Area Resident Information

Updated on November 10, 2009

Kingston Boiler Maintenance Fact Sheet

November 2009

TVA power system demand is low, and all of the units from the Kingston Plant are not needed right now. In order to maintain the condition of the units at Kingston that are not needed, Kingston Plant will perform specific maintenance activities on four of the nine units on November 17.

These maintenance activities will cause smoke to be emitted out of the north stack (stack 1) for a period of about 16 hours.

The smoke is primarily carbon, but will also contain some nitrogen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. TVA will continue to meet all state air quality requirements.

TVA’s air quality permits, issued by the state of Tennessee, allow for the plant to perform this type of maintenance on the plant. Kingston will constantly monitor the stack emissions during this activity.

How it works

In order to help ensure the units perform better when they do come back into service, plant staff will perform several activities. One activity involves filling the water-carrying tubes in the boilers with water, heating the water and then draining the water out of the tubes. This helps minimize rusting.

In order to heat the water in the boiler tubes, the plant will burn fuel oil. This burning of fuel oil is what will cause the gray to black plume of smoke to be discharged from the north stack for a period of about 16 hours. It is similar to the smoke from an oil lamp, only on a larger scale, as has been seen many times in the past when the Kingston units started operation.

The plant will not be generating power, and coal will not be burned during this activity.

The plant may perform these activities to preserve the other boilers in the future, and the public will be made aware of this beforehand.

On the Recovery Site

Dike C Work

Earlier this year, TVA commissioned the engineering firm Stantec Consulting to rigorously inspect and evaluate the structural integrity of all of its ash storage facilities at its fossil plants. After reviewing the Kingston Site, Stantec recommended that TVA build a buttress on Dike C, which surrounds the ash collection pond and the stilling pond, in order to improve the overall safety of the dike.

TVA will add layers of sand, stone, and Class B riprap along Dike C. By adding thickness and weight, resistance to movement will be increased and Dike C will be strengthened. Trucks will begin hauling materials to the Kingston site in early November and construction on the dike will begin later this month. Phase I work on Dike C is scheduled to take three months to complete.

During that time 6-8 trucks will each make an average of 6-8 daily rock deliveries equaling about 50 loads per day. TVA appreciates the patience and cooperation of our Roane County neighbors as we perform this important work.

Trailers moving on the Site

As you drive by the Ash Recovery Site you may have noticed some additions and the removal of work trailers. We are putting in two larger trailers and moving one of the current trailers in order to make room for the employees working on the Site. We are also moving the trailers further away from the entrance of the plant.

Technical Assistance Plan and RCCAG Agreement

Both documents were approved by the EPA and were forwarded to the RCCAG on Wednesday, November 4, 2009.

Kingston Fossil Plant

New Scrubber Start-up

Beginning Friday, November 6, ads in the Roane County News and Shopper announced the start-up of the Kingston Fossil Plant Scrubber.

When the scrubber starts up, what you’ll see is a new white plume rising from the new stack above Kingston Fossil Plant. That plume is a sign of progress. TVA has installed new clean air technology at Kingston that will lower sulfur dioxide emissions (SO2) by more than 95 percent.

The equipment we’ve installed is called a scrubber, and it works by mixing limestone and water with flue gas. The limestone mixture converts the SO2 to gypsum which will be stored on site.

The white plume that will rise from the scrubber is water vapor, resulting from the scrubbing process.

The installation of this scrubber at Kingston is just one part of TVA’s overall air quality program. Since 1977, TVA has spent more than $5 billion in clean air technology at several fossil plants across the Tennessee Valley, which results in cleaner air for everyone.

The schedule for bringing the first scrubber online at Kingston was originally scheduled for Friday, November 13, but that has changed. The scrubber start-up has been delayed for a short period of time. There are a couple of reasons for this delay.

TVA power system demand is low and the power from the Kingston Plant is not needed at this time. Due to the economic conditions, lower cost generating assets, mild weather and increased hydro generation, there are multiple coal-fired generating units off-line throughout the TVA system.
On the Ash Recovery Site, we continue to remove material from the Emory River faster than we are able to dry it and ship it off site. Increased ash production from the plant would further impact this situation.

TVA’s primary focus at Kingston is the removal of ash from the Emory River as quickly as possible. Given this priority, coupled with low system load demand, the decision has been made to delay the startup of generating units and, consequently, the first scrubber.

Scrubber Testing

Until the scrubber comes online, equipment testing will continue on an almost daily basis as pumps, fans and other types of equipment are run. These tests, like previous tests, will create a water vapor emission from the stacks, but we want to make sure you know that these are just tests, and that no units are connected to the scrubber.

Transformer Repair

A damaged 161kv transformer is being sent back to Taiwan for repairs covered under warranty. This large piece of equipment will be transported by rail out of the Kingston Fossil Plant sometime between November 13 and November 19. The repairs are expected to take 7-8 months. At that time, the transformer will be returned to Kingston and put back in service.

Other Information

Winter Water Level Information

TVA has begun lowering water in the reservoirs to winter fill levels. This process will be complete in about 4 -5 weeks. For those residents with docks, we understand maintenance is normally performed when water levels are low. If you are planning maintenance on your dock this year, you may see ash. If you plan to work in the water and you believe there is ash around your dock, TVA asks that you follow these guidelines:

Wear protective footwear if you plan to get into the water; rinse footwear thoroughly once you leave the water.
Hand protection is recommended if your hands will be in the water.

Try to avoid direct contact with ash.

However, should you contact coal ash, please follow the advice of the Tennessee Department of Health: “If you contact coal ash in the river, move away from it. Moving to cleaner water will likely get much of the coal ash off your skin. Get out of the water and rinse off using clean water from a restroom, hose or water bottle. Washing with soap and water is preferable. You may need to wash clothes, shoes and pets as well. Skin contact with coal ash can cause irritation similar to contact with beach sand.” EPA’s site adds, “Inadvertently ingesting some coal ash while swimming on an occasional basis does not pose a significant health risk.”

Residents who have concerns about whether there is ash near their dock can contact TVA at 865-632-1700 between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Monday – Friday, and TVA will inspect your property prior to any work being done.

Utility Work on Swan Pond Road

TVA will be awarding a bid on work to replace the City of Kingston and HUB water, gas and effluent lines that were affected by the spill. The repairs will take place along Swan Pond Road from Highway 70 past the plant, and on parts of Hassler Mill Road. This work should begin in early December. Once we award the work, the contractor is required to give us an overall schedule. Within the contract specs we included a requirement for the contractor to minimize any impact to traffic flow. In addition, they will give us at least a week’s advance notice about any work that will affect the road, which we will pass on to you.

We have directed the contractor to include in their bid an expedited restoration of that segment of the 10” Kingston Utility Board line which will improve the water pressure. If you have any questions or want to know more about this, we’ll do our best to provide answers. We may not know the answers right now, but we’ll get them to you as soon as we have them.

The Overlook on Swan Pond Road

After considering everyone’s comments about the overlook, TVA has decided that it will not be open for general use by the public. It will be used for operational purposes and scheduled visits only. There is a gate that will be kept closed and locked. The drive and parking area will be a gravel surface, and there will be a wood deck overlooking the site on which people can stand to view the work being done.

More resident information

Page Updated November 16, 2009 10:51 AM