Tennessee Valley Authority
Kingston Ash Slide Update
Updated January 8, 2009 – 3:40 p.m. EST
TVA, local, state and federal agencies continue to work on recovery and clean up of a release of ash caused by a failure of a coal ash containment retention wall at TVA’s Kingston Fossil Plant in East Tennessee.
Environment and Public Works Committee Testimony
Tom Kilgore, President and Chief Executive Officer of the
Tennessee Valley Authority will testify before the
Environment and Public Works Committee on
January 8, 2009. Documents related to that testimony are listed below:
Local Weather
Rainfall in the last 48 hours in the Kingston area has been about 3 inches. Water on the Emory River is expected to crest today between 39,000 and 40,000 cubic feet per second.
Community Outreach Expanded
The Outreach Center received 61 calls/visits yesterday - its first day of operation.
Residential outreach teams continue to call on 40 - 60 families daily, and business outreach teams have begun calling on businesses across the county to address questions and concerns.
Anyone with a request for a sampling of well or spring water should call the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) at (865) 594-6035.
Air Monitoring Results Unchanged
Real-time monitoring resumed about 1:30 p.m. on 01/04/2009 and air particulates continue to be less than the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. We received analytical results for 12/31/2008 for four samplers located on-site and for 01/01/2009 for five samplers located in residential areas immediately adjacent to the plant. All of the samples indicate that concentrations of all metals analyzed are below detection limits.
TVA met with TDEC-Air Pollution Control staff to discuss TVA’s air sampling plan and fugitive dust control plan.
Analytical results for air samples taken on January 2 in residential areas immediately adjacent to the plant are now in. These results indicate that concentrations of all metals analyzed are below detection limits.
Water Sampling Continues
Untreated river water samples closest to the Kingston water treatment plant continue to meet requirements for primary drinking water standards.
All EPA, TDEC and TVA water treatment plant sampling results indicate municipal drinking water continues to be safe. Each agency is using certified labs for the analysis. Water samples have been tested from four local water treatment facilities, Rockwood, Harriman, Cumberland and Kingston.
TDEC is sampling the Kingston and Rockwood Water Plant intakes and processed water through mid-January. These samples will be taken daily and analyzed for Safe Drinking Water Act standards. The analysis will be performed by the Tennessee Department of Health Laboratory in Nashville. The laboratory data is released by TDEC.
To date, TDEC has sampled 26 private groundwater wells within a four mile radius of the plant. Results for 22 wells came back and all were within safe drinking water standards. TDEC will continue well sampling on Tuesday, January 6, and will contact residents as results become available. Those members of the public within this vicinity who desire to have their drinking water ground wells tested should call (865) 594-6035 to schedule. (This is a change from the 717-4006 number.)
TVA is collecting river water samples on a Monday- Wednesday-Friday schedule to track ash content over time and in various locations. Surface water samples were collected again yesterday from the 10 sites along the Emory, Clinch, and Tennessee Rivers because the area received greater than a half-inch of rain.
Cenospheres Collected
The residue floating on top of the water is called cenospheres.
Cenospheres are inert, hollow balls of sand-like material. Cenospheres are created in a coal-fired boiler when molten ash solidifies around a bubble of flue gas to form a hollow sphere. The gas bubble allows cenospheres to be so lightweight that the particles float on water and are typically collected by skimming the surface of an ash pond.
15 tons of cenospheres have been collected to date.
Read more on the fact sheet. (PDF, 102 kb)
Radioactivity in Ash Samples Not a Problem
Ash samples, as well as a sample of soil from an unaffected area, were taken on December 29 and 30 in the Kingston area and analyzed for radioactivity. The final analysis confirms the conclusion that the radioactive material present is mostly naturally occurring and is similar to what we would normally find in soil in the Tennessee Valley area. It is also representative of what would be expected in coal ash.
Read more in the fact sheet. (PDF, 71 kb)
Community Assistance
TVA continues to assist residents affected by the incident and continues to attend meetings with homeowner and community groups to answer their questions and listen to their concerns.
- TVA has activated a phone number, (800) 257-2675, for property owners to call if they need an assessment of property damages
- A TVA Outreach Center has opened Tuesday, January 6, at 509 North Kentucky Street in Kingston to report damages of any kind. This may include property, loss of business or other types. The center will be open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The local phone number for the Outreach Center is (865) 632-1700. If residents are unable to come to the center, they can call (800) 257-2675 to report their claims.
- All other members of the public should continue to use (865) 717-4006 with their questions or concerns.
Four community outreach teams continue to visit 10–15 homeowners in the affected areas each day.
Airborne Ash Dust Control
To minimize dust and erosion, TVA began spreading grass seed and fertilizer Saturday. Aerial seeding continued today, with 26 tons of grass seed and fertilizer dropped by helicopter. A total of 47 tons has been dropped since Saturday. Two hundred thirteen total acres will be seeded by helicopter. Application of the liquid stabilizing agent was completed today. A total of 26–27 acres have been covered.
This is a temporary measure for controlling dust and erosion. Long term recovery efforts will continue. For more information, please see the ash dust control fact sheet.
The undisturbed portion of the ash cell is being treated with a liquid dust suppression agent via truck and sprayer. The internal portion of the spilled material is being sprayed with seed and fertilizer, followed by straw. This is being applied via helicopter. The perimeter of the spill is being sprayed with seed, fertilizer and straw from an amphibious vehicle. This will be applied manually from an amphibious vehicle in order to protect property and possessions. This process is similar to the one used by highway departments to provide ground cover.
For the area around Swan Pond Road where work is continuing, the ash will be sprayed with water.
The ash is mostly inert and breathing fly ash for a short period of time is unlikely to be a health concern. Breathing particulates (fly ash or other airborne particulates) over long periods of time can irritate the respiratory system. TVA is taking measures to reduce the amount of airborne dust that may arise in the future.
Roadway and Railway Cleanup
Public access on Swan Pond Road past the Kingston plant and Swan Pond Circle remain closed except for construction as TVA removes material off the roads. Safety is the priority for anyone entering the area. Currently, there is no estimate for when the road will reopen for public use.
TVA has completed the process of rebuilding the railroad base and the railroad is setting the tracks.
Soil Sampling
Preliminary testing of the offsite soil samples show that toxic metals are well below (on the order of 10–100 times) the limits for classification as a hazardous waste. The trace concentrations of toxic metals in the offsite material sampled are consistent with and generally lower than that of the historic sampling results from the ash dredge cell that collapsed. The data shows that the concentrations of most metals in the deposited ash are not dramatically different from concentrations found in natural, non-agricultural soils in Tennessee, with the exception of arsenic. Total arsenic results were above the average naturally occurring, but well below levels found in soils that are well fertilized and significantly below the limits to be classifies as a hazardous waste.
Emory and Clinch Rivers
The Emory River remains closed from mile marker zero through mile marker 4. The Kingston Fossil Plant Boat Ramp and fishing area has also been closed due to large equipment being moved into the area for clean-up. Coast Guard and TVA Police marine units are assisting with security in the area.
Work is complete on a rock weir built on the Emory River, just north of the existing intake skimmer weir. The weir is about 615 feet long. The weir will allow water to continue flowing, but will contain the ash. TVA is coordinating with the Corps of Engineers to address the dredging process on the Emory River in the vicinity of the release.
A second weir is being designed and when complete will confine the ash and keep it from entering the river during the river dredging process. This approximately 2000-foot rock weir will extend from Swan Pond Circle south to the plant river bank.
General Information
Two of the nine units at Kingston are operating today. The other seven units are shutdown due to reduced demand for electricity as the relatively mild weather remains in the Tennessee Valley.
TVA, TDEC and EPA continue to work together to develop a long range sampling plan for air, water and soil.
Kingston Fossil Plant
Kingston Fossil Plant is located at the confluence of the Emory and Clinch Rivers near Kingston, Tennessee.
-
Kingston is one of TVA’s larger fossil plants. It generates 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to supply the needs of about 670,000 homes in the Tennessee Valley.
-
Plant construction began in 1951 and was completed in 1955.
For more information about Kingston fossil plant, please visit the Kingston overview page.