KNOXVILLE, TN – The Tennessee Valley Authority is inviting the public to comment on an environmental review of options for addressing any groundwater protection standard impacts at one or more of TVA’s active or closed coal-fired fossil plants. This broad review will help TVA respond quickly, consistently, and effectively to address any localized impacts while also meeting state and federal requirements.
TVA has prepared a draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA), under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), available at www.tva.com/nepa. TVA is examining five possible approaches in the PEA – from taking no action, to using advanced treatment methods, and combining several corrective actions. TVA has developed new guidance to understand how different groundwater protection measures could work at various sites.
The scope of the proposed action includes 12 TVA properties, either active or closed coal-fired fossil plants, where coal combustion residuals, or CCR, are stored. CCR are the byproducts of burning coal for electricity, including coal ash and gypsum.
Comments must be received or postmarked no later than Sept. 17, 2025. Comments may be submitted online, by mail to Brittany Kunkle, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT-11B-K, Knoxville, TN 37902, or via email to nepa@tva.gov. To ensure your comments are correctly dispositioned, please specify the project (“Groundwater PEA”) with your submission. Any comments received, including names and addresses, will become part of the administrative record and subject to public inspection.
Media Release/Scott Brooks/TVA
