In the 1930s, TVA's challenge was to reclaim the Valley's eroded farmlands and forests, control devastating floods, establish a navigable waterway to connect the region to faraway markets, and to provide low-cost electric power to rural areas that until that time had none. TVA became a pioneer in integrated resource stewardship, creating a balance among the recreational, environmental, and industrial uses of the reservoir water behind its dams. TVA's challenge in the 21st century lies in maintaining the balance between our mission of supplying low-cost, reliable electric power and our duties as conservators of the region's natural resources. As you read this first Annual Environmental Report, we hope you'll agree that TVA's overall efforts in recent years have been commendable. At the same time, we recognize that there is still much to be done.
Emissions are among the top concerns for all power providers.
Reports on TVA's approach to these kinds of key environmental issues include the Environmental Protection Agency's air-quality enforcement initiative , reportable environmental events , auditing and compliance , and the Toxics Release Inventory . As a place-centered public power enterprise, TVA has always embraced its responsibility to serve and protect the public interest. Since the agency's founding, we've taken pride in our mission to integrate the management of the Tennessee Valley's natural resources and protect them for the benefit of generations to come. We know that the consequences of what we do today will be felt tomorrow by our friends, our families, our neighbors, and ourselves. In the coming era of a restructured electric-utility industry, we believe that TVA will play a valuable role in ensuring that utilities, public and private, put as much emphasis on environmental responsibility as they do on the bottom line.