OVERSIGHT HEARING ON THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY AND THE RECENT MAJOR COAL ASH SPILL

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by  Committee on Environment and Public Works

S. HRG. 111–1177
OVERSIGHT HEARING ON THE
TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
AND THE RECENT MAJOR COAL ASH SPILL
HEARING
BEFORETHE
COMMITTEE ON
ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
JANUARY 8, 2009
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COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
BARBARA BOXER, California, Chairman
MAX BAUCUS, Montana JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio
FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey DAVID VITTER, Louisiana
BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming
BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont MIKE CRAPO, Idaho
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri
SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island LAMAR ALEXANDER, Tennessee
TOM UDALL, New Mexico
JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon
KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, New York
ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania
BETTINA POIRIER, Staff Director
RUTH VAN MARK, Minority Staff Director
(II)
C O N T E N T S
Page
JANUARY 8, 2009
OPENING STATEMENTS
Boxer, Hon. Barbara, U.S. Senator from the State of California ........................ 1
Inhofe, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Oklahoma .................... 10
Lautenberg, Hon. Frank, U.S. Senator from the State of New Jersey ............... 12
Isakson, Hon. Johnny, U.S. Senator from the State of Georgia .......................... 18
Merkley, Hon. Jeff, U.S. Senator from the State of Oregon ................................ 18
Alexander, Hon. Lamar, U.S. Senator from the State of Tennessee ................... 19
Udall, Hon. Tom, U.S. Senator from the State of New Mexico ............................ 20
Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware ................... 21
WITNESSES
Kilgore, Tom, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tennessee Valley Au-
thority ................................................................................................................... 22
Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 25
Responses to additional questions from:
Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 30
Senator Udall ............................................................................................. 64
Senator Inhofe ........................................................................................... 72
Smith, Stephen A., DVM, Executive Director, Southern Alliance for Clean
Energy ................................................................................................................... 117
Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 120
Response to an additional question from Senator Boxer .............................. 262
Responses to additional questions from:
Senator Udall ............................................................................................. 263
Senator Inhofe ........................................................................................... 267
Rose, William ‘‘Howie,’’ Director of Emergency Management Services, Roane
County, Tennessee ............................................................................................... 269
Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 273
Responses to additional question from:
Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 277
Senator Udall ............................................................................................. 277
Senator Inhofe ........................................................................................... 277
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
Statement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency .................................... 287
Statement of Tetra Tech, Inc. ................................................................................. 296
(III)

OVERSIGHT HEARING ON THE TENNESSEE
VALLEY AUTHORITY AND THE RECENT
MAJOR COAL ASH SPILL
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009
U.S. SENATE,
COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS,
Washington, DC.
The full committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m. in room
406, Dirksen Senate Building, Hon. Barbara Boxer (chairman of
the committee), presiding.
Present: Senators Boxer, Inhofe, Lautenberg, Isakson, Carper,
Alexander, Merkley, Udall.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BARBARA BOXER,
U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Senator BOXER. Good morning, everyone. I would like to begin to-
day’s hearing by acknowledging and welcoming some of the people
who live in the area devastated by the coal ash spill in Tennessee.
And I know Senator Alexander has just greeted you all extensively.
I had the privilege of meeting some of you in my office yesterday.
And I see how this disaster has forever changed your lives, and we
hope not forever, but for now, certainly. They are farmers, ranch-
ers, nurses, and parents. And I would like to ask Bridget, Melinda,
Ron, Teresa and Terry to please stand and be recognized so people
understand what we are talking about here is about real people’s
lives.
The beautiful place where they lived was instantly transformed
by a wall of ash, water and debris. They are anxious about the
spill’s potential effects on health, especially to children, and they
are anxious about their livelihoods. They sent me personal state-
ments that I would like to enter into the record, and I will do so
if there is no objection at this time.
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