The Tennessee Valley Authority is taking another step to change the way ash and coal products are stored at Kingston Fossil Plant with the addition of a bottom ash dewatering facility.

The decision to build a facility is the result of an Environmental Assessment by TVA that looked at the potential environmental impacts of three alternatives - a no action alternative, which would continue the wet storage of bottom ash in ponds, and two construction options, including the dewatering facility.

A Finding of No Significant Impact was issued on the decision March 23, 2016. Under the preferred alternative, TVA plans to construct and operate a dewatering facility which will remove moisture from bottom ash before it is stored in an onsite, dry landfill.

Bottom ash is particles of ash, left from the burning of coal, that are too large to be captured airborne, and are instead collected at the bottom of the steam furnace.

Fly ash and gypsum are already stored dry onsite at Kingston. The project supports TVA’s plan to discontinue wet storage of coal combustion residuals and move towards dry storage throughout TVA’s coal fleet.

The Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact are available online at www.tva.com/nepa or in hard copy by contacting Ashley Farless, Tennessee Valley Authority, 1101 Market St., BR 4A, Chattanooga, TN, 37402.

The Kingston Fossil Plant is a 1.7 gigawatt, coal-burning power plant with nine generating units located in Roane County, Tn., on the shore of Watts Bar Lake.