Emissions

Colbert Fossil Plant

What TVA is doing about emissions at Colbert

TVA has taken a number of steps to make the efficient generation of power at Colbert as clean as possible:

• Ash from the burned coal is removed and used commercially when possible. The remaining ash is disposed of onsite.
• Four of five units burn low-sulfur coal to limit emissions of sulfur dioxide.
• Low-NOx burners limit emissions of nitrogen oxides that contribute to the formation of ozone and acid rain.
• In support of recent environmental agreements and its vision of being one of the nation’s leading providers of low-cost and cleaner energy by 2020, TVA will control, idle or retire Colbert unit 5 by Dec. 31, 2015. Units 1-4 will be controlled, idled or retired by June 30, 2016. Any Colbert units that are idled will be controlled or retired within three years.

Carbon dioxide

View more information on carbon dioxide and what TVA is doing about it.

Nitrogen oxides

View more information on nitrogen oxides and what TVA is doing about them.

Sulfur dioxide

View more information on sulfur dioxide and what TVA is doing about it.

Toxics Release Inventory

2010 data

All amounts are in pounds

Chemical	Air	Water	Land	Off-Site Disposal	Total
Hydrochloric Acid (aerosol)	400,000	0	0	0	400,000
Hydrogen Fluoride	340,000	0	0	0	340,000
Sulfuric Acid (aerosol)	52,000	0	0	0	52,000
Ammonia	50,000	71	0	0	50,071
Antimony Compounds					0
Arsenic Compounds					0
Barium Compounds	2,090	729	1,530,000	6	1,532,825
Beryllium Compounds					0
Cadmium Compounds					0
Chromium Compounds	186	1	26,000	0	26,187
Cobalt Compounds					0
Copper Compounds	154	4,101	27,700	0	31,955
Lead Compounds	102	0	14,290	1	14,393
Manganese Compounds	332	364	66,300	0	66,996
Mercury Compounds	180	0	42	0	222
Nickel Compounds					0
Selenium Compounds					0
Silver Compounds					0
Thallium Compounds					0
Vanadium Compounds	161	480	43,300	0	43,941
Zinc Compounds	731	2,302	43,800	0	46,833
Benzo(g,h,i)perylene	0	0	0	0	0
Naphthalene	40	0	0	0	40
Nitrate Compounds					0
Dioxin (grams)	1	0	0	0	1
Dioxin (lbs)	0	0	0	0	0
Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds	20	0	11	0	30
Hydrazine					0
Total	845,996	8,048	1,751,443	7	2,605,493

 

Gross MWh Generated:	6,471,655
Pounds Released per MWh:	0.403

 

 

 

Emissions Data

For data on emissions at each of TVA’s fossil plants, choose from the menu below. Fossil Plants Allen Bull Run Colbert Cumberland Gallatin John Sevier Johnsonville Kingston Paradise Shawnee Widows Creek Other TVA Sites

 

General Information

For general information on individual emissions choose from the menu below. Emissions Carbon Dioxide Nitrogen Oxides Ozone Particulates Sulfur Dioxide TRI