Audio clip
Tom Kilgore
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Staff Photo by Patrick Smith Waste dumps into coal ash storage ponds after being used to produce electricity. TVA now has 11 coal-fired power plants that produce 60 percent of TVA's electricity.
The head of the Tennessee Valley Authority said Wednesday that electricity users will have to pay nearly $3 billion to clean up and revamp the way coal ash is handled after the Kingston spill, the nation's worst ash spill ever.
"History has caught up with us," TVA President Tom Kilgore said. "Since we've had the largest accident of ash, I want to have the best ash storage from here forward."
Mr. Kilgore pledged to make TVA an industry leader in coal ash disposal by converting storage ponds for wet ash and gypsum -- byproducts of coal burning -- to dry handling methods over the next eight to 10 years at a half dozen TVA plants.
But nine months after the Dec. 22 spill at the Kingston plant, Mr. Kilgore said he isn't ready to dismiss any employees over the incident.
"Kingston is our responsibility, and we've agreed to spend all the money to clean it up right," he said. "I have not been able to find an individual who is culpable to a point that someone should be fired over this."
Internal auditors and outside consultants have criticized the agency for failing to assess the risks of a spill and for not paying enough attention to employee warnings about leaks and potential problems from a half century of ash buildup in Kingston.
Audits also found that TVA managers dismissed preliminary plans for dry ash storage at Kingston seven years ago in favor of the cheaper alternative of building more ash ponds.
Mr. Kilgore said multiple failures led to the Kingston disaster and the agency now is working with management consultants McKinsey & Co. to change the utility's corporate culture.
TVA officials said Thursday they are trying to be more proactive in addressing safety concerns and are developing plans to convert to dry ash disposal at the Kingston, Allen, Gallatin, and Johnsonville plants in Tennessee, Widows Creek in Alabama and the Paradise plant in Kentucky.
The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to issue new rules for coal ash disposal later this year.
Bob Deacy, senior vice president for clean strategies and project development, said a team of engineers is in the United Kingdom this week, studying a zero-emission plant to identify ways to better handle coal combustion products.
"We are out there trying to stay in front to make sure we have the best control technology," he said.
Mr. Deacy estimates TVA will spend from $1.5 billion to $2 billion to convert all of its coal plants to dry ash disposal.
The utility already has spent nearly $230 million at Kingston toward a projected $1.2 billion cost to remove the ash and restore the damaged land and Emory River.
TVA Vice President Anda Ray said one-third of the ash that spilled into the Emory River has been dredged out of the river bottom, and all should be removed by spring.
The complete cleanup is projected to last for up to three more years.
As long as the cost of cleaning this mess up is passed along to consumers, TVA management should not receive a penny in bonus money or raises. Funds that would normally be spent on bonuses or salary increases should be used to defray expenses for this clean up.
Kilgore says, "I have not been able to find an individual who is culpable to a point that someone should be fired over this." YOU IDIOT, LOOK IN A MIRROR!!!
"Bob Deacy, senior vice president for clean strategies and project development." Another TVA bureaucrat with a high sounding title and a 6 figure salary to further insulate TVA from reality. Of course we rate payers will end paying for TVA management incompetence. Is there a VP for unclean strategies?
If only Marvin Runyan were still living. He wouldn't put with this bureaucratic BS.
Remember, all of TVA's employees are federal bureaucrats and they practically are immune from being fired short of committing a felonious act. Until the investigation of the Kingston disaster comes under an act of criminality, about the only other possibility would be a charge of malfeasance in office which could lead to an ouster.
If this matter stands as it is, you can count on future grievous acts by the TVA for which no one is held accountable. I'd bet the farm on that.
And who gets stuck with their incompetences? Why, the ratepayers of course.
The elected leaders in the Tennessee Valley have shown their unwillingness to step up for the tax paying citizens, willingly letting TVA's incompetences be dumped on ratepayers.
Whose responsibility is it now to make the necessary changes in the TVA, getting rid of the weak representatives now in office? Well, as you certainly know, it is the same ratepayers.
Ernest Norsworthy emnorsworthy@earthlink.net http://norsworthyopinion.com
See my latest article on the TVA http://norsworthyopinion.com/WhereTVAstandstoday.aspx
Before TVA closed it's first flood gate, the agency was using it's total lack of accountability to run rough shod over the local hillbilly population. They used their power over a basically helpless, poor and under educated population to seize more property than any agency has ever done before in this country except in time of war. TVA is the worst possible kind of creation. If it were all privately owned, they would be responsible to the stock holders. If it were all government owned, you could vote the politicians out that made a mistake that costs 3 billion dollars(so far)and never vote for them again. What we have now is an agency that is accountable to NO ONE. Why should I or any of my neighbors pay for these beaurocrats mistakes or rediculous raises and bonuses? Ever wonder about the complete break down of TVA's Christmas bonuses? I knew a lawyer once that use to complaine bitterly because he made the least in bonuses up there. A lousey 50 grand. Why should the little old lady next door to me, who is trying to live on social security have to pay for this stuff? This is an OUTRAGE!
This story resulted in a blog I wrote in the Examiner. Someone might find the information I dug up interesting.The blog is called "At least buy us dinner first". http://www.examiner.com/x-22228-Knoxville-Conservative-Examiner.
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