KNOXVILLE, TENN. –(ENEWSPF)–August 27, 2015.  The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) issued its notice for a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to address the closure of coal combustion residual impoundments at its coal-fired power plants.

In response, Jonathan Levenshus, Senior Campaign Representative for the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign in Tennessee, released the following statement:

“This is a step in the right direction for TVA. Coal ash contains high levels of heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and mercury, and many TVA impoundments lack safeguards like pollution liners and leachate collection systems, leaving communities at risk from groundwater contamination.

“We urge TVA to put in place a strong plan that will protect public health and the environment, and that will ensure coal ash is disposed of and monitored properly, now and in the future. This is particularly true as TVA’s own Integrated Resource Plan shows that transitioning to cleaner energy sources that don’t produce toxic coal ash in the first place not only protects the environment, but saves money, too.”  

Source: www.sierraclub.org