Virtual open house goes on; critics of TVA to meet

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — TVA is extending the availability of its first virtual open house through Friday, Aug. 7, at this link: tvavirtual.com/oakridge.

The virtual platform, which launched July 23, allows visitors to experience a “walk through” of stations, with TVA’s perspectives and updates on its Bull Run Fossil Plant and its mission in general. Visitors can then leave comments or questions as they leave the room on the website.

Among the issues shown in the virtual presentation are ongoing environmental tests at the site in nearby waterways and ideas for future developments on the site, including a planned substation near Haw Ridge Park in Oak Ridge.

TVA has previously stated it plans to close the Bull Run Fossil Plant by 2023. At the open house, TVA included what it called a “potential” re-development timeline, with decisions on coal ash storage “under the direction” of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation happening in 2022 and 2023. In 2024 the demolition and deconstruction would start and the final closure of coal ash “if stored in place” would be in 2028. The utility stated this schedule would be longer if TVA decides to ship the coal ash from its current areas, near Claxton Community Park and the Clinch River, to somewhere else, rather than sealing it where it is.

Boycott and Zoom

The event drew calls for a boycott from the group Bull Run Neighbors. That group plans to host a Zoom meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, on TVA's plans for repurposing the Bull Run site.

An email from that group’s member John Todd Waterman on Thursday, July 23, stated the meeting will be “hopefully with TVA's direct participation.

“Unlike TVA's virtual ‘Open House’ … our Zoom will allow everyone to question, comment on, and discuss publicly, in real time, TVA's virtual placards and public relations materials and also its plans to leave in place millions of tons of already-leaking, toxic coal ash unless required (or sufficiently pressured) to remove it,” he said.

Coal ash has raised contention from environmental groups, Claxton and Oak Ridge residents and even Anderson County Commission members in recent years. TVA has yet to commit to any final plans for its coal ash from all the years of operating Bull Run Fossil Plant. Currently it keeps coal ash and gypsum in various places including near Melton Hill Lake and behind Claxton Community Park.

The utility has stopped pursuing permits related to a coal ash landfill on other land in Claxton. It has also pitched, but not committed to, the idea of keeping the coal ash in its current storage areas, while covering it with solar panels. A rendering showing those solar panels’ location is in the open house and has been published multiple times in The Oak Ridger.

The Bull Run neighbors group includes various East Tennessee residents.

“We are a grassroots coalition of community members, organizations, and county officials dedicated to protecting our communities from the effects of toxic coal ash and engaging the public in decisions around the closure of the Bull Run Fossil Plant,” the group’s spring newsletter stated.

Members include Bob Hertwig, Axel Ringe, Kent Minault,  Waterman, Sharon Todd, Adam Hughes, Shannon Newport, Lloyd and Stacy Jollay, Bonnie Swinford, Bri Knisley, Jeanette Berry, Julie Bledsoe, Maggie Longmire, Jack Meyer and Isabella Killius.The zoom link for the meeting is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82508685635?pwd=U2gxaEZLanBFRktpM1c4RGZrYWVZdz09 and the phone number in case you need to call is (301) 715-8592; with personal identification number 461070#.

Dispute over water issues

Bull Run Neighbors and TVA have already expressed disagreement in their own statements on the issue of Bull Run Fossil Plant’s effect on drinking water.

A video at TVA’s open house stated some TVA groundwater tests showed high levels of certain chemicals in test wells near the plant, as The Oak Ridger previously reported. The video claimed various TVA tests of The Clinch River hadn’t shown negative effects. It stated that utilities with water intakes have done their own measurements of water quality and shown “no impact from coal ash or other operations at Bull Run.”

Bull Run Neighbors, however, stated in its most recent newsletter that the Hallsdale-Powell utility district has reportedly had high levels of certain substances. It stated the levels of Manganese in 2018 through 2019 had an upper range above the Environmental Protection Agency limit, and also cited from 2013 higher than EPA allowed levels of hexavalent chromium, vanadium and strontium, all of which the newsletter stated have negative health effects.

“Many known harmful chemicals and elements from coal ash are not tested for in drinking water, but they have been found in the groundwater surrounding Bull Run,” the newsletter stated.

TVA Responds

TVA responds

On Sept. 11, 2019, TVA asked that the following information be added to this published story:

"We are deeply disappointed that the Bull Run Neighbors group is sharing inaccurate data with our community about the quality of HPUD’s drinking water and is irresponsibly suggesting that it is due to activity at the Bull Run Fossil Plant. We take seriously our respective roles and responsibilities to protect public health and the environment and to provide safe drinking water.

"HPUD water not only meets, but exceeds, all State and Federal Drinking Water Standards and is safe. HPUD’s raw water intake on Bull Run Creek is located upstream of TVA’s Bull Run Fossil Plant, which means raw water enters HPUD’s intake before it flows towards the Bull Run site. Further, TVA maintains robust monitoring at the plant to ensure we are not negatively impacting natural resources and we remain in regulatory compliance.

"We will never waiver from our commitment to protecting water resources and ensuring there is clean water to drink. We encourage community members to reach out to us if they have any questions or concerns about their drinking water or about the Bull Run Fossil Plant."

Substation

The TVA open house includes a video of a computer-generated rendering of TVA’s planned substation.

It will be near Haw Ridge Park, but on land TVA already owns.

“Due to the scheduled closure of the plant in 2023, TVA needs to upgrade the transmission system to ensure power supply to the area remains reliable,” the utility has stated on its official website. The plant will be across the Clinch River from the current Bull Run Fossil Plan site and south of Edgemoor Road. TVA spokesman Scott Brooks told The Oak Ridger earlier tree removal has already started on the site. Documents shared at the Open House stated the grading and foundation work at the site won’t begin until fall this year. Construction is scheduled to begin in late spring and early summer of 2021. The project will be “in service” fall 2023.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson has expressed concerns about the substation, including whether construction would violate city noise ordinances. TVA responded that noise louder than what the city’s zoning ordinance allows would be “infrequent and short term.” Watson also asked TVA to “define” its efforts to avoid impact to wildlife in the area. The TVA response stated animals would likely head into surrounding areas and some might even return to the area after the construction.

The city released documents related to Watson’s comments to The Oak Ridger on request as The Oak Ridger has previously reported. They are not part of the open house.

Ben Pounds is a staff reporter for The Oak Ridger. Call him at (865) 441-2317 and follow him on Twitter @Bpoundsjournal.