A handwritten bomb threat on the side of a portable toilet sent workers and contractors scrambling from a steam-plant construction site in Cumberland City on Tuesday, Stewart County Sheriff Frankie Gray said. Crews were ordered out, a safety perimeter was set up, and nearby residents and employees were held back while specialized teams moved in to check the site, which sits near the TVA Cumberland Fossil Plant on Cumberland City Road.
Law enforcement response
Sheriff Gray told WSMV that a Tennessee Highway Patrol bomb-detection dog and a robot were brought in after the threat was discovered. Officials described the message as “very detailed” and set up an exclusion zone while the search was underway. County crews and state teams worked side by side to systematically sweep the construction site for anything out of place.
Site location and context
The unfinished steam plant sits next to the TVA Cumberland Fossil Plant on Cumberland City Road; federal records list the TVA facility at 815 Cumberland City Road in Cumberland City (EPA). That close proximity to a major power facility prompted a cautious response backed by state resources while investigators combed through the area.
All clear for now
After the bomb-dog and robot sweep, nothing suspicious was found, and the sheriff’s office confirmed the scene was cleared, according to WSMV. No injuries or arrests were reported. Authorities said the investigation remains open and asked anyone with information to contact the Stewart County Sheriff’s Office.
