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State Senate - State of Tennessee
Legislative Press Release
Two Environmental Resolutions are Approved
Two environmental resolutions were approved this week, including one calling for a report on the progress of TVA to comply with the federal Information Management System (NIMS), which directs emergency preparedness and response in accordance to guidelines established by the Department of Homeland Security. The resolution comes after a report released by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation noted the TVA Inspector General said the agency had not complied with NIMS and that emergency planning and preparedness are critical aspects for the safe management and operation of coal-fired plants operating in the state.
Tennessee has six other coal-fired plants with wet coal ash storage, besides the Kingston plant where the December 2008 spill resulted in one of the worst man-caused ecological disasters in state history. The resolution, Senate Resolution 784, calls for a report on TVA's progress to implement emergency preparedness, including a risk assessment of all TVA-owned and operated facilities in Tennessee. It also called for the annual reporting of TVA's progress to transition to dry coal ash storage at each of its coal plants in the state.
The second resolution, Senate Resolution 176, urges Congress to provide states with the greatest authority possible to manage solid waste. Authorization would include allowing states to restrict the importing and exporting of waste, including imposing differential fees.
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