete utility restoration along a small stretch of Swan Pond Road between north and south Swan Pond Circle Road near Swan Pond United Methodist Church. This restoration is part of extensive work by a TVA contractor to replace City of Kingston and Harriman Utility Board water, gas and effluent lines that were disrupted by the Kingston ash spill in December 2008. TVA also is providing enhancements to the utilities that will benefit residents who previously may not have had service.
During the closure, area residents will need to detour from Swan Pond Circle Road North along Hassler Mill Road or take Swan Pond Circle Road South to Swan Pond Road to reach local destinations. A map of the closed area can be viewed here. To minimize inconvenience for motorists, the closed section of Swan Pond Road will be reopened nights and weekends, with any disturbed pavement covered by thick metal plates over which vehicles can safely travel.
Before the work begins, the Kingston Ash Recovery Project will stockpile rock and stone so that truck traffic from nearby quarries will be minimized while utility construction is under way.
TVA studied the possibility of closing only one lane of Swan Pond Road, however the narrowness of the road and the resulting reduction in workspace would at least triple the time needed to complete the work and might still require some closures of both lanes.
June 25, 2010
One Lane of Swan Pond Circle Bypass Road to Close for a Day
One lane of the Swan Pond Circle Bypass Road will be closed on Tuesday, June 29, for additional paving. Both lanes will be open on Wednesday. Motorists are being diverted onto the bypass road for about three months, the estimated time needed to build a bridge that will allow traffic to flow while trucks haul ash from Swan Pond Embayment.
June 24, 2010
Utility Upgrades near Kingston Fossil Plant Will Affect Local Traffic
A portion of Swan Pond Road near Kingston Fossil Plant will be closed weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for about three weeks beginning Tuesday, July 6. The closure is necessary to complete utility restoration along a small stretch of Swan Pond Road between north and south Swan Pond Circle Road near Swan Pond United Methodist Church. This restoration is part of extensive work by a TVA contractor to replace City of Kingston and Harriman Utility Board water, gas and effluent lines that were disrupted by the Kingston ash spill in December 2008. TVA also is providing enhancements to the utilities that will benefit residents who previously may not have had service.
During the closure, area residents will need to detour from Swan Pond Circle Road North along Hassler Mill Road or take Swan Pond Circle Road South to Swan Pond Road to reach local destinations. A map of the closed area can be viewed here. To minimize inconvenience for motorists, the closed section of Swan Pond Road will be reopened nights and weekends, with any disturbed pavement covered by thick metal plates over which vehicles can safely travel.
Before the work begins, the Kingston Ash Recovery Project will stockpile rock and stone so that truck traffic from nearby quarries will be minimized while utility construction is under way.
TVA studied the possibility of closing only one lane of Swan Pond Road, however the narrowness of the road and the resulting reduction in workspace would at least triple the time needed to complete the work and might still require some closures of both lanes.
June 19, 2010
Ultralight Plane Lands at Kingston Ash Recovery Project Site
An ultralight plane, low on fuel, landed safely at the at the Kingston Ash Recovery Project. 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.
June 18, 2010
May 20, 2010, Public Meeting Transcript
The transcript, along with the video and presentation, from the May 20, 2010 Public Meeting held at Roane County High School in Kingston, TN is now available for viewing here.
Swan Pond Circle Bypass Now Open
The Swan Pond Circle Bypass is now open. Swan Pond Circle Road traffic is being diverted to the bypass road until the construction of an underpass bridge is complete. Once construction of the bridge is complete, Swan Pond Circle Road will be reopened and the bypass road will be removed.
Availability Sessions
Based on declining attendance over the past 3 months, TVA will no longer hold monthly Availability Sessions. The Outreach Center is open from 2 – 6 p.m. on weekdays to address questions from residents. TVA will continue to host quarterly public meetings to inform the public about site progress.
Kingston Fossil Plant to Make Units Available
Beginning this weekend, Kingston Fossil Plant will make all 9 units available for power generation for 15 consecutive days due to high temperatures and increasing power demands. Following the 15-day period, an evaluation will be made as to how many units will remain in use.
Friday afternoon, the Kingston scrubber “tripped.” While the cause is being investigated, the six units currently online have been tied back into the south stack. While it is hoped the scrubber will resume operation over the weekend, there is potential that all 9 units will be tied to the south stack for at least some of the upcoming 15-day period.
June 10, 2010
Video & Presentation Added from May 20, 2010 Public Meeting
June 4, 2010
Emory River Mile 1.7 to 2.9 Posted as No-Wake Zone
Emory River Mile (ERM) 1.7 to 2.9 has been posted as a no-wake zone, shortened from the previously posted ERM 1.5 to 3.0. The main river channel continues to be accessible to the public, but caution is advised. Large equipment remains in the area as TVA and EPA continue recovery of the Kingston ash spill. For safety, work zones will be marked and boomed off, and will only partially obstruct the main channel. The public will not be allowed in the work zones. Additionally, EPA, in consultation with the TDEC and the Tennessee Department of Health, has lifted the River Advisory. 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, therefore, to wash after exiting the river, especially in areas where ash is clearly visible. Please e-mail emoryrivertransport@tva.gov or call 865-717-1635 if you have questions about the reopening of the Emory River.
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
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.
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.
May 27, 2010
The Kingston Ash Recovery Project will suspend normal recovery operations Saturday, Sunday and Monday in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. TVA Police will provide security in and around the plant, the work zones on the Emory River, and the recovery project site. Dust suppression, decontamination, and safety activities will continue. Normal operations will resume Tuesday, June 1.
May 25, 2010
Emory River Reopening and River Advisory Update (Adobe PDF)
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.
May 21, 2010
Action Memorandum Public Comment Period (Adobe PDF)
May 20, 2010
The Roane County Economic Development Foundation will hold a special called meeting on Monday, May 24, 2010, in order to consider a request from the City of Rockwood to reallocate previously approved funding. The meeting will be held at the Kingston Ash Recovery Project trailer complex (team room in trailer #4) and will begin at promptly at 8:00 a.m.
May 18, 2010
Action Memorandum and Responsiveness Summary to the EE/CA
Adobe PDF (2.34MB)
May 7, 2010
Emory River Closure Extended to 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 29, 2010
As TVA and EPA continue recovery of the Kingston ash spill, large dredging equipment is being used to remove ash from the Emory River. To keep users of the river as safe as possible, the Emory River will remain closed from mile marker 0 to mile marker 6, and the closure date will be extended to 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 29, 2010.
Workers will do their best to limit the distance of the river that is closed at any given time, opting to extend the closed areas only where dredging operations are taking place or where dredge pipes are located. These areas will be clearly marked. No river traffic will be allowed through these areas. For transport around the Emory River closure due to significant need, please contact TVA at 865-717-1635 or e-mail emoryrivertransport@tva.gov. Advance notice of three business days is required to fulfill approved requests.
Public Meeting on May 20, 2010
You are cordially invited to an informational public meeting hosted by TVA, with participation from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At this meeting, there will be a presentation about the ongoing recovery efforts at the Kingston site. There will also be a presentation about the Action Memorandum, which will be issued prior to the meeting, and describes the selected non-time-critical removal action.
The meeting will be held Thursday, May 20, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Roane County High School, 540 West Cumberland Street, Kingston. The auditorium is located in Building B on the Spring Street side of the high school.
Utility Restorations Continue
Work has begun along the hillside, parallel to the railroad tracks, and across from the north entrance to the recovery project site, to build a construction road for heavy equipment that will be used for utility restoration in that area. This work will not impact travel. All utility restoration work is on track to be finished early this summer, except for the last piece, which will be completed once the Swan Pond Circle Road bridge is in place.
Swan Pond Circle Road Bypass
The construction of the bypass off Swan Pond Circle Road began this week and will continue for about three weeks. Travel along Swan Pond Circle Road will be affected only for the time required to connect the bypass to the existing road. Community members will be given notice before the road is closed. The bridge construction that will follow is expected to take eight to ten weeks. Afterward, the bypass will be removed and Swan Pond Circle Road will be reopened.
Bridge Construction – the Next Phase
To minimize inconvenience for motorists, a portion of Swan Pond Circle Road will be converted into a bridge to carry local traffic over a newly built underpass for trucks removing ash from the embayment. A diversion road to bypass the construction of the bridge will be installed to minimize the impact to motorists.
April 28, 2010
Utility restorations continues
Utility restorations continue along Hassler Mill Road to the Spring House, along U.S. 70 between I-40 and U.S. 70, along Swan Pond Circle Road, and from Hassler Mill to Frost Hollow Road. Work to build a construction road for heavy equipment that will be used for utility restoration began this week along the hillside, parallel to the railroad tracks, across from the north entrance to the recovery project site This work will not impact travel. All utility restoration work is on track to be finished early this summer.
Dredge Plan Addendum-Completion of Time Critical Removal Action
The approved Dredge Plan Addendum is now available on the TVA Kingston website in the Administrative Record Time-Critical Documents. On March 5, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) issued a memorandum documenting the final dredge depth defined by the time-critical removal action. The three primary purposes of the addendum are to (a) document the objectives of the time-critical removal action and define the completion of the action in the river and the embayments east of Dike 2, (b) provide a decision-making process for reaching agreement where no further time-critical action is required or where the time-critical removal is complete, and (c) describe the ash removal operations including the remaining tasks, equipment, and schedule required to complete the time-critical removal action in the Emory River and east of Dike 2.
Equipment Testing on Scrubber Continues
You may see a plume from the scrubber on several days over the next weeks as the plant continues to test equipment in order to ready the scrubber for operation. No date is specified for its start-up, but we will be sure to notify you in advance of that happening.
April 21, 2010
Equipment Testing
Beginning Thursday, April 22, and continuing Friday and Monday and Tuesday next week, the Kingston Fossil Plant will begin testing equipment. The testing could create a plume from the scrubber but it is from the testing only and not tied to power generation. The plant is not currently running units.
April 13, 2010
Norfolk Southern plans “Safety Blitz”
On Wednesday, April 14, Norfolk Southern (NS) Railway conducted a “Safety Blitz” near the Kingston Fossil Plant as part of Operation Lifesaver. NS and TVA police briefly stopped traffic at various locations along Swan Pond Road, from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Wednesday to assist the local NS safety committee in distributing safety literature to motorists.
Operation Lifesaver is a non-profit, international, continuing public education program established to end collisions, deaths and injuries at places where roadways cross train tracks and on railroad rights-of-way. For more information on Operation Lifesaver you can visit the Website at http://www.oli.org/about/about_overview.htm.
Five hundred birdhouses to be installed
Five hundred tree swallow birdhouses that were built and purchased locally, will soon be installed at various locations near the river. Tree swallows are excellent birds to use to evaluate ecological effects of the ash on wildlife since they consume insects from the river, are attracted to the birdhouses and return to them every year.
April 9, 2010
North Embayment Ash Consolidation Work to begin
The Work Plan for the consolidation of ash from two outlying areas in the North Embayment to a more centralized area where it can be dried and graded has been approved, and work is expected to begin within two weeks and will continue until all the ash has been consolidated. The ash will be placed atop the existing ash in the North Embayment. Air monitoring station 6 will be relocated to the north to better serve the area, and hand-held monitoring will be used and coordinated with EPA and TDEC.
Mechanical dredging to begin between Emory River miles 5 and 6
Letters have been sent to residents living in the area between Emory River miles 5 and 6 to notify them that mechanical dredging in this area is expected to begin the week of April 12. A small amount of ash has been found that can only be removed by mechanical dredging from a barge. The work is essential to a thorough cleanup of the river. As many as four barge loads of material will be removed each day and this work will continue around the clock for about four weeks. Every effort will be made to position our equipment and adjust our activities to minimize disturbance from the noise that is unavoidable with this type of work.
Low altitude flyover at TVA Kingston Fossil Plant
On Friday, April 9, 2010, a low altitude flyover was conducted by helicopter at the Kingston Fossil Plant. The purpose of the flyover was for TVA to update its aerial imagery of the site.
Kingston Weekly Report
Each week, a status report is compiled to document the progress of the Kingston recovery effort. Highlights of those reports are presented here, along with a link to a PDF version of the entire document.
April 06, 2010
Norfolk Southern to perform track work in Kingston
Unrelated to the restoration work now underway at the Kingston Ash Recovery Project, we have been advised by Norfolk Southern (NS) that in order to move freight trains safely and reliably through East Tennessee, extensive track work will be performed in the Kingston area. The work could begin as soon as Thursday, April 8. Motorists traveling over the public railroad crossing at Swan Pond Road should expect minor delays of up to five minutes at the crossing as machinery is positioned. NS plans to publish a news release in the local newspaper with specific details.
Utility restoration and enhancement work continues
As part of the utility restoration and enhancement work being done by TVA in the Swan Pond Community, natural gas lines will be installed on Swan Pond Circle Road beginning Wednesday, which will cause temporary lane closures at different times over the next two to three weeks. To ensure the safety of residents and workers, flagmen will be utilized to control traffic during this time.
Weir one work resumes
After a brief delay for barge repairs, the work to remove Weir one has resumed. The Weir is constructed of approximately 17,000 tons of rock covering nearly 26,000 cubic yards of ash. Using a barge mounted excavator, almost 12,000 tons of the rock/ash mixture has been removed. This approach will continue until the remaining material has been removed. Complete removal is expected to be completed within the next month.
March 31, 2010
Joint Availability Session Scheduled for April 13
March 30, 2010
Electronic Message Boards
Two of four electronic message boards positioned around the site on Swan Pond Road and Swan Pond Circle Road are being decommissioned due to the decreased train traffic across Swan Pond Road. The two remaining message boards will be re-positioned as needed along Swan Pond Road to ensure traffic heading toward the plant is notified in a timely manner that a train is crossing ahead.
Barges ready to begin debris removal
Over the next few days residents may see a number of large barges in the Kingston Fossil Plant area. The barges are part of a work team from Aquarius Marine who have been contracted to remove debris from the skimmer wall that was damaged during the ash spill. The barges, equipment and crews will be clearing debris so the damaged components of the skimmer wall can be removed. After the remains of the damaged skimmer well are removed, construction can begin on the new skimmer wall, tentatively scheduled for June.
March 24, 2010
Community Involvement Plan Responsiveness Summary
March 22, 2010
Tonight, as locomotives were moving empty railcars within the rail yard, 2 locomotives had 6-7 wheels leave the track. All cars remained upright, there were no injuries, and no fuel spilled. The Norfolk Southern crew came in tonight to move the locomotives and the repair crews arrive in the morning. The track is expected to be repaired by Tuesday 2:00 pm at the latest. This does not affect the north or south entrance to the plant. A root cause team and rail inspection will begin tomorrow. All of this was onsite in the rail yard as Norfolk Southern pulled empty cars.
March 18, 2010
TVA Police no longer stationed on Swan Pond Road Rail Crossing
Beginning Friday, March 19, the TVA Police will no longer be stationed at the Swan Pond Circle Road rail crossing. The rail arms will remain in place and will activate when full and empty ash, coal, ammonia, or limestone trains are coming into or going out of the site.
Utility enhancement work continues
Early next week the utility enhancement work under the I-40 Bridge will continue for about four days. The work around the bridge will include the closure of a portion of the south plant entrance road. Contractors will be working from the “island” toward the plant road. None of this work will affect Swan Pond Road.
The work now being performed at the west embayment is expected to be finished by the end of next week. Late next week directional drilling will begin below Hassler Mill and Swan Pond Roads to allow utility lines to cross underneath. None of this work will affect traffic flow except for the times that material is loaded or unloaded onto trucks. Flaggers will be available to direct traffic in these instances.
March 16, 2010 Update
TVA Will Build By-pass for Swan Pond Circle Road just north of the plant
As part of the continuing cleanup efforts at the Kingston ash spill recovery site, employees will begin work on the Swan Pond Embayment restoration. In an effort to remove ash from the embayment safely and efficiently, TVA will build a bridge on the current road with plans to haul ash out under the bridge, thereby keeping trucks off of the road.
In order to build the bridge, TVA will need to route traffic off of the current road. We will soon be building a by-pass road just off of the current Swan Pond Circle Road so that traffic does not have to go completely around the Circle. The by-pass road will be constructed first, followed by construction of the bridge. The bridge construction work is expected to take about 6 – 8 weeks. When the bridge work is complete, the by-pass road will be removed and Swan Pond Circle Road will be reopened.
TVA to Temporarily Close One Lane of Swan Pond Circle Road
In order to ensure adequate stability of the embayment area for heavy equipment use during the removal of the ash and additional road construction, TVA will conduct drilling on and around Swan Pond Circle Road.
While conducting this work, beginning the week of March 21, one lane of a small section of Swan Pond Circle Road will be closed during working hours for two to three days. Road signs and road crews will direct traffic to protect vehicles on the road and workers performing the drilling operations. At the end of each workday, all equipment will be moved from the roadway, and two-lane traffic will be restored.
Wet to Dry Ash Storage
A public meeting was held March 16, 2010 to discuss a conversion from wet storage of coal ash to dry storage. There will be some site preparation work beginning on the south end of the plant site in the next week. You may see trucks hauling rail ties and other materials to appropriate disposal sites. We will update you as we receive more information on this project.
Road Closings to Reduce Significantly
The rail spur construction on the Ash Recovery Site is almost complete. As of today, about 60% of the road closings due to railcar switches have been eliminated and all closings due to switching will be eliminated by the end of the week. Only full and empty ash and coal trains will cause road closings on Swan Pond Road going forward. These typically run in the early morning and in the evening.
March 12, 2010
March 03, 2010
In response to several recent worker injuries at the Kingston Ash Recovery Project, management directed a site-wide safety stand-down on Wednesday, March 03, 2010, to allow time for all employees to review and improve overall safety performance, evaluate safety and health risks, correct deficiencies and emphasize awareness of good safety and health practices. On Thursday management will brief site workers on the results of the review, verify the effectiveness of the stand-down, emphasize that safety is the No. 1 priority at Kingston and describe expectations before work is allowed to resume.
March 2, 2010
On Tuesday afternoon at approximately 2:30 p.m., a worker was injured on the Kingston Project Ash Recovery site. As a precaution, the worker was transported by ambulance to Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge. The injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
February 26, 2010
March 9, 2010 Availability Session
You are cordially invited to an Availability Session hosted by TVA, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The session will be held March 9, 5:30– 7:00 p.m., at the TVA Outreach Center, 509 N. Kentucky Street, Kingston. TVA subject matter experts and agency representatives will be available to discuss questions about the EE/CA alternatives, environmental issues, ash disposal and transportation, dredging, Kingston Fossil plant operations and regulatory issues.
Swan Pond Road Utility Work
The offsite utility work to install a 10” waterline between I-40 and Swan Pond Road crossing continues. The portion of the work affecting travel along Swan Pond Road is projected to be complete in May. The contractor is attempting to minimize impact from the work as much as possible and will continue to only close one lane of traffic to vehicles and clean up any remaining construction debris each day after work is completed.
Site Activities
February 19, 2010
Utility work along Swan Pond Road continues. Each day at 5:15 p.m. after the contractor finishes work, street sweeping operations will begin. Water trucks will be at the work site to minimize any dust that might be created. Only one lane of traffic will be affected while the sweeping is being done.
February 18, 2010
Emergency Notification System Test
On a regular basis, the Kingston Fossil Plant works with community emergency responders to test its emergency notification systems. These tests are run so that in the event of a site emergency of any kind, we know the system works and that proper notifications are made.
A test of this system is scheduled for Thursday, February 18, at 12:30 p.m. The test, which will last about 10 minutes, will utilize sirens and loudspeakers. The loudspeakers will be site-wide and will alert site personnel as to what the mock emergency is. Please do not be alarmed. This is a test and only a test. Please share this information with your neighbors.
Residents living on Swan Pond Road across from the Kingston Fossil Plant are also being notified.
February 12, 2010
All utility work for the next few weeks will take place on Swan Pond Road between the ash recovery site and Highway 70. There will be lane closures and workers will use flags to direct traffic.
January 28, 2010 Update
***Note: All work is subject to weather delays, but we will work hard to stay on schedule. Some activities may require partial lane closures. Flagman will direct traffic around activity. No complete road blockages will be required.
These are the activities Mayse Construction will be performing over the next few weeks. They will be informing the public through message boards and signage.
Next Public Meeting Tuesday, January 26, 2010
You are cordially invited to an informational public meeting
hosted by TVA, with participation from the Tennessee
Department of Environment and Conservation, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee
Department of Health, to discuss ongoing recovery efforts at
the Kingston site.
The meeting will be held Tuesday, January 26, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the auditorium of Roane County High School, 540 West Cumberland Street, Kingston.
The auditorium is located in Building B on the Spring Street side of the high school.
The meeting will be divided into three segments:
5:30 - 6:00
An open house featuring representatives from the sponsoring agencies as well as
the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the U.S. Coast
Guard. They will provide information and answer questions.
6:00 - 7:00
Briefings on the recovery, the alternatives for the next phase of site work, and the
public health assessment.
7:00 - 8:00
Question and answer session.
After the meeting, all agencies will again be available in an open house format to
provide information and answer any remaining questions.
If you have an immediate need, please contact the TVA Outreach Office at
865-632-1700.
January 20, 2010
1. Today, at approximately 3:45 p.m., three people, a man and two women, were arrested on the TVA Kingston Plant site. TVA Police found the three offenders in and on top of ash-loaded rail cars located on tracks adjacent to the middle road entrance to plant. They were taken to the Roane County jail for processing and charges. An investigation of the rail cars is underway to ensure nothing was compromised. Additionally, Norfolk Southern was about to move the train to couple the cars when the arrest occurred, resulting in a serious safety issue.
2. Yesterday, while clearing between I-40 and Highway 70, the crew identified a tree that must be removed. Because of the position of the tree, there is a good possibility that it will be damaged or uprooted when installing the Kingston Water line. The problem is that it is so tall that it could either fall into the east bound lane of I-40 or it could knock down other trees that would fall into the east-bound lane of I-40.
After looking at the tree with Mayse Construction and the Tennessee Department of Transportation, it was determined that the tree has to be removed. Mayse is contacting a tree service to remove the tree in place from the top down. Their contact is a company that TDOT has used for similar conditions. All permits to do the work have been obtained and the tree removal will take place either tomorrow or Friday.
Economic Development Foundation Meeting
The next meeting of the Roane County Economic Development Foundation will be held on Tuesday, January 26, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. The location will be the Roane Alliance offices at 1209 N. Kentucky in
Kingston.
January 12, 2010
Utility Work Begins
Restoration of utilities in and around the Kingston Fossil Plant site is beginning this week. When local traffic around the plant site will be affected, notification will be made in the local newspaper, and on message boards at each end of the work site about a week before the work begins. The first underground line to be installed is the Kingston Water line that is parallel to I-40, adjacent to Swan Pond Road, in the vicinity of the Swan Pond United Methodist Church. Because a portion of the line is within the pavement of Swan Pond Road, one lane will be closed for about 3 to 4 days in March.
As the line proceeds west, at about 500 feet east of the intersection of Hassler Mill Road, one lane will be closed during the installation through Hassler Mill Road. To limit delays associated with this work, flagmen will be placed to keep traffic flowing. At no time do we expect to completely shut down traffic except for brief periods when material is being hauled to the area for installation. At the close of each business day the lanes will be reopened to two-way traffic during off construction hours.
We will keep you informed about future work, the next of which is the Harriman Gas line scheduled to begin around February 1.
January 7, 2010 Update
January 6, 2010
There is a possibility water vapor may be visible coming out of the scrubber at the Kingston Fossil Plant. While the scrubber is not operational, we are continuing to test and run equipment, particularly with the cold temperatures.
January 5, 2010
Due to a forecast of continued cold temperatures, and for system reliability, the Kingston Fossil Plant is turning on a third unit this afternoon. It will go through the same stack as the other two that are running.
January 4, 2010 Update
Due to demands on the TVA power production system, and extremely cold temperatures, it was necessary to place Kingston Fossil Plant units 6 and 9 in service. On Jan. 3, 2010, Kingston unit 6 came online at 10:05 p.m. and unit 9 came online Monday, Jan. 4, at 5:24 a.m. The last time a unit was online was Oct. 9. The flue gas from the units is being discharged through the south 1000 foot stack.
About 11 a.m. this morning flakes of material that appeared to be iron oxide (rust) were observed in the parking lot of the plant. TDEC has been onsite monitoring the startup of the plant and has independently sampled the material. This is not an uncommon occurrence for plants that have been in an extended layup condition.
Both TVA and TDEC inspected offsite properties and found no indication of offsite migration.
January 2, 2010
Due to demands on the TVA power production system, and extremely cold temperatures, it is necessary for the Kingston Fossil Plant to go online at some point in the next 24 hours to help meet the need for electricity throughout the system.
Kingston Fossil Plant units 6 and 9 will be activated and these units will burn through the stack 2 (opposite of the stack used in September).
Any fly ash produced from the Kingston Fossil Plant will go through the normal sluicing process. Since dredging operations are not active, the additional fly ash introduced into the system will not cause an undue burden to the sluicing process.
TVA has notified the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) of this action, and they will be sending a representative to observe the start-up.
This information will also be shared with residents who live on Swan Pond Road across from the plant.
December 10, 2009 Update
New Rail Spurs
New railroad spurs will be installed south of Swan Pond Road and closer to the Kingston Fossil Plant, which will allow the switching to take place away from the road itself. Currently, there are about 25 rail crossings on Swan Pond each day that cause traffic delays for local residents and workers at the Kingston plant and site recovery areas. The new spurs will reduce the temporary blockages on Swan Pond Road. TVA officials studied various options to help alleviate the railroad crossing problems, including building an overpass near the recovery site. The time it would take to construct such an overpass, along with the cost, made that project unfeasible. The new rail spurs are much more cost effective and can be completed by the end of January 2010.
”Curfew” times, in which train crossings are prohibited on Swan Pond Road, will be strictly enforced by the management staff at the recovery site. The current curfew times are:
6:30 – 7:15 a.m.
3:00 – 3:45 p.m.
5:00 – 5:30 p.m.
These times will be reviewed and any changes will be communicated.
Drying Systems
New ash drying systems will be installed at the Site to expedite the removal of fly ash. The benefit to the drying systems is that the sooner moisture can be removed from the stockpiled ash that has been removed from the river, the sooner it can be transported to the Perry County, Alabama, landfill.
The first system to be installed will be a filter press system. A filter press reduces the volume and weight of a slurry waste by separating liquid from the solid. The liquid passes through filter cloths and exits the press leaving behind the filtered solids, called a filter cake. After the desired moisture content is achieved, the press is opened and the filter cake is released.
The second system will be a Genesis Rapid Dewatering System. The system works in stages. First, the ash material passes through a course debris screen, which eliminates and disposes of large objects such as rocks and debris. The next step uses centrifugal force to spin the solids away as the water drains down. Then a computer monitors the changes in the density and flow and injects polymers at various points to produce larger masses of the solids. The rapid dewatering system then captures the fine grain sediments and recovers the water.
Having these new systems will greatly increase our ability to process the fly ash and prepare it for transport to the landfill in Alabama.
Residents in the immediate area as well as plant and site workers can expect a temporary increase in large transport trucks which will be bringing in the filtration and drying equipment, as well as materials to construct the rail spurs. This will begin as early as Friday, December 11 and should last just a few weeks.
Dike C Buttressing Update
Dike C buttressing has begun. Materials needed for this project will come in by truck from the local quarry and from a quarry outside of Roane County. Currently, 46 loads a day will be brought in, half from each quarry. The quarry from outside of Roane County will transport materials in via the interstate and up Swan Pond Road. The local quarry trucks will turn right off of Quarry Road and come onto Swan Pond Road from the North.
Rain Event on December 8
On the day of the high flow event TVA collected a river sample near the Kingston water plant intake. This is in addition to the daily raw water and finished water samples taken by the plant. We contacted the plant operator and he stated he had not noticed any changes in the output from the plant treatment processes.
Excavator
It was pulled out of the river today – there were some delays due to weather and other issues. It will be washed and the plan is to transport it to the south dock for removal on Friday.
December 9, 2009 Update
Rain Update:
Over 3 inches of rain fell on the area this past night. At the Oakdale gauge the Emory River crested at approximately 56,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) this afternoon. In keeping with our surface water sampling plan, we will perform our storm event sampling as soon after this event as is safely possible, with high flows, debris, and high winds being the primary concerns. This sampling involves taking water samples from 10 locations in the Emory, Clinch, and Tennessee Rivers.
In addition to these post-storm water quality samples, we have continuous floating monitors at several locations. These monitors give us real-time measurements of turbidity measured in Nephalametic turbidity units (NTUs).
Turbidity above the spill site (Emory River mile 4.0) peaked at approximately 500 NTU while the downstream monitor (Emory River mile 0.5) peaked at 1,060 NTU. For comparison, turbidity at the Emory river mile 4.0 peaked at 1,800 NTU during the May 4th storm event. This increased turbidity downstream, combined with visual indications indicate some movement of ash. We will revisit the previous “nature and extent” mapping of ash in the Emory, Clinch, and Tennessee Rivers in order to quantify how much has moved and what the current extent of ash is in these rivers.
Dust Suppression Due to High Winds Today
We continued to run our watering trucks along the roadways, however, other dust suppression efforts were not needed today due to heavy rain received, which kept ash from becoming airborne.
Scrubber Equipment Testing
The plant is going to operate some fans tomorrow that may produce some water vapor from the scrubber stack. No units will be turned on, this is just another equipment test.
Activity Update on November 30, 2009
Kingston Boiler Maintenance Fact Sheet
November 2009
TVA power system demand is low, and all of the units from the Kingston Plant are not needed right now. In order to maintain the condition of the units at Kingston that are not needed, Kingston Plant will perform specific maintenance activities on four of the nine units on November 17.
These maintenance activities will cause smoke to be emitted out of the north stack (stack 1) for a period of about 16 hours.
The smoke is primarily carbon, but will also contain some nitrogen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. TVA will continue to meet all state air quality requirements.
TVA’s air quality permits, issued by the state of Tennessee, allow for the plant to perform this type of maintenance on the plant. Kingston will constantly monitor the stack emissions during this activity.
How it works
In order to help ensure the units perform better when they do come back into service, plant staff will perform several activities. One activity involves filling the water-carrying tubes in the boilers with water, heating the water and then draining the water out of the tubes. This helps minimize rusting.
In order to heat the water in the boiler tubes, the plant will burn fuel oil. This burning of fuel oil is what will cause the gray to black plume of smoke to be discharged from the north stack for a period of about 16 hours. It is similar to the smoke from an oil lamp, only on a larger scale, as has been seen many times in the past when the Kingston units started operation.
The plant will not be generating power, and coal will not be burned during this activity.
The plant may perform these activities to preserve the other boilers in the future, and the public will be made aware of this beforehand.
On the Recovery Site
Dike C Work
Earlier this year, TVA commissioned the engineering firm Stantec Consulting to rigorously inspect and evaluate the structural integrity of all of its ash storage facilities at its fossil plants. After reviewing the Kingston Site, Stantec recommended that TVA build a buttress on Dike C, which surrounds the ash collection pond and the stilling pond, in order to improve the overall safety of the dike.
TVA will add layers of sand, stone, and Class B riprap along Dike C. By adding thickness and weight, resistance to movement will be increased and Dike C will be strengthened. Trucks will begin hauling materials to the Kingston site in early November and construction on the dike will begin later this month. Phase I work on Dike C is scheduled to take three months to complete.
During that time 6-8 trucks will each make an average of 6-8 daily rock deliveries equaling about 50 loads per day. TVA appreciates the patience and cooperation of our Roane County neighbors as we perform this important work.
Trailers moving on the Site
As you drive by the Ash Recovery Site you may have noticed some additions and the removal of work trailers. We are putting in two larger trailers and moving one of the current trailers in order to make room for the employees working on the Site. We are also moving the trailers further away from the entrance of the plant.
Technical Assistance Plan and RCCAG Agreement
Both documents were approved by the EPA and were forwarded to the RCCAG on Wednesday, November 4, 2009.
Kingston Fossil Plant
New Scrubber Start-up
Beginning Friday, November 6, ads in the Roane County News and Shopper announced the start-up of the Kingston Fossil Plant Scrubber.
When the scrubber starts up, what you’ll see is a new white plume rising from the new stack above Kingston Fossil Plant. That plume is a sign of progress. TVA has installed new clean air technology at Kingston that will lower sulfur dioxide emissions (SO2) by more than 95 percent.
The equipment we’ve installed is called a scrubber, and it works by mixing limestone and water with flue gas. The limestone mixture converts the SO2 to gypsum which will be stored on site.
The white plume that will rise from the scrubber is water vapor, resulting from the scrubbing process.
The installation of this scrubber at Kingston is just one part of TVA’s overall air quality program. Since 1977, TVA has spent more than $5 billion in clean air technology at several fossil plants across the Tennessee Valley, which results in cleaner air for everyone.
The schedule for bringing the first scrubber online at Kingston was originally scheduled for Friday, November 13, but that has changed. The scrubber start-up has been delayed for a short period of time. There are a couple of reasons for this delay.
TVA’s primary focus at Kingston is the removal of ash from the Emory River as quickly as possible. Given this priority, coupled with low system load demand, the decision has been made to delay the startup of generating units and, consequently, the first scrubber.
Scrubber Testing
Until the scrubber comes online, equipment testing will continue on an almost daily basis as pumps, fans and other types of equipment are run. These tests, like previous tests, will create a water vapor emission from the stacks, but we want to make sure you know that these are just tests, and that no units are connected to the scrubber.
Transformer Repair
A damaged 161kv transformer is being sent back to Taiwan for repairs covered under warranty. This large piece of equipment will be transported by rail out of the Kingston Fossil Plant sometime between November 13 and November 19. The repairs are expected to take 7-8 months. At that time, the transformer will be returned to Kingston and put back in service.
Other Information
Winter Water Level Information
TVA has begun lowering water in the reservoirs to winter fill levels. This process will be complete in about 4 -5 weeks. For those residents with docks, we understand maintenance is normally performed when water levels are low. If you are planning maintenance on your dock this year, you may see ash. If you plan to work in the water and you believe there is ash around your dock, TVA asks that you follow these guidelines:
However, should you contact coal ash, please follow the advice of the Tennessee Department of Health: “If you contact coal ash in the river, move away from it. Moving to cleaner water will likely get much of the coal ash off your skin. Get out of the water and rinse off using clean water from a restroom, hose or water bottle. Washing with soap and water is preferable. You may need to wash clothes, shoes and pets as well. Skin contact with coal ash can cause irritation similar to contact with beach sand.” EPA’s site adds, “Inadvertently ingesting some coal ash while swimming on an occasional basis does not pose a significant health risk.”
Residents who have concerns about whether there is ash near their dock can contact TVA at 865-632-1700 between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Monday – Friday, and TVA will inspect your property prior to any work being done.
Utility Work on Swan Pond Road
TVA will be awarding a bid on work to replace the City of Kingston and HUB water, gas and effluent lines that were affected by the spill. The repairs will take place along Swan Pond Road from Highway 70 past the plant, and on parts of Hassler Mill Road. This work should begin in early December. Once we award the work, the contractor is required to give us an overall schedule. Within the contract specs we included a requirement for the contractor to minimize any impact to traffic flow. In addition, they will give us at least a week’s advance notice about any work that will affect the road, which we will pass on to you.
We have directed the contractor to include in their bid an expedited restoration of that segment of the 10” Kingston Utility Board line which will improve the water pressure. If you have any questions or want to know more about this, we’ll do our best to provide answers. We may not know the answers right now, but we’ll get them to you as soon as we have them.
The Overlook on Swan Pond Road
After considering everyone’s comments about the overlook, TVA has decided that it will not be open for general use by the public. It will be used for operational purposes and scheduled visits only. There is a gate that will be kept closed and locked. The drive and parking area will be a gravel surface, and there will be a wood deck overlooking the site on which people can stand to view the work being done.
More resident information
Page Updated July 29, 2011 10:50 AM