Protecting Waterways from TVA's Gallatin Coal Plant

Earthjustice is challenging the Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation's (TDEC) wastewater discharge permit for the TVA Gallatin coal plant, arguing that the permit fails to limit toxic metal discharges into local waterways and groundwater. The case also seeks to address the plant's cooling system, which kills tens of thousands of fish annually, and highlights a history of TVA coal ash spills at the Kingston and Widows Creek plants.

• The Gallatin coal plant utilizes unlined ponds for toxic wastewater containing chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects, which risk leaching into groundwater or spilling into the environment because the ponds do not effectively treat dissolved toxic metals.
• Earthjustice is appealing a wastewater discharge permit issued by the Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation (TDEC) because it lacks limits on toxic metal discharges, despite the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stating such limits were required.
• The Gallatin plant's water-cooling intake system results in the annual death of tens of thousands of fish and other aquatic life.

APA

Earthjustice (2013). Protecting Waterways from TVA's Gallatin Coal Plant. https://earthjustice.org/case/protecting-waterways-from-the-tva-gallatin-coal-plant

Chicago

Earthjustice. Protecting Waterways from TVA's Gallatin Coal Plant. 2013. https://earthjustice.org/case/protecting-waterways-from-the-tva-gallatin-coal-plant.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=Protecting Waterways from TVA's Gallatin Coal Plant |date=25 April 2013 |url=https://earthjustice.org/case/protecting-waterways-from-the-tva-gallatin-coal-plant |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjustice2013protecting, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Protecting Waterways from TVA's Gallatin Coal Plant}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2013}, month = apr, url = {https://earthjustice.org/case/protecting-waterways-from-the-tva-gallatin-coal-plant}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }