>>>
>>> BACK
>>> BACK ON INSIDE TENNESSEE WITH THE NEW TVA PRESIDENT AND
CEO, JEFF LIEASH, GOOD TO HAVE
YOU HERE.
YOU HERE.
YOU HERE. TVA COAL ASH BILL IN KINGSTON,
THAT WAS MORE THAN A BILLION
DOLLARS IN CLEAN UP EFFORT
AFTER A RETENTION POND FAILED
AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
GALLONS OF COAL FLY ASH COVERED
THAT AREA.
THAT AREA. IN THE INDUSTRY, YOU ARE NOT A
PART OF TVA WHEN THIS HAPPENED.
HOW BIG OF A BLOW WAS THAT TO
THE INDUSTRY.
THE INDUSTRY. AS YOU COME ON, HOW CAN YOU
LEAD TVA PAST THAT?
>> THIS WAS CERTAINLY A MAJOR
EVENT NOT JUST FOR TVA AND THE
COMMUNITY BUT THE WHOLE
INDUSTRY.
INDUSTRY.
INDUSTRY. THERE WERE LESSONS LEARND WITH
RESPECT TO HOW MANAGE COAL ASH
AND THE FACILITIES.
TVA LEARNED THOSE AND SHARED
THESE AGGRESSIVELY WITH THE
REST OF THE INDUSTRY TO MAKE
SURE SOMETHING LIKE THAT NEVER
HAPPENS AGAIN.
HAPPENS AGAIN. ONE OF MY FIRST TRIPS TO LOOK
AT THE LOCATION, ASH BILL TO
DETERMINE HOW AFFECTIVELY WE
RECOVERED AND THE CONDITION OF
THE SITE, LOOKED AT THE ASH
HANDLING OPERATIONS AND TALKED
TO THE EMPLOYEES TO JUDGE THEIR
LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO THAT
FACILITY AND TO SAFETY AND IT
WAS CERTAINLY AN ENVIRONMENTAL
EVENT THAT HAPPENED DRAMATIC
IMPACTS, I'M HAPPY THAT THE
COMPANY DID WHAT WHAT WAS
NECESSARY TO PUT THE SITE BACK
THE WAY IT NEEDED TO BE.
>> THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE
IN THE INDUSTRY AND EXPERTS
THAT DISAGREE WITH THE LAST
STATEMENT THAT YOU PUT THE AREA
BACK TO WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE.
THERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS THAT
TVA HAS NOT BEEN TRANSPARENT
AND MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TRUTHFUL
ABOUT THE STATE AND CONDITION
OF THE LAND.
I GUESS MY QUESTION TO YOU IS,
AS YOU LOOK AT IT, ARE YOU
PREPARED TO CONVINCE THE PUBLIC
THAT TVA IS BEING HONEST AND
TRUTHFUL NOW ABOUT THE STATE OF
THE LAND NOW AND THE CONDITION
OF THE CLEAN UP AND THE HAZARDS
THAT WERE ULTIMATELY, THAT THE
POPULATION WAS SUBJECTED TO
BECAUSE OF THAT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. TVA SHOULD BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT
THESE ISSUES.
THESE ISSUES. I WILL CERTAINLY BE FOCUSED ON
MAKING SURE THAT WAS HANDLED
CORRECTLY AND IF THERE ARE
RESIDUAL ISSUES WE NEED TO TAKE
CARE OF, WE WILL DO THAT AND
ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY TO
MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND WHERE
WE ARE AT ON THESE ISSUES,
WHAT, IF ANYTHING, REMAINS TO
BE DONE AND ENSURE IN THE END
WE DO THE RIGHT THING.
>> ARE YOU BRIEFED IN ENOUGH TO
KNOW WHETHER, IN FACT, THE
CLEAN UP WAS NOT AS AFFECTIVE
AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AND
WHETHER THE PUBLIC WAS MISLED
BY THE CONTRACTORS THAT TVA
USED OR OTHERS TO INCLUDE THOSE
AT TVA, THAT THE RISKS AND THE
DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE, THAT WAS
PRESENTED TRUTHFULLY TO THE
PUBLIC?
PUBLIC?
PUBLIC? >> I'M 9 DAYS IN TO THE JOB.
I HAVE SPENT TIME LOOKING AT
IT.
IT.
IT. SO
IT. SO FAR WHAT I SEE, I HAVE
CONFIDENCE IN.
CONFIDENCE IN. LOOKS AS THOUGH WE HAVE DONE
THE RIGHT THING.
I HAVE A LOT MORE TO COVER YET.
I PROMISE YOU, IF THERE ARE
ISSUES THAT I SEE THAT I DON'T
THINK HAVE BEEN DONE EXACTLY
RIGHT, WE WILL RAISE THOSE.
>> WE WILL HOLD YOU TO THAT
PROMISE AND ARE YOU BACK.
>> DO THE PEOPLE IN THE
COMMUNITY, WHAT REASSURANCES
CAN YOU GIVE THEM MOVING
FORWARD YOU WILL ENSURE THAT
AREA IS SAFE AND SOUND THAT
THEY ARE LIVING IN?
>> TVA IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH
THE TEMPERATURE TENNESSEE
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT.
IT APPEARS WE HAVE A CON
HENCIVE ENVIRONMENTAL
HENCIVE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM AND SAMPLING
AND WILL REPORT THE RESULTS OF
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> IT WILL TELL THE STORY, IF
IT INDICATES WE NEED TO TAKE
ADDITIONAL ACTION, THAT'S WHAT
WE WILL DO.
COMMUNITY CONFIDENCE IS
SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO EARN.
WE LOST COMMUNITY CONFIDENCE
WHEN WE HAD THAT EVENT AND THE
DIKE FAILED AND THE ASH WENT TO
PLACES WHERE IT SHOULDN'T HAVE
BEEN.
BEEN.
BEEN. THAT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO
EARN BACK OVER TIME.
PEOPLE ARE RIGHT TO QUESTION
US, THE RIGHT TO HOLD US TO A
HIGH STANDARD.
HIGH STANDARD. WE HAVE TO DO THE RIGHT THING
AND EARN THEIR TRUST BACK.
>> OTHER COAL ASH PONDS, THE
WET STORAGE AT OTHER TVA
FACILITIES THAT COULD BE A
PROBLEM OR WHAT IS TVA DOING TO
MAKE SURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN
AT ANY OF THE OTHER FACILITIES?
YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT YET.
>> THIS IS THE FUNDAMENTAL ASK
AND I NEED TO BE CONFIDENT AND
ASKED IT OF THE STAFF ON DAY
ONE.
ONE.
ONE. TELL
ONE. TELL ME ABOUT THE ENTIRETY OF
OUR COAL COMBUSTION BY PRODUCT,
MONITORING, STORAGE AND
DISPOSAL PLAN.
DISPOSAL PLAN. THIS IS AN ISSUE ACROSS THE
U.S. THEY HAVE IMPROVED THE
LIVES OF PEOPLE, WE HAVE
LEARNED A LOT AFTER THE TAIL
END ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE COAL
ASH AND HOW TO TREAT IT AND WE
ARE NOW MAKING PONT DECISIONS
ABOUT HOW TO DISPOSE OF IT IN
THE LONG RUN.
THAT PROCESS APPLIES TO EVERY
SINGLE FACILITY THAT TVA OWNS
AND OPERATES.
AND OPERATES. WE ARE NOT DOING IT IN
ISOLATION, IN CONJUNCTION WITH
THE INDUSTRY AND EA, STATE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS TO
MAKE SURE WE MEET THE HIGHEST
STANDARDS AND WE PROTECT THE
AQUIFER AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND
THE HEALTH OF THE PUBLIC.
>> WE ARE BACK WITH MORE
QUESTIONS WITH THE NEW