Coal ash storage is currently under review by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), following the December 2008 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) impoundment pond rupture that dumped more than a billion gallons of toxic sludge on to a neighboring east Tennessee community and the Emory River. Coal ash contains arsenic and carcinogenic heavy metals, which has raised concerns from environmental groups.

Coal ash is not currently regulated by the federal government, and environmental groups say that the lack of oversight has made storage plants lax, putting millions of people who live near those plants at risk. The EPA is expected to propose guidelines for coal ash storage in the next few months.

If the EPA reclassifies coal ash as a hazardous material, it would have a ripple effect that critics, including the group of Illinois lawmakers, say will crush an already weakened economy.

The Office of Management and Budget said in a statement that it has received the Illinois lawmakers’ comments and they “appreciate their input.” For now, however, the subject remains under review.

Source: Chicago Tribune

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Illinois lawmakers ask White House not to classify coal ash as hazardous

TVA has already said that the billion-dollar cleanup is being footed by customers through their utility bills. That hike is hidden by a recent drop in fuel costs that has helped keep customers’ bills somewhat steady. If and when fuel prices creep back up, customers will see the change. But if coal ash, which contains arsenic and carcinogenic heavy metals, is reclassified as hazardous, it could affect how the TVA continues the cleanup process. And that $1.1 billion price tag could leap even higher.

EPA spokeswoman Latisha Petteway says the agency is still mulling the decision on how to classify coal ash. Both Petteway and Barbara Martocci, spokeswoman for the TVA, declined to comment on how the EPA’s decision would affect the TVA’s cleanup. However, classifying the coal ash as hazardous would almost certainly affect how the waste is recycled. Byproducts from coal-firing plants are used to strengthen building products such as wallboard and cement, and are even used to break down soil and fertilize crops.

The TVA is the nation’s largest utility with nearly nine million customers in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Coal ash classification could affect TVA customers’ bills

Editorial: The Coal Ash Case
Published January 19, 2010, The New York Times

Just more than a year ago, one billion tons of toxic coal sludge broke loose from a containment pond belonging to the Tennessee Valley Authority, burying hundreds of acres of Roane County in eastern Tennessee and threatening local water supplies and air quality. The Environmental Protection Agency immediately promised new national standards governing the disposal of coal ash to replace a patchwork of uneven — and in many cases weak — state regulations.

The agency’s recommendations, which have not been made public, are now the focus of a huge dispute inside the Obama administration, with industry lobbying hard for changes that would essentially preserve the status quo. The dispute should be resolved in favor of the environment and public safety.

America’s power plants produce 130 million tons of coal ash a year, enough to fill a train of boxcars stretching from the District of Columbia to Australia. Some of this is usefully, safely and profitably recycled to make concrete and other construction materials. Much of it winds up in lightly regulated landfills, some as big as 1,500 acres, where toxic pollutants like arsenic and lead can leach into the water table.

One internal E.P.A. proposal suggested reclassifying coal ash as a hazardous material subject to federal regulation. It also recommended national standards requiring safe, sturdy disposal facilities. Industry counterattacked, arguing that the hazardous designation would ruin the recycling market and could trigger burdensome new investments. It also argued for continued state control, with the federal government providing “guidance.”

These arguments do not hold up. The recycling market will not disappear. Materials that are responsibly recycled are not, typically, designated as hazardous. The real problem is the 60 percent or so of the coal ash that winds up in porous landfills. Evidence suggests that tough but carefully tailored rules could encourage even more recycling, protecting the environment while yielding income to help pay for more secure landfills.

This debate is being conducted behind closed doors, mainly at the Office of Management and Budget, where industry usually takes its complaints and horror stories. A better course would be to let the E.P.A. draft a proposal, get it out in the open and offer it for comment from all sides. The Obama administration promised that transparency and good science would govern decisions like these.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › EPA’s recommendations on coal ash the focus of dispute

The EPA was charged with defining the guidelines after last year’s devastating coal ash spill from an impoundment pond at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston, Tenn., plant. More than a billion gallons of toxic material tumbled down on neighboring land, knocking homes from their foundations, destroying property and contaminating waterways.

Coal ash is not considered a hazardous material, thus it did not fall under government regulations. However, since the Kingston spill, it was revealed that improvements in coal firing has made the ash left behind more toxic than years prior. Coal ash contains arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been linked to serious health problems such as cancer, liver damage ad neurological complications.

The EPA says it is delayed in proposing guidelines because of “the complexity of the analysis the agency is currently finishing” and the agency is “still actively clarifying and refining parts of the proposal.”

Source: Geosynthetica.net

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › EPA says coal ash regulations will not come in 2009

Barbara Martocci, TVA spokeswoman, said the Dam Safety Group will take over the inspection of all the utility’s impoundments in 2011. And the utility is also taking steps to eliminate wet ash storage facilities at all its power plant locations.

Coal ash storage ponds have come under scrutiny since December 2008, when a coal ash impoundment pond at the TVA Kingston plant breached, sending a wave of toxic material on to a neighboring rural community.

Despite containing heavy metals that have been linked to serious health problems, coal ash isn’t classified as a hazardous material. Thus, facilities that store coal ash weren’t regulated by the federal government. Critics say that if the plants had been properly regulated and inspected, perhaps the massive spill that blanked an east Tennessee community with toxic material may not have happened in the first place.

The TVA, meanwhile, is involved in a years-long, multi-million dollar cleanup of the land and is facing a mountain of lawsuits from people who were harmed or lost property in the coal ash disaster. The customers of the nation’s largest utility will soon feel the pain, too, as that hefty expense is likely to translate into higher residential utility bills.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Advisory board recommends tougher controls over coal ash storage

But if Crossville Coal Company and Smith Mountain Solutions have their way and are allowed to reclaim a surface mine on top of Smith Mountain to store coal ash recovered from the east Tennessee site of a massive coal ash spill, the narrow roadway where the Nicholsons walk will become even more treacherous with heavy trucks carrying tons of coal ash.

Smith Mountain Solutions says it will make safety improvements to the road and enforce low speed limits with GPS tracking, which would ultimately be a benefit to residents in the area. But few locals find the promise reassuring. Their concerns go beyond traffic issues. They are worried about their property and their health.

Coal ash is not categorized a hazardous material and thus does not fall under federal regulations. Last year, when a coal ash impoundment pond at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston, Tenn., site breached and sent a wave of toxic material onto a rural community, the government and environmental groups took a closer look at coal ash and realized just how dangerous the material can be.

Tests have determined that coal ash has become more and more toxic over the years, as technological advances have improved the quality of smoke that is released into the air. The coal ash left behind has been shown to contain toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been linked to serious health concerns such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications, to name a few. As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency has been inspecting coal ash impoundments nationwide and is expected to provide guidelines by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the TVA is undergoing a years-long, $1.2 billion cleanup effort at the site of the massive coal ash spill in east Tennessee. That cleanup includes removing the spilled coal ash and shipping it to other landfills for storage. One landfill that is currently receiving the reclaimed coal ash is in Alabama.

TVA is eyeing the Smith Mountain landfill as another storage site but residents are fighting the plan. Not only will the traffic along Smith Mountain Road be heavier, thanks to trucks hauling tons of recovered coal ash, but there is the threat of the coal ash leaching into the soil and contaminating the land and drinking water. And then there’s the risk of another breach like that in Kingston, which toppled houses, damaged property and displaced numerous residents.

Proponents of the Smith Mountain landfill plan say it would be a win-win for the community. Not only would it ensure improvements of Smith Mountain Road, it will create jobs and generate millions of dollars in fees for the community. The companies have also promised to ensure the safety of the landfill with synthetic liners to cut down on leaching.

But arguments for the landfill have fallen on deaf ears. “This has been sold to us as a win-win proposition, which it clearly is not unless you are one of a couple of groups,” says Smith Mountain resident Earl Tyler.

Source: Crossville Chronicle

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Smith Mountain residents fight coal ash landfill

Several years ago coal ash from power plants was given a non-hazardous rating. Since then, technology has improved the quality of the smoke released into the air from coal-firing plants. The toxins that used to escape into the air are now kept in the ash left behind. Tests have shown that coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been linked to serious health conditions such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

Environmentalists have tried over the years to have coal ash reclassified as a hazardous material, but little was done to push that effort until last year when a coal impoundment pond in east Tennessee breached, sending a massive wave of coal ash on to a neighboring community. The 1.1 billion gallons that spilled out toppled houses, destroyed property and contaminated the nearby Emory River. Several residents were displaced, but it is the health risk that concerns many of the people affected by the spill. Some have reported respiratory problems and heightened anxiety. Others, including a young child, have tested positive for heavy metal in their bloodstream.

Environmentalists and activists are urging the EPA to carefully consider how it will categorize both wet and dry coal ash impoundments. “Both pose a threat to human health and the environment so it doesn’t make sense to create that dichotomy (between wet and dry ash storage regulation),” said Lisa Evans, an attorney with Earthjustice, in an interview with the Tennessean.“We would not think that would be a protective scheme, with the many cases where dry disposal has caused contamination of groundwater and surface water.”

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › EPA considers hazardous material classification of coal ash

That spill, called one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history, knocked houses off their foundations, damaged property and contaminated waterways. The TVA is currently undergoing an estimated three-year, $1.2 billion cleanup effort to restore the land.

That’s just the kind of nightmare Kentucky residents don’t want to experience. A major spill from a larger coal ash pond built on the Ohio River flood plain could easily contaminate Louisville’s drinking water uptake just 30 miles downstream.

LG&E and Kentucky Division of Water officials say the pond wouldn’t affect the drinking water. But environmentalists have concerns. Coal ash is not categorized as a hazardous material and thus does not currently fall under federal regulation. But the massive Tennessee spill shed new light on coal ash.

Tests have shown that coal ash contains dangerous toxins such as arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which have been linked to serious health conditions such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications. As a result of last year’s devastating spill, the Environmental Protection Agency has been ordered to review all coal ash ponds in the country. The agency is expected to issue new rules for handling coal ash sometime in December.

Source: Chicago Tribune

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Activists fight coal ash pond expansion along Ohio River

Indiana

An investigation into the cause of the TVA spill has sent a ripple of new standards for coal ash impoundments throughout the country, including a survey conducted by the EPA of all electric utilities. The EPA found nearly 600 ash ponds. The most ponds were found in Indiana, with 53 ponds. Kentucky came in close second with 44 ponds. The survey also found significant deficiencies in the way some of the impoundment ponds have been inspected, though which ponds and where were not disclosed.

In 2000, the EPA deemed coal ash a nonhazardous material, and thus it did not fall under federal inspections. Inspections are left up to state regulators. Since 2000, improved pollution controls keep more and more toxins from leaving smokestack, thus increasing the amount of toxins in the coal ash. Coal ash contains arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, all of which have been shown to contribute to serious health conditions such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

The Obama administration has promised to adopt national standards for the handling of coal combustion wastes including coal ash ponds, though no time line has yet been set. The EPA says it will analyze the findings of the survey. A report will be made public by the first of next year.

Source: Courier-Journal

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Some of nation’s coal ash ponds have significant deficiencies

The spill destroyed homes and damaged property, creating one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history. It also stirred up a flurry of concern from concerned citizens and environmentalists who argue that coal ash sites should fall under federal regulation as a hazardous material, as the material can be detrimental to human life.

Wet-ash plants store unburned coal byproducts washed out with water from the boiler and smokestacks. Those byproducts are stored in water-covered landfills. Dry ash is waste vacuumed out and collected in silos.

“We are going to go dry with all of our fly ash and we are going to de-water our gypsum and make it more marketable,” TVA vice president John Kammeyer told the Associated Press. ”If we can’t sell it, we will dry stack it.”

The conversion from wet-ash storage to dry-ash storage will likely cost a pretty penny for the utility, which is already spending close to $1 billion to clean up the mess left behind after the spill. Three consulting firms helped develop what TVA officials call a comprehensive plan for safer storage. “It is a big deal. It is a big effort,” said Kammeyer.

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › TVA proposes to convert wet-ash storage to dry ash

“I’m not crazy about it,” said Hank James in an interview with the Tuscaloosa News. “From what I’ve read, it doesn’t sound like a great thing for any community to deal with.”

Coal ash is not classified as a hazardous material by the Environmental Protection Agency, but since 2000, improved pollution controls have kept toxins from leaving smokestacks and thus have increased the amount of toxins in coal ash. The material may contain arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese and barium, which can contribute to serious health complications such as cancer, liver damage and neurological complications.

When the coal ash spill occurred last December, more than a billion gallons poured over 300 acres of a nearby community, knocking homes off their foundations and piling as high as nine feet in some areas. Numerous people have been displaced, some have suffered medical complications, and despite TVA’s claims to fully restore the property, some say it will always hold traces of dangerous materials that can harm wildlife and plant life that live off the land and in the waterways.

More than half of the recovered coal ash is expected to be stored in the rural Alabama town. A breach similar to that at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) plant in Kingston, Tennessee, could devastate the impoverished Perry County.

Perry County officials contend that the Arrowhead Landfill, where the recovered coal ash will be stored, was built to modern standards and is in full compliance with ADEM regulations. The landfill is lined with a heavy plastic to keep toxins from seeping into the ground and a purification system is capable of cleaning the fluids to a level clean enough to dump into nearby streams. A series of wells will help monitor to ensure hazardous toxins don’t get into drinking water.

But those reassurances aren’t enough to sway some concerned citizens. “As far as making any kind of benefit for this community, I don’t see any,” says John Osemer, 87, a lifelong resident of Uniontown.

Image courtesy Tuscaloosa News

SOURCE: Coal Ash Spill › Recovered toxic coal ash to be stored in rural Alabama