The Jackson County Commission held its Regular Session and Public Hearing in Court Room 3. The video presentation because of length will be in 4 parts. Part 1 is the Regular Session; Parts 3-4 is the Public Hearing portion. There will be a commentary in Thursday's Daily Sentinel concerning TVA's request to close County Road 96 (CR 96)
Health Care Authority Board Appointments: Jimmy Bergman, Harold Brookshire, Bob Matthews, Jr.
See Regular Session Video, Part 1 below.
A concerned citizen who lives in the area near TVA's Widows Creek says he will be adversely affected by the closure of CR 96. His concerns were expressed to the County Commission and the TVA, quote: "The TVA has not been a good neighbor."
Clarions report on this issue: http://www.theclarion.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7271:tva-requests-closure-of-a-portion-of-county-road-96&catid=42:clarion-rotation-stories&Itemid=142
During the Public Hearing TVA was asked if the TVA's coal ash and gypsum waste disposal remediation plan was available from TVA; TVA's comment was the plan is available. However, after the public hearing I asked where I could find TVA's plan. It was revealed that there is no single plan, but there are several documents. The plan for the coal ash/gypsum waste remediation has not been approved by ADEM, Alabama Department of Environmental Management. As of this writing, there are no approved plan describing TVA's coal ash and gypsum waste remediation program concerning the Widows Creek Coal Fired Facility; nor a single source document describing TVA's specific /summary with an estimated time line and costs concerning the Widows Creek closure and coal ash/gypsum remediation plans. How much will it cost to maintain a one unit operating plant? The TVA should wait until ADEM has approved their plan before requesting the vacation (closing) of CR 96. The TVA revealed they will not be utilizing the bridge across the North portion of Widows Creek on CR 96, they will be building a new road to carry the heavy truck traffic across 600 acres of property TVA purchased north of CR 96. The question must be asked, why is TVA wanting to close CR 96 since they are going to build a new road to handle the truck traffic from the hauling area on the property recently purchased?
John Kammeyer, TVA Vice President of Civil Construction, stated to me there is no date to close the Widows Creek Coal fired facility as the TVA Board has not approved the closure of Unit 7 at Widows Creek. Unit 8 will close sometime in 2014; Units 1-6 are already closed. Widows Creek is the 2nd oldest coal fired plant in the TVA system and has received several pollution fines from the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency.
TVA Information Sheet on Conversion of wet ash and gypsum to dry storage.
Contractor Report on Widows Creek, Stantec Review, amount of coal ash and gypsum waste: http://www.tva.com/power/stantec/al/rpt_005_appndx_c_wcf_171468118.pdf
Source Watch about TVA & Coal
Previous article with video of CR 96 and Widows Creek
COMMISSION AGENDA
VIDEO, PART 1-Regular Session
VIDEO PART 2, Public Hearing, TVA and County Engineer Report
VIDEO PART 3, Public Hearing, Citizen Concerns
VIDEO PART 4, Public Hearing, Citizen Concerns-TVA provides excuses and double-talk for not having a single source document plan/summary for the Widows Creek Plant Shutdown/Decommission and Coal Ash/Gypsum Remediation. TVA claims there are a series of separate plans & documents. Part is in Montgomery awaiting approval, claims TVA.
1 comment:
"The question must be asked, why is TVA wanting to close CR 96 since they are going to build a new road to handle the truck traffic from the hauling area on the property recently purchased?"
The haul road intersects CR-96. It is unsafe and against MSHA and FWHA regulations to allow heavy machinery to share an intersection with regular traffic.
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