Johnsonville Fossil Plant Proposed Actions

TVA is proposing a number of projects at the Johnsonville Fossil Plant (JOF). Included in these projects is the proposal to close the coal yard and coal yard runoff pond, construct and operate a process water basin for the Johnsonville Combustion Turbine (JCT) plant site, and develop a borrow site to facilitate closure of the coal yard and coal yard runoff pond. The proposed borrow site would also be used to support other proposed projects, which are currently being evaluated under separate reviews.

As of December 2017, the coal-fired generating units at JOF are all retired. With the closure of the coal-fired generating units, the coal yard and coal yard runoff pond can be closed. In addition, TVA needs to manage stormwater and non-coal combustion residual process water from the JCT. TVA is also considering developing a borrow site on nearby property owned by TVA to provide fill material to support the closure of the coal yard and coal yard runoff pond and other possible future projects at JOF.

The EA evaluated four alternatives for these projects: Alternative A - No Action, Alternative B - Coal Yard Material Consolidation and Cap Closure, Alternative C - Coal Yard Full Cap Closure and Alternative D - Coal Yard Remove Material and Close. For Alternatives B, C and D, TVA also considered three possible locations for construction of a process water basin. Two potential locations are located within the current footprint of the coal yard project area and one is located within the area known as the north rail loop. TVA has identified Alternative B - Coal Yard Consolidation and Cap Closure as the preferred alternative. TVA concluded that implementing Alternative B - Coal Yard Consolidation and Cap Closure would not be a major federal action significantly affecting the environment, therefore TVA has issued the FONSI.

On December 19, 2018, TVA released the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) of the proposed actions for public comment. The availability of the Draft EA was announced in newspapers that serve the Humphreys County area, and the Draft EA was posted on TVA’s website. Notification of the availability of the Draft EA was transmitted to local, state and federal agencies. Additionally TVA consulted with federally recognized tribes as part of the review. Comments were accepted via TVA’s website, mail and e-mail. TVA carefully reviewed all of the substantative comments that it received. Comments were summarized and included in Appendix A of the Final EA.