Maintenance of Coal Combustion Residual Storage Facilities

Following the 2008 ash spill at Kingston Fossil Plant, TVA’s Office of Inspector General, in conjunction with Marshall Miller & Associates (engineering consultant), performed an inspection that determined there was poor maintenance of coal combustion residual storage facilities, such as not addressing erosion, standing water, and piping issues. Additionally, the inspection found there was no formalized training for personnel who inspected the dikes. Due to past issues identified related to maintenance of coal combustion residual (CCR) storage facilities, we performed an evaluation of required maintenance at TVA’s CCR storage facilities. The objective of the evaluation was to determine if TVA performed required maintenance of CCR storage facilities. The scope of the evaluation was maintenance needs identified during required inspections in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 at Bull Run, John Sevier, and Paradise Fossil Plants. We determined, in general, TVA performed required inspections and completed maintenance to address issues identified during the inspections. However, we determined some inspection reports had incorrect or missing information. We also identified opportunities for improvement related to policies for maintenance and inspection of coal CCR storage facilities, inspection plan requirements, and training requirements.