Christine Ho, christine.ho@sierraclub.org
Claxton, TN - Tomorrow, two smoke stacks at the Bull Run power plant will be imploded and removed, marking the end of the coal-fired power plant. Following years of advocacy by the Sierra Club, the Tennessee Valley Authority retired the Bull Run power plant in 2023. Since 2012, TVA has retired or announced plans to retire 10 coal-fired power plants.
The Bull Run plant still has four coal ash ponds that TVA must clean up. Coal ash, if not disposed of properly, is linked to liver damage, kidney damage, cardiovascular illnesses, and various cancers.
In response, Sierra Club Tennessee Chapter Fundraising Chair and nearby Powell Resident Mac Post issued the following statement:
“The physical removal of the smoke stacks at Bull Run sends a clear message that the era of coal in Tennessee is over. Coal plants are a threat to our community’s health, our wallets, and our futures. TVA must build on this progress and continue to retire the last coal plants in our state.
“While we celebrate and finalize Bull Run’s retirement, we will continue to hold TVA accountable for the future of the power plant. TVA must adequately address the coal ash at Bull Run, and replace this dirty coal plant with clean, renewable energy that is affordable and reliable for Tennessean families.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.