KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is considering building facilities in Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky to process coal combustion residuals (CCR) for beneficial use.
The TVA is seeking public comments on an environmental review for the facilities, which would be built at former and existing TVA coal-fired power plant sites. They are considering 10 of their 12 coal plants for the processing facilities, including Bull Run , Kingston, John Sevier, Gallatin, Cumberland and Johnsonville Fossil Plants in Tennessee, Shawnee and Paradise Fossil Plant s in Kentucky and Colbert and Widows Creek Fossil Plants in Alabama.
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Currently, only four TVA coal plants (Cumberland, Gallatin, Kingston , and Shawnee) are generating power. The Kingston Fossil Plan is in the process of moving from coal to natural gas .
Coal combustion residuals, or CCR, are byproducts from burning coal for electricity, including coal ash and gypsum. The facilities aim to reduce the amount of CCR stored in landfills by processing it for use in construction products like concrete and drywall. This is a part of TVA’s efforts to use CCR instead of storing it in landfills. Over the past five years, TVA reports that nearly 70% of CCR produced were beneficially used…