TDEC Releases Advisory Board Report on TVA Kingston Failure
Tuesday, December 01, 2009 | 06:10am
Report Outlines Areas in Need of Improvement; Provides Recommendations
NASHVILLE - Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke and Deputy Commissioner Paul Sloan announced today the receipt of a report by the Advisory Board put in place by Environment and Conservation following the TVA Kingston coal ash spill.
The report is titled, “Lessons Learned from the TVA Kingston Dredge Cell Containment Facility Failure: TDEC Advisory Board Recommendations for Safe Performance.” It outlines the primary issues found at the TVA Kingston facility, discusses the ongoing evaluation of other TVA facilities, weighs in on the Root Cause Analysis initially published by AECOM in June 2009, and makes several recommendations for future management of coal ash in Tennessee.
“Immediately following the Kingston spill, Governor Bredesen directed us to review all regulations regarding coal ash management in Tennessee to determine how they need to evolve,” said Fyke. “The recommendations made by this group will assist the department as we continue to move forward in that effort. We appreciate their expertise and dedicated service to our state.”
Advisory Board members include:
- Lyle Bentley, TDEC Division of Water Supply - Safe Dams Program, P.E.
- Steve Jacoby, Benham Consultants, P.E.
- Richard Kramer, Benham Consultants, P.E.
- Glen Pugh, TDEC Division of Solid Waste Management
- Saya Qualls, TDEC Division of Water Pollution Control, P.E.
- Karrie Jo Shell, Environmental Protection Agency – Region IV, P.E.
- Dr. Bruce Tschantz, Professor Emeritus, University of Tennessee – Knoxville, P.E.
Members reviewed available information regarding the Kingston failure, attended TVA briefings, performed site visits and assessed TVA processes to establish lessons learned and develop the recommendations outlined in the report.
“The department is reviewing our rules and regulations regarding coal ash management with an eye toward the Advisory Board’s recommendations,” said Sloan. “We will use this information, as well as any new federal regulations put in place by EPA, to meet the Governor’s directive and ensure coal ash is safely managed in Tennessee into the future.”
The TDEC Advisory Board’s report and recommendations can be found on Environment and Conservation’s TVA Kingston Update page at www.tn.gov/environment/kingston.
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