Cumberland Fossil Plant Coal Combustion Residuals Management Operations
| Published date | 15 October 2019 |
| Citation | 84 FR 55207 |
| Record Number | 2019-22440 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Tennessee Valley Authority |
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 199 (Tuesday, October 15, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 199 (Tuesday, October 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55207-55208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22440]
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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
Cumberland Fossil Plant Coal Combustion Residuals Management
Operations
AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority.
ACTION: Amended Record of Decision.
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SUMMARY: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is amending its June 7,
2018 Record of Decision (ROD) for the Cumberland Fossil Plant Coal
Combustion Residuals Management Operations Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS). The 2018 ROD indicated TVA's intent to construct and
operate a bottom ash dewatering facility, process water basins, and an
onsite landfill at the Cumberland Fossil Plant (CUF). During the design
and permitting process, limitations were encountered which required a
shift in the onsite landfill's location. Additionally, TVA proposes to
use the future onsite landfill as a repository for both existing and
future CCR, rather than using the existing Fly Ash Stack as the storage
facility for existing CCR. In August 2019, TVA completed a supplemental
review, analyzing the potential impacts of the proposed landfill shift.
This amended ROD incorporates TVA's decisions relating to the
modifications.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: W. Douglas White, NEPA Project
Manager, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive,
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902; Telephone: 865-632-2252 or Email:
[email protected]. The Final EIS, this amended Record of Decision (ROD)
and other project documents are available on TVA's website https://www.tva.gov/nepa nepa.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is provided in accordance with
the Council on Environmental Quality's regulations and the TVA
procedures for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act. On
June 7, 2018, TVA published in the Federal Register (68 FR 53421) its
ROD for the Cumberland Fossil Plant Coal Combustion Residuals
Management Operations Final Environmental Impact Statement. The Final
EIS identified Alternative C as TVA's preferred alternative, which
includes the construction and operation of a Bottom Ash Dewatering
Facility, closure-in-place of the Bottom Ash Impoundment, and a
combination of closure-in-place and closure-by-removal of the Main Ash
Impoundment and Stilling Impoundment. The portion of the Main Ash
Impoundment and Stilling Impoundment that would be closed-by-removal
would be repurposed as Process Water Basin 1 and Process Water Basin 2,
respectively. The CCR that is removed from the impoundments would be
transported to an existing onsite landfill (Fly Ash Stack). TVA elected
to further consider options regarding the location for the permanent
disposal of CCR excavated from these impoundments to support
construction of the process water basins. In addition, TVA would
construct an onsite landfill to manage future dry CCR produced at CUF.
TVA's CCR disposal areas at CUF, including the impoundments, are
subject to the 2015 Commissioner's Order entered by the Tennessee
Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). Investigations at
CUF under that TDEC Order are ongoing. Therefore, TVA elected to
further consider the proposed in-place closure of the Bottom Ash
Impoundment and a portion of the Main Ash Impoundment before making a
decision on closure of these facilities to allow the execution of the
requirements of the TDEC Order to guide closure activities to the
maximum extent possible.
As described in the Final EIS and subsequent ROD, TVA intends to
construct and operate a new CCR landfill approximately 1.2 miles
southwest of the plant site on CUF property. The approximately 80-acre
landfill would have a total estimated capacity of 14.3 million cubic
yards which provides adequate CCR storage for long-range planning
purposes. TVA has decided to consider the future onsite CCR landfill
for permanent storage of the CCR removed from a portion of the Main Ash
Impoundment and Stilling Impoundment to support construction of the
process water basins.
In addition, in consultation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
and TDEC, TVA has proposed a revised design of the future onsite CCR
landfill that avoids direct impacts to surface water features
associated with impoundments within the landfill boundary. This revised
design includes the relocation of the proposed stormwater basin and the
replacement of the proposed leachate impoundment with a leachate tank
farm. However, the relocation of these facilities required additional
area outside the boundary reviewed in the Final EIS. Additionally,
[[Page 55208]]
some areas along the eastern portion of the project area that were
included in the original landfill boundary would no longer be needed to
support development of the landfill. The revised landfill boundary
encompasses a total of approximately 242 acres, compared to the
original 174 acres, resulting in a net change of approximately 68 acres
of additional disturbance.
In August 2019, TVA completed a supplemental review providing an
analysis of potential impacts associated with the proposed change in
the future onsite CCR landfill boundary and the use of this onsite
landfill as a repository for both existing and future CCR rather than
using the Fly Ash Stack (as originally proposed) as the storage
facility for existing CCR. TVA now amends the June 2018 ROD (Federal
Register Vol. 83, No. 110) to incorporate the revised proposal. By this
notice, TVA is providing notification of its decision and agency
reasoning.
Environmental Consequences
In the Supplemental Analysis, TVA adopted the analysis in the 2018
Cumberland Fossil Plant Coal Combustion Residuals Management Operations
Final EIS and provided supplemental analysis of the potential impacts
with the proposed change in the future onsite CCR landfill boundary, in
addition to using this new landfill as a repository for both existing
and future CCR. The 2018 Final EIS identified that existing CCR would
be placed in the Fly Ash Stack.
The proposed changes to the landfill location would increase the
project's footprint by 68 acres. The proposed change would impact an
additional 66 acres of low quality summer roosting and foraging habitat
for threatened and endangered bats. An additional 2.0 acres of wetlands
is within the revised project boundary. While additional water features
were identified within the revised landfill boundary, the stormwater
impoundment would be relocated and the leachate impoundment would be
replaced by a tank system, therefore avoiding direct stream impacts.
The remaining resources analyzed in the 2018 FEIS, including air
quality, geology, groundwater, cultural and historic resources, public
health and safety, parks and recreation, natural areas, visual
resources, and socioeconomics and environmental justice, would see no
additional impacts as a result of this increase.
Impacts to additional environmental resources would be slightly
higher than those discussed in the 2018 Final EIS as well. However, the
impacts would be minor and do not alter the overall impact findings and
conclusions of the 2018 Final EIS.
Amended Decision
TVA has decided to amend the June 7, 2018 ROD to incorporate the
proposed change in the future onsite CCR landfill boundary and the use
of this onsite landfill as a repository for both existing and future
CCR. The proposed action would result in additional impacts to
resources than those reviewed in the 2018 Final EIS. However, the
impacts would be minor and do not alter the overall impact finding and
conclusions of the Final EIS.
Mitigation Measures
The June 7, 2018 ROD lists mitigation measures associated with the
Cumberland Fossil Plant Coal Combustion Residuals Management Operations
Final EIS to reduce adverse impacts associated with the proposed
actions. These mitigation measures will remain in effect and are listed
below. No new mitigation measures were identified during the
supplemental analysis.
A TDEC Aquatic Resources Alteration Permit and U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers 404 permit will be required for disturbance to
wetlands and stream features, and the terms and conditions of these
permits would likely require mitigation for these proposed activities.
TVA will adhere to all conditions stipulated in these permits.
TVA will implement groundwater mitigation measures that
could include monitoring, assessment, or corrective action programs as
mandated by state and federal requirements. The CCR Rule and state
requirements provide an additional layer of groundwater protection to
minimize risk.
TVA will coordinate with the Tennessee Department of
Transportation and Stewart County transportation officials as needed to
develop appropriate mitigation measures to reduce localized temporary
transportation effects.
Potential impacts to Wells Creek and/or Scott Branch from
landfill leachate and stormwater discharges will be mitigated as
required to meet permit requirements.
Forested land within the proposed landfill project area is
of low summer roosting quality for threatened and endangered bats,
although it may be used as a foraging area. Section 7 consultation with
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been completed. No tree removal
would occur between June 1 and July 31 to avoid any potential direct
impact to juvenile bats at a time when they are unable to fly.
TVA executed a memorandum of agreement with the Tennessee
State Historic Preservation Officer to address the adverse effects of
National Register of Historic Places listed site 40SW219.
Authority: 40 CFR 1505.2.
Dated: October 4, 2019.
Robert M. Deacy, Sr.,
Senior Vice President Generation Construction, Projects & Services.
[FR Doc. 2019-22440 Filed 10-11-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-08-P
