Tennessee Valley Authority
Pollution Prevention and Reduction
Toxics Release Inventory
The Environmental Protection Agency requires industries, manufacturing facilities, and utilities to report on the release of any of 650 chemicals it defines as potentially hazardous to human health. This collection of data is called the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).
TVA files annual reports on the amounts of TRI chemicals released by its fossil-fuel plants (those that burn coal or oil). Only 26 substances on the list are emitted by TVA plants in quantities large enough to require reporting. The TRI doesn’t include sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which all fossil plants emit and monitor routinely.
As a federal agency TVA must also report TRI releases from all of its operations, not just its fossil plants. Although the amounts are small, the emissions numbers TVA submits are comprehensive and include substances that might be used for cleaning or maintenance activities at any TVA facilities, including nuclear or hydro plants. Only federal facilities must include all of their operations other than just coal- or oil-burning plants. Private utilities are not covered under this requirement.
Inhalation health-risk assessments performed at all TVA fossil plants show no significant health risks to employees or members of the public from the release of any of the chemicals in the TRI.
For more information about the Toxics Release Inventory, including reporting requirements and a list of the chemicals reported on by TVA, see Frequently Asked Questions.
In 2007, TVA’s 11 fossil plants generated a record 100.1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. TVA continues to reduce emissions at all its fossil-fuel generating facilities, and it is in compliance with federal and state regulations governing air, land, and water releases.
TVA’s total fossil-system TRI releases for 2007 were 60,218,650 pounds, a 14.4 percent decrease from 2006. The 2007 decrease was due to:
- Less coal being burned at Allen, Colbert, and Johnsonville fossil plants
- A considerable decrease in sulfuric acid emissions at Cumberland fossil plant due to the installation of a sulfur trioxide mitigation system
- A significant decrease in emissions at Paradise due to operation of a scrubber on unit 3.
2008 data for all coal-burning plants
All amounts are in pounds
Chemical |
Air |
Water |
Land |
Offsite Disposal |
Total |
Hydrochloric
Acid |
12,151,713 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12,151,713 |
Hydrogen Fluoride |
3,072,294 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3,072,294 |
Sulfuric Acid (aerosol) |
12,587,224 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12,587,224 |
Ammonia |
263,967 |
6,352 |
0 |
0 |
270,319 |
Antimony Compounds |
157 |
191 |
25,975 |
0 |
26,323 |
Arsenic Compounds |
2,829 |
145,633 |
293,474 |
2,294 |
444,230 |
Barium Compounds |
35,179 |
786,449 |
11,003,392 |
8,581,422 |
20,406,442 |
Beryllium Compounds |
190 |
6 |
32,905 |
0 |
33,100 |
Cadmium Compounds |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Chromium Compounds |
5,245 |
67,967 |
540,087 |
153,426 |
766,725 |
Cobalt Compounds |
738 |
45,928 |
113,534 |
369 |
160,569 |
Copper Compounds |
4,021 |
145,893 |
633,356 |
314,984 |
1,098,254 |
Lead Compounds |
4,684 |
70,690 |
425,935 |
161,362 |
662,670 |
Manganese Compounds |
8,540 |
798,359 |
1,179,138 |
404,523 |
2,390,560 |
Mercury Compounds |
2,985 |
425 |
1,653 |
612 |
5,675 |
Nickel Compounds |
5,018 |
82,214 |
480,491 |
55,154 |
622,877 |
Selenium Compounds |
5,014 |
4,187 |
22,453 |
1 |
31,655 |
Silver Compounds |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Thallium Compounds |
115 |
1,097 |
118,430 |
19 |
119,661 |
Vanadium Compounds |
6,189 |
670,608 |
1,137,874 |
346,120 |
2,160,790 |
Zinc Compounds |
20,256 |
201,217 |
1,283,592 |
356,005 |
1,861,071 |
Benzo(g,h,i)perylene |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
Napthalene |
616 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
517.800 |
Nitrate Compounds |
0 |
404,937 |
0 |
0 |
404,937 |
Dioxin (grams) |
21 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
21 |
Dioxin (lbs) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Polycyclic Aromatic |
317 |
0 |
158 |
23 |
499 |
TOTALS |
28,182,573 |
3,432,154 |
17,292,451 |
10,376,313 |
59,283,492 |
| Gross MWh generated: | 106,297,754 |
| Pounds released per MWh: | 0.56 |
To view TRI data for each TVA fossil plant, choose a plant from the Emissions Data menu at top right.