Gallatin Fossil Plant Surface Impoundment Closure and Restoration Project Environmental Impact Statement
| Published date | 28 September 2020 |
| Citation | 85 FR 60862 |
| Record Number | 2020-21076 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Tennessee Valley Authority |
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 188 (Monday, September 28, 2020)
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 188 (Monday, September 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60862-60866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21076]
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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
Gallatin Fossil Plant Surface Impoundment Closure and Restoration
Project Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority.
ACTION: Record of decision.
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SUMMARY: This notice is provided in accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality's regulations and Tennessee Valley Authority's
(TVA's) procedures for implementing the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA). TVA has decided to adopt the Preferred Alternative
identified in the Gallatin Fossil Plant (GAF) Surface Impoundment
Closure and Restoration Project Environmental Impact Statement. The
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was made available to the
public on August 7, 2020. A Notice of Availability of the Final EIS was
published in the Federal Register on August 14, 2020. The Preferred
Alternative is ``Closure of the Ash Pond Complex (APC) via Closure-by-
Removal and Expansion of the Existing Onsite Landfill.'' This
alternative would achieve the purpose and need of the project to
support the implementation of TVA's goal to eliminate all wet Coal
Combustion Residuals (CCR) storage at its coal plants by closing CCR
surface impoundments across the TVA system and to comply with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's CCR Rule and other applicable federal
and state statutes and regulations. The proposed actions would also
provide long-term onsite landfill space for operations and/or storage
of CCR.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Smith, Tennessee Valley
Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT11B-K, Knoxville, Tennessee
37902, or by email [email protected]. The Final EIS, this Record of
Decision (ROD) and other project documents are available on TVA's
website https://www.tva.gov/nepa.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: TVA is a corporate agency of the United
States that provides electricity for business customers and local power
distributors serving more than 10 million people in an 80,000 square
mile area comprised of most of Tennessee and parts of Virginia, North
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky. TVA receives no
taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of
electricity. In addition to operation of its power system, TVA provides
flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River
system and assists local power companies and state and local
governments with economic development and job creation.
GAF was built between 1953 and 1959 and operates four coal-fired,
steam-generating units. Four combustion turbine (CT) units were added
to GAF in the 1970s, and another four were added in 2000. The plant
generates about seven billion kilowatt-hours of electric power in a
typical year, which is enough electrical energy to meet the needs of
approximately 480,000 homes. The plant consumes an average of 3.5
million tons of coal per year, which results in the annual production
of approximately 255,000 tons of CCR.
TVA has prepared an EIS pursuant to NEPA to assess the
environmental impacts associated with several projects to facilitate
long-term management of CCR at GAF which include the following.
Surface impoundment closures of the Ash Pond Complex (APC)
which includes Ash Pond A, Ash Pond E, Middle Pond A, Bottom Ash Pond,
and stilling ponds.
Permanent disposition of CCR from the surface
impoundments, including CCR previously removed from the Bottom Ash Pond
that may be temporarily stockpiled in the existing onsite landfill, as
well as de minimis amounts of CCR proposed to be removed from the
stilling ponds.
Construction of a lateral expansion of the existing onsite
landfill.
Location requirements analysis for a beneficial re-use
processing facility.
Disposal of CCR materials not usable by a beneficial re-
use processing facility in either the onsite landfill or an offsite
landfill.
TVA estimates that approximately 11,945,000 yd\3\ of CCR is located
within the APC at GAF. TVA has evaluated the location requirements and
environmental impacts associated with the potential construction and
operation of an offsite proposed beneficial re-use processing facility
that would be used to process CCR from GAF. TVA also considered
potential impacts associated with the transport of CCR from GAF to an
offsite beneficial re-use processing facility and an offsite landfill.
Although a site has currently not been identified, TVA also conducted a
supplemental NEPA analysis of two potential sites on the GAF
Reservation for use by a beneficial re-use processing facility.
With a long-standing commitment to safe and reliable operations and
to environmental stewardship, TVA began, in 2009, to convert from wet
to dry management of CCR. On April 17, 2015, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) published the Final Disposal of Coal Combustion
Residuals from Electric Utilities rule (CCR Rule) in the Federal
Register (80 Federal Register 21302). The CCR Rule establishes national
criteria and schedules for the management and closure of CCR
facilities.
In June of 2016, TVA issued a Final Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement (PEIS) that analyzed methods
[[Page 60863]]
for closing impoundments that hold CCR materials at TVA fossil plants
and identified specific screening and evaluation factors to help frame
its evaluation of closures at additional facilities. The purpose of the
PEIS was to support TVA's goal to eliminate all wet CCR storage at its
coal plants by closing CCR surface impoundments across TVA's system and
to assist TVA in complying with the EPA's CCR Rule.
The proposed action at GAF tiers from the PEIS. The purpose,
therefore, is to address the disposition of CCR onsite at GAF, to
support the implementation of TVA's goal to eliminate all wet CCR
storage at its coal plants by closing CCR surface impoundments across
the TVA system, and to assist TVA in complying with EPA's CCR Rule and
other applicable federal and state statutes and regulations. The
proposed actions would also provide long-term onsite landfill space for
operations and/or storage of CCR.
Alternatives Considered
TVA considered two alternatives in the Draft EIS and Final EIS with
two options for disposal and transport of CCR. These alternatives are:
Alternative A--No Action Alternative. Under the No Action
Alternative, TVA would not close any of the surface impoundments
(neither in-place nor by removal), would not construct an expansion of
the existing onsite landfill, and would not complete any restorative
actions at GAF. Under the No Action Alternative, all plant process
wastewaters would be handled through the flow management system, which
includes the bottom ash dewatering facility. The stilling ponds would
continue to receive storm water. TVA would continue safety inspections
of structural elements to maintain stability, and all surface
impoundments would be subject to continued care and maintenance
activities. Under the No Action Alternative, TVA would also continue
its groundwater monitoring program at GAF until groundwater protection
standards are reached or as required under TVA's agreement with the
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) [i.e.,
approved Corrective Action/Risk Assessment Plan (CARA Plan)].
The No Action Alternative provides a baseline for potential changes
to environmental resources; however, the alternative is inconsistent
with TVA's plans to convert all of its wet CCR systems to dry systems.
The No Action Alternative also would be inconsistent with EPA's CCR
Rule and TVA's commitments to the State of Tennessee and TDEC.
Consequently, this alternative would not satisfy the project purpose
and need and, therefore, is not considered viable or reasonable. It
does, however, provide a benchmark for comparing the environmental
impacts of implementation of Alternative B.
Alternative B--Closure of the APC via Closure-by-Removal and
Expansion of the Existing Onsite Landfill. Under Alternative B, TVA
would remove the CCR from the APC via Closure-by-Removal and construct
a lateral expansion of the existing onsite landfill. In addition to CCR
located in the impoundments, any CCR that may have been previously
removed from the Bottom Ash Pond in conjunction with a previous GAF
wastewater project, and that may be temporarily stockpiled in the
existing onsite landfill, would also be removed.
The primary actions under Alternative B that TVA is considering at
GAF consist of closure of the surface impoundments that make up the APC
and expansion of the existing onsite landfill. Closure of the APC will
require stabilization of ponded areas and removal of CCR material and
underlying soil within the impoundment footprint. Specific closure
activities would include:
Dewatering
Clearing and grubbing
Karst remediation, if necessary
Excavation of ash using a tracked excavator and staging CCR
material
Mechanical moisture conditioning the excavated ash by dumping,
scooping, and windrowing the ash within the existing footprint of the
impoundment until it is sufficiently dried for hauling
Storm water management
Over-excavation of soil within the impoundment footprint
Hauling dry ash and soil to the onsite permitted landfill or
beneficial re-use processing facility
Following excavation activities, lower portions of the APC would be
converted to storm water management basins with appropriate approvals.
The stilling ponds would continue to receive storm water from existing
offsite areas north and east of the ponds and could continue to receive
storm water runoff from the restored pond area. Upon completion of
closure activities, the site would be graded and vegetated to provide
appropriate surface water management.
To facilitate the construction activities associated with closing
the surface impoundments, an approximately 31-acre area located between
the NRL Landfill and Ash Pond A would be used for laydown, access, and
logistical purposes. This laydown/logistical use area would support
equipment storage, material stockpiles, construction trailer placement,
and would provide direct access for excavation and dewatering equipment
to the APC.
Closure of the surface impoundments may entail the addition of
borrow material to achieve proposed finished grades and provide a
suitable medium to support restoration of the former impoundment with
approved, non-invasive seed mixes designed to quickly establish
desirable vegetation. Suitable borrow material would be obtained from
the TVA-owned permitted borrow site located 1.5 miles northwest of the
fossil plant.
The existing onsite landfill at GAF, the 52-acre NRL Landfill, is a
Class II disposal facility that went into service in 2016. The NRL
Landfill has a permitted disposal capacity of approximately 6.8 million
yd\3\ and is currently utilized for disposal of CCR produced by GAF
operations. The NRL Landfill does not have the capacity for storage of
the estimated 11.9 million yd\3\ of CCR contained in the APC.
Therefore, TVA is proposing to permit and develop an expansion of the
NRL Landfill to store the CCR currently contained in the APC. The
expansion would be of sufficient size to store ash removed from these
surface impoundments and would also provide additional storage capacity
to supplement the capacity of the NRL Landfill.
The lateral landfill expansion, referred to as the South Rail Loop
(SRL) Landfill, will contain a 130-acre disposal area adjacent to the
NRL Landfill with an approximate landfill volume of 17.2 million yd\3\.
The estimated capacity provides adequate storage capacity for CCR
removed from the surface impoundments at GAF. Construction of the
landfill expansion would require the disturbance of 174 acres of
primarily undeveloped land and previously developed areas associated
with plant operations. Landfill development in this location would also
require disturbance of streams, wetlands, and cemeteries. Other
ancillary facilities and actions affected by landfill development
include:
Relocation of a communications tower and ammonia sensor,
the closure and remediation of a decommissioned firearms
range,
demolition of existing conference center/facilities building,
and
development of an office complex facility.
[[Page 60864]]
Under Alternative B, TVA is considering two options for disposal of
CCR removed from the APC. Option 1, CCR removed from surface
impoundments would be transported via onsite haul roads and placed in
either the existing onsite NRL Landfill, an expansion of the existing
landfill (SRL Landfill), or a combination of these landfills.
Under Option 2, CCR would be transported to an offsite beneficial
re-use processing facility to be processed for use in concrete and
other marketable materials. Under Option 2, some of the CCR may be
unusable for beneficial re-use and would be disposed of in either the
onsite landfill or transported to an existing offsite landfill
previously permitted to receive CCR. TVA estimates that a minimum of
80% of CCR in the APC, or approximately 800,000 yd\3\ per year, could
be beneficially re-used, with the remaining CCR, up to 200,000 yd\3\
per year, transported to a landfill for disposal.
No specific provider of the beneficiation services or the specific
site in which a beneficial re-use processing facility would be
constructed has been developed at this time. However, TVA recognizes
that such a facility would be constructed and operated because TVA has
the necessary raw materials (i.e., CCR) to make such a facility viable.
It is expected that such a facility would be sited and constructed
within 10 miles of GAF or the nearest interstate system serving the GAF
area to facilitate efficient transport of CCR. TVA has developed
information to characterize the beneficiation facility and its
associated processes to support an analysis of environmental impacts of
such a facility in conjunction with Alternative B (Option 2). Because a
specific site for the potential beneficial re-use processing facility
has not been identified, impacts of this option to process CCR from GAF
are based on a bounding analysis of the characteristics of a
representative beneficial re-use processing facility.
Environmentally Preferred Alternative
Alternative A--No Action would result in the lowest level of
environmental impacts as the impacts associated with closure of the
impoundments and disposal of CCR under Alternative B would be avoided.
However, Alternative A--No Action, does not meet the purpose and need
for the project. TVA's preferred alternative is Alternative B with
Option 1 as it would achieve the purpose and need of the project.
Alternative B would include the closure of the APC by removal and the
lateral expansion of the existing onsite landfill. Under Option 1, CCR
removed from surface impoundments would be transported via onsite haul
roads and placed in either the existing onsite NRL Landfill, an
expansion of the existing landfill (SRL Landfill), or a combination of
these landfills. Option 1 would result in minor impacts to the natural
environment primarily from the construction of the onsite landfill, but
these are not significant and are mitigated, as appropriate. Under
Option 1, air and noise emissions, transportation impacts, safety risks
and disruptions to the public that would be associated with the offsite
transport of CCR along public roadways are minimized relative to Option
2.
Removal of CCR from the impoundments would result in predominantly
minor impacts to the natural environment (surface water, floodplains,
vegetation, wildlife, aquatic ecology and wetlands), that would be
temporary and localized. Alternative B would provide a long-term
benefit to groundwater by the removal of the potential future source of
CCR constituents from the impoundments to groundwater. It would also
eliminate the potential interaction between the CCR and the uppermost
aquifer and eliminate new groundwater risk from groundwater
constituents of concern potentially migrating offsite.
No federal post-closure care measures are currently required as the
impoundments would be closed under the Closure-by-Removal option. State
requirements for post-closure care would be implemented as needed and
the CARA Plan would be implemented. TVA will implement supplemental
mitigative measures as required by TDEC, as well as its approved
closure plan, which could include additional groundwater monitoring,
assessment or corrective action programs. There would be only minor
short-term impacts to the natural environment associated with transport
of CCR to an offsite beneficial re-use processing facility or offsite
landfill.
Impacts to the human environment (air quality, climate change,
visual resources, land use, socioeconomics, and public and worker
safety) would be primarily related to closure activities and landfill
construction, and would be minor and short-term. Although the proposed
closure of the impoundments would have a minor impact on the regional
transportation system, there could be moderate localized impacts to low
volume roadways due to increased operations, construction workforce,
and borrow transport. There would be no effect to solid and hazardous
waste, although CCR previously managed in the impoundments at GAF would
be disposed in a permitted landfill.
Closure of the impoundments and expansion of the existing onsite
landfill could impact six cemeteries located within the GAF
reservation. Because of the potential importance of these cemeteries to
the surrounding community and to local history, and in order to respect
state law regarding cemeteries, TVA proposes to remove all graves in
the affected cemeteries and relocate them to a new burial ground in
consultation with the Tennessee State Historic Preservation Officer
(SHPO), federally-recognized Indian tribes, and interested members of
the Gallatin community. In consultation with the SHPO, TVA proposes
delineating the cemetery boundaries, generating accurate maps,
completing historical and genealogical research, engaging the community
in the cemetery relocation project, completing analyses of grave
contents, and installing signage or a marker. TVA would also ensure the
relocation cemetery preserves information about the original cemeteries
and is accessible to members of the public. These measures are further
stipulated in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that has been signed by
TVA and the SHPO. With the signing of the MOA, TVA may proceed with the
project under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Section 106
as long as TVA remains in compliance with the obligations set forth in
the MOA. After completing these steps, TVA would reinter all the graves
in the relocation cemetery with the original grave markers.
Under NHPA Section 106, TVA has consulted with the SHPO regarding
TVA's determination that five of the cemeteries are potentially
eligible for the NRHP. Under the MOA, TVA will carry out additional
investigations to more fully determine the cemeteries' NRHP
eligibility. These investigations will include informant interviews,
examinations of additional historical records, and a tabulation of the
remains found in disinterred graves. Should the investigations indicate
that any of the cemeteries to be relocated would qualify for inclusion
in the NRHP, TVA will make a finding of adverse effect, will consult
further with the SHPO and other consulting parties, and will perform
mitigation steps to resolve the adverse effect.
Decision
TVA has decided to implement the preferred alternative identified
in the Final EIS: Alternative B--Closure of the APC via Closure-by-
Removal and Expansion of the Existing Onsite
[[Page 60865]]
Landfill, with Option 1. This alternative would achieve the purpose and
need of the project. Option 2 would also meet the purpose and need and
would have similar impacts to Option 1; however, impacts related to air
emissions, noise emissions, transportation impacts, safety risks and
disruptions to the public that would be associated with the offsite
transport of CCR along public roadways would be greater. Although TVA
has chosen Option 1 for onsite CCR disposal at GAF, TVA is committed to
evaluating emerging technologies and best practices for beneficial re-
use of CCR and for handling/transportation of CCR in the future.
Public Involvement
On December 7, 2018, a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS to
address the closure of the APC and expansion of the existing landfill
at GAF was published in the Federal Register. In addition to the NOI in
the Federal Register, TVA published information about the review on
TVA's project website, notified the media, and sent notices to numerous
individuals, organizations, local and regional stakeholders,
governments and interested parties.
Public comments on the scope of the EIS were collected from
December 7, 2018 through January 11, 2019. TVA received 13 comment
submissions from members of the public and state and federal agencies.
Comments received on the proposed alternatives generally expressed
concern regarding onsite storage of CCR material and requested that it
be moved to an offsite location away from the Cumberland River or other
bodies of water. Other commenters stressed concerns regarding potential
risks to surface water and ground water quality in conjunction with the
disposition of CCR in the existing ash ponds. Comments also included
requests that the EIS include analysis of impacts to fish and wildlife
resources. Several commenters expressed a desire to close the ash ponds
by removal to reduce potential effects to sensitive resources and to
consider the closure of coal plants to be replaced with natural gas or
renewable energy. A comment was received requesting the EIS provide
more detail regarding the beneficiation process and its potential
issues relating to heavy metals. TVA considered these comments in the
preparation of the Final EIS.
TVA released the Draft EIS for public review on December 27, 2019.
A Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft EIS was published in the
Federal Register on January 4, 2020. Publication of the NOA in the
Federal Register opened the 45-day comment period, which ended on
February 18, 2020. To solicit public input, the availability of the
Draft EIS was announced in regional and local newspapers serving the
Gallatin area. The Draft EIS was posted on TVA's website, and hard
copies were made available by request. TVA hosted an open house meeting
to solicit public input on January 16, 2020, at the Gallatin Civic
Center in Gallatin, Tennessee to allow the public to attend at their
convenience and meet with TVA staff to discuss the project on an
informal basis.
TVA accepted comments submitted through mail, email, a comment form
on TVA's public website, and at the public meeting. TVA received 96
comment submissions from members of the public, organizations and state
and federal agencies. Comment submissions were carefully reviewed and
compiled into 127 specific comments which received responses. Most of
the comments received were of a general nature, such as the promotion
of clean air and water and environmental stewardship. Other comments
received were related to public health and safety, groundwater impacts,
sufficiency of the bounding analyses, beneficial re-use, cemetery
relocation, and consideration of impacts to communities requiring
environmental justice considerations. TVA provided responses to these
comments, made appropriate minor revisions to the Draft EIS and issued
the Final EIS. The NOA for the Final EIS was published in the Federal
Register on August 14, 2020.
Mitigation Measures
TVA will use appropriate best management practices (BMPs) during
all phases of closure of the APC and expansion of the existing onsite
landfill. Mitigation measures and actions taken to reduce adverse
impacts associated with the proposed action are detailed in the Final
EIS and include:
Standard BMPs will be applied during construction
activities to minimize environmental effects and would be implemented
by construction personnel or included in contract specifications.
A General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated
with Construction Activities TNR100000 or an Individual Construction
Storm Water Permit will be obtained and would require development of a
project-specific Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) in
accordance with the TDEC General Construction Storm Water permit and
the Tennessee Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook.
Erosion and sedimentation control BMPs described in The
Tennessee Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook--4th Edition and
outlined in the project-specific SWPPP will be implemented to minimize
erosion, protect surface waters and groundwater, and preserve soils and
geologic features during construction and site restoration activities.
Equipment washing and dust control discharges will be
handled in accordance with BMPs described in the Construction General
Permit's SWPPP or BMP Plan required by the site's NPDES Permit
TN0005428 to minimize construction impacts to surface waters.
BMPs for herbicide and fertilizer application and to
control sediment infiltration will be used to protect groundwater.
TVA will comply with fugitive dust emission standards
specified in the GAF's Title V Operating Air Permit, the GAF CCR
fugitive dust control plan and associated BMPs, and the construction
permit from TDEC.
Noise emissions will be minimized through implementation
of BMPs.
Customary industrial safety standards including OSHA
requirements for workers will be followed during all project
activities.
Sanitary wastes generated during construction activities
will be collected by the existing onsite septic system(s) or by means
of portable toilets (i.e., porta lets).
Solid and hazardous wastes generated by proposed project
activities will be managed in accordance with standard procedures for
spill prevention and cleanup and waste management protocols in
accordance with pertinent federal, state and local requirements.
Consistent with E.O. 13112 as amended by E.O. 13751,
disturbed areas will be graded and revegetated with native or non-
native, non-invasive plant species to avoid the introduction or spread
of invasive species.
A CCR removal plan will be submitted for TDEC approval
prior to removal.
The proposed new SRL landfill expansion would adhere to
TDEC Class II permitting and EPA CCR Rule requirements.
Potential risk and impact to karst features will be
investigated and mitigated during construction activities according to
a karst mitigation plan that recommends stages and actions to be
performed both prior to landfill construction and during landfill
construction.
[[Page 60866]]
State requirements for post-closure care and/or
remediation will be implemented as needed and the CARA Plan will be
implemented.
Leachate from the proposed landfill expansion will be
collected in either a collection tank or a sump and pumped to the flow
management system, where it will be treated prior to discharge from a
permitted NPDES outfall.
The conservation measures required for this project are
identified on pages 5-7 of the TVA Bat Strategy Project Screening Form,
and they will be implemented as part of the proposed project.
A survey will be performed between one and three months
prior to removal of structures located within the landfill expansion
footprint to determine if wildlife or active nests of migratory birds
are present.
Should the two osprey nests located on transmission line
towers within the proposed project area be active in future years, ash
pond closure activities will be minimized within a 660-foot diameter
buffer around the nest during the osprey nesting season.
A Tennessee Stream Quantification Tool will be required
per TDEC regulations to assess the quality of streams to be impacted by
the proposed projects. A TDEC Section 401 Water Quality Certification/
ARAP and USACE 404 permit will be required for disturbance to wetlands
and stream features, and the terms and conditions of these permits
would include mitigation for unavoidable adverse impacts.
Non-critical actions proposed within the 100-year
floodplain that were not reviewed in TVA's 1981 Class Review of
Repetitive Actions in the 100-Year Floodplain will be subject to
further review under the floodplains No Practicable Alternative
analysis. Critical actions would need to be located outside the 500-
year floodplain. Specific conditions to minimize adverse impacts for
any non-critical actions proposed within the 100-year floodplain will
be determined in a subsequent environmental review.
TVA will mitigate impacts to cemeteries located within the
project area by removing all graves and relocating them to a new burial
ground per stipulations outlined in the MOA signed by TVA and the SHPO.
TVA commits to conducting a traffic analysis and traffic
management plan to identify and evaluate potential mitigative measures
and their effectiveness for reducing traffic related impacts.
In addition to any federal requirements that may apply to
the impoundments at GAF after closure is completed, TVA will implement
supplemental mitigative measures as required by TDEC, as well as its
approved closure plan, which could include additional groundwater
monitoring, assessment or corrective action programs.
If the proposed action were to change significantly from
that described in the EIS because of additional or new information,
additional environmental analyses will be undertaken if necessary.
Dated: September 17, 2020.
Robert M. Deacy, Sr.,
Senior Vice President, Generation Construction, Projects & Services,
Tennessee Valley Authority.
[FR Doc. 2020-21076 Filed 9-25-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-08-P
