TVA's environmental responsibilities include management of the Tennessee River system for multiple uses and protection of air quality through the installation of emissions-control equipment.

Environmental Responsibility

Watershed management

TVA manages the 41,000-square-mile Tennessee River basin to meet vital public needs in six key areas: navigation, flood control, power supply, water quality and supply, recreation, and land use. TVA manages the dams, locks, reservoirs, power plants, water, and lands adjoining the river system as an integrated system to provide the greatest public good.

TVA’s integrated management of 34 flood-control dams prevents an estimated $200 million in flood damage annually along the Tennessee, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers. TVA’s system of reservoirs and locks enable cost-effective water transportation that saves shippers and consumers more than $460 million a year over the cost of more expensive modes of transportation. This system also supports a thriving network of boat manufacturers, marinas, and retail dealerships that add $25 million to the Valley’s economy each year.

In 1991, TVA began a $44 million effort to improve aquatic habitat in the tailwaters of its dams. As a result, habitat conditions have significantly improved in more than 300 miles of the Tennessee River, earning recognition from the Wildlife Habitat Council, National Hydropower Association, International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and Trout Unlimited.

Besides keeping a close watch on the Tennessee River, TVA also manages 11,000 miles of public shoreline and 293,000 acres of land along the river, overseeing land use and development to protect wildlife habitat, preserve water quality, and provide recreational opportunities.

In its management of the watershed, TVA is advised by the Regional Resource Stewardship Council, a group of 20 Valley residents from all seven states served by TVA.

TVA also received extensive public comments as part of its comprehensive Reservoir Operations Study, designed to determine if changes to its reservoir management policies could yield even greater public value.

Air quality

TVA operates its power system to produce affordable, reliable electricity while protecting the health and safety of its employees, the public, and the environment. According to a report issued in September 2002 by the Environmental Protection Agency, air quality in the Southeast and the nation had steadily improved during the preceding 10 years.

While TVA's coal plant emissions meet all EPA requirements for protecting public health and safety as part of the Clean Air Act, TVA recognizes that its emissions contribute to regional air quality issues. That’s why TVA is spending $1 million a day through the end of this decade to install emissions-control equipment on generating units where the most public health and environmental benefits can be realized.

By 2005, this initiative will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions during the May-September ozone season by 70 to 75 percent from 1995 levels. By the end of the decade, TVA will have reduced its sulfur dioxide emissions by 85 percent since 1977.

TVA works to protect shorelines by stabilizing eroding banks and providing lakefront property owners with information about the use of native plants to combat erosion.

TVA’s Clean Marina Initiative helps protect water quality by informing marina owners and lake users about environmentally sound boating practices. Marinas that comply with program requirements can fly the Clean Marina flag.

TVA’s Watershed Teams work with residents, businesses, and agencies to monitor and improve water quality. These activities were a model for the national Clean Water Action Plan announced in 1998.

A TVA employee measures nitrogen oxide emissions at Kingston Fossil Plant. By 2010 TVA will have spent about $5.6 billion on clean air improvements.