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Kingston Fossil Plant Ash Spill | 6 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2012
Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract] |
Kingston Fossil Plant Ash Spill | Kingston Fossil Plant Ash Spill The Event In December 2008, one of the dredge cells at the Kingston Fossil Plant ("Kingston") failed, and approximately five million cubic yards of water and coal fly ash flowed out of the cell. TVA is continuing cleanup and recovery efforts in conjunction with federal and state agencies. TVA completed the removal of time-critical ash from the river during the third quarter of 2010, and removal of the remaining ash is considered to be non-time-critical. TVA estimates that the physical cleanup work (final removal) will be completed in the last quarter of CY 2014. A final assessment, issuance of a completion report, and approval by the State of Tennessee and the EPA are expected to occur by the second quarter of CY 2015. Claims and Litigation See Note 17 — Legal Proceedings Related to the Kingston Ash Spill and — Civil Penalty and Natural Resource Damages for the Kingston Ash Spill. Financial Impact Because of the uncertainty at this time of the final costs to complete the work prescribed by the ash disposal plan, a range of reasonable estimates has been developed by cost category. Known amounts, most likely scenarios, or the low end of the range for each category have been accumulated and evaluated to determine the total estimate. The range of costs varies from approximately $1.1 billion to approximately $1.2 billion. TVA recorded an estimate of $1.1 billion for the cost of cleanup related to this event. In August 2009, TVA began using regulatory accounting treatment to defer all actual costs already incurred and expected future costs related to the ash spill. The cost is being charged to expense as it is collected in rates over 15 years, beginning October 1, 2009. As the estimate changes, additional costs may be deferred and charged to expense prospectively as they are collected in future rates. As work continues to progress and more information is available, TVA will review its estimates and revise them as appropriate. TVA has accrued a portion of the estimated cost in current liabilities, with the remaining portion shown as a long-term liability on TVA's consolidated balance sheets. Amounts spent since the event through March 31, 2012, totaled $807 million. The remaining estimated liability at March 31, 2012, was $318 million. TVA has not included the following categories of costs in the above estimate since it has been determined that these costs are currently either not probable or not reasonably estimable: penalties (other than the penalties set out in the June 2010 Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation ("TDEC") order), regulatory directives, natural resources damages (other than payments required under a memorandum of agreement with TDEC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service establishing a process and a method for resolving the natural resource damages claim), future lawsuits, future claims, long-term environmental impact costs, final long-term disposition of the ash processing area, costs associated with new laws and regulations, or costs of remediating any mixed waste discovered during the ash removal process. There are certain other costs that will be incurred that have not been included in the estimate as they are appropriately accounted for in other areas of the consolidated financial statements. Associated capital asset purchases are recorded in property, plant, and equipment. Ash handling and disposition costs from current plant operations are recorded in operating expenses. A portion of the pond and dredge cell closure costs is also not included in the estimate as it is included in the non-nuclear Asset retirement obligation ("ARO") liability. Insurance TVA had property and excess liability insurance programs in place at the time of the Kingston ash spill. TVA pursued claims under both the property and excess liability programs and has settled all of its property insurance claims and some of its excess liability insurance claims. TVA has received insurance proceeds of $45 million. In April 2012, TVA initiated arbitration proceedings against the remaining excess liability insurance companies in accordance with the policies’ dispute resolution provisions. TVA is seeking recovery of certain costs incurred in the cleanup project, including the costs of removing ash from property owned by the State of Tennessee, and related expenses. Any amounts received related to insurance settlements are being recorded as reductions to the regulatory asset and will reduce amounts collected in future rates.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for environmental loss contingencies, such as presence of hazardous waste, relevant information from reports issued by regulators, and estimated costs to achieve compliance with regulatory requirements. This element may be used for all of an entity's disclosures about environmental loss contingencies. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 17 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13328-110859 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13296-110859 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Number 96-1 -Paragraph 152, 163, 172 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13185-110859 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) -Number Topic 5 -Section Y Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.Y.Q2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6572457&loc=d3e149879-122751 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13237-110859 + Details
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