Millington

Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) clean up of the coal ash at its now-idled Allen Fossil Plant could take up to 20 years and Rep. Steve Cohen told TVA leaders Tuesday that's too long.

TVA said it will close its remaining coal ash pond at the Allen plant. The federal agency is now in the process of deciding just how it will deal with the coal ash that remains at the site. Options include sealing the ash and storing it in place and removing the ash.

I was pleased to read of President Randy Boyd's announcement that the University of Tennessee will begin offering free tuition to meritorious, need-based students in 2020.

CLARIFICATIONS/CORRECTIONS: This story has been updated to reflect that workers for Jacobs, a contractor hired by the Tennessee Valley Authority to help clean up a 2008 coal ash spill in East Tennessee, say they were misled by supervisors about the dangers of coal ash exposure, citing safety managers who told them they could safely eat a pound of coal ash a day without harm. The company says the statements were not meant to be taken literally.

Tennessee lawmakers are considering a resolution to express support for a bill in Congress that would require TVA's board of directors to hold open meetings.

State Sen. Ken Yager, of Kingston, is asking for a Senate resolution to support a bill in Congress to

require TVA to hold open meetings that the public can attend.

State Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, explained Senate Joint Resolution 192 in a Senate committee meeting this week, in which the resolution won unanimous approval.

Gov. Bill Lee isn't changing his stance on keeping the bust of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest in the State Capitol in spite of a letter from U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen urging him to seek its removal.

Cohen, a Memphis Democrat, followed up on a January letter to the first-year governor – after receiving no response – with a Feb. 22 letter in which he pointed toward Lee's "stated regret" in participating in "Old South" activities and wearing Confederate uniforms while in the Kappa Alpha Fraternity at Auburn University.

Shortly before Bill Lee took the oath of office as Tennessee governor and shortly after, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis urged Lee to work toward removing a bust of Confederate general, slave trader and Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest from the state capitol building.

At a townhall meeting Friday at the Randolph Branch library in Berclair, Cohen said Lee responded by offering to push for adding some context to the bust.