Coal Ash
The following resources contain information about coal ash ponds and related issues.
- EPA Report Shows Catawba River Threatened by Coal Ash Waste
- Coal ash from power plants is being accumulated in ponds along the Catawba River. According to the EPA, four of ash ponds that pose the highest hazard are along the Catawba River.
- SELC Coal Ash Blueprint
- The Southern Environmental Law Center prepared a short report containing recommendations about coal ash, including the elimination of all wet coal ash ponds.
- SELC Video Report on Coal Ash
- The Southern Environmental Law Center prepared a video briefing about coal ash, which includes photographs of the ash pond failure in Tennessee.
- USGS Webpage on radioactive elements in coal and fly ash
- US EPA Fact Sheet
- Coal Combustion Residues (CCR) - Surface Impoundments with High Hazard Potential Ratings Fact Sheet
- POWER POLITICS: Pressure builds for better regulation of coal ash dumps
- North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue (D) has endorsed legislation that would increase oversight of the state's coal ash dumps, the massive surface impoundments that power companies use to store the toxic waste left over after burning coal.
- NC governor calls for better regulation of coal ash dumps
- North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue (D) has endorsed legislation that would increase oversight of the state’s coal ash dumps, the massive surface impoundments that power companies use to store the toxic waste left over after burning coal.
- Riverbend Ash Ponds
- Excerpt from and Link to article about Riverbend Steam Station Ash Ponds from Carolina Weekly Newspapers.
- Riverbend 1
- Duke Energy’s Riverbend Steam plant serves as the backdrop to a 41-acre coal ash pond, one of two coal ash ponds the plant uses. Rhiannon Bowman/MIW photos
- Riverbend 2
- A road and earthen damn separates Riverbend Steam Plant’s two coal ash ponds
- Riverbend discharge culvert into Mtn Island Lake
- Riverbend discharge culvert into Mtn Island Lake
- Coal Ash Disasters
- Coal Ash Monitoring Well Results in NC
- Summary of groundwater standard violations at coal ash monitoring wells in North Carolina.
- Coal Ash Monitoring Well Results in NC - Summary
- Summary of groundwater standard violations at coal ash monitoring wells in North Carolina.
- Report on Groundwater Violations from Coal Ash Ponds in North Carolina
- Report summarizing groundwater standard violations from coal ash ponds in North Carolina.
- Link to 60 Minutes Report on Coal Ash
- Report by CBS news program "60 Minutes" on coal ash.
- Coal Ash Video Reports
- This page contains links to various video reports on the coal ash problem.
- SCE&G Coal Ash Pond on Wateree River Leaking
- According to the plaintiff in a lawsuit against SCE&G, the Wateree River is being poisoned by a coal ash pond. Streams of a poisonous, potentially cancer-causing substance recently were found draining to the Wateree River from SCE&G’s coal-fired power plant in lower Richland County. Consultants discovered elevated levels of arsenic seeping from an earthen wall along the power plant’s 80-acre coal ash waste pond, just a few miles upstream from Congaree National Park.
- Cleansing the Air at the Expense of Waterways
- Over the past few years, coal-plant operators have been installing scrubbers at large coal-fired powerplants to reduce the amount of air pollution. Unfortunately, the pollutants that are "scrubbed" from the air emsissions end up in our water.
- October 12, 2009 Press Release from Catawba Riverkeeper
- A steady flow of information regarding the safety and security of pollutants from Duke Energy’s four EPA listed “High Hazard Potential” coal ash ponds along the Catawba River continues. Recent articles have explained data that shows heavy metal contamination in groundwater supplies. Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman exclaims “These ponds threaten more than groundwater. All day, every day- these coal ash ponds are discharging directly into our primary drinking water reservoir!”
- White House, EPA at Odds Over Coal-Waste Rules
- The Obama administration is engaged in an unusual internal spat as the White House and Environmental Protection Agency tussle over how to handle millions of tons of waste from coal-fired power plants. Utility and environmental groups are watching the coal-ash dispute as an indicator of the administration's pliability on the regulatory front.
- Environmental Integrity Project Coal Ash Report
- The case for the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to stop sitting on a delayed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) coal-ash site contamination rule is even stronger than it first appeared to be, according to a major new report from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) and Earthjustice. The analysis by EIP and Earthjustice identifies 31 additional coal-ash contamination sites in 14 states, which, when added to the 70 in the EPA's justification for the pending rule, brings the total of coal-fired power plant waste storage sites with poisoned water to 101.
- Environmental Integrity Report on Coal Ash - Summary
- COAL-ASH WASTE CONTAMINATION STUDY: 31 NEW WATER POLLUTION SITES FOUND IN 14 STATES, SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING PRESSURE ON OMB TO RELEASE DELAYED EPA RULE
- Information about Coal Ash at Wateree Station
- Excerpt from February 2010 Report on Coal Ash by the Environmental Integrity Project.
- Utilities Plans for Coal Ash Pond May Not Be Enough
- Are utilities' plans for shoring up hazardous coal ash dams good enough? Excerpt from Online Magazine of the Institute for Southern Studies
- Coal Ash Video
- Videos about coal ash and products made from coal ash.
- SC DHEC Public Notice- Wateree Station Discharge Changes
- TOPIC: Wastewater Discharge Permit NOTICE NUMBER/DATE: 10-014-M/February 3, 2010 PERMIT APPLICANT: South Carolina Electric and Gas (SCE&G) FACILITY LOCATION: Discharge to the Wateree River. Facility is SCE&G’s Wateree Power Plant at 142 Wateree Station Road, Eastover (Richland County). SCE&G’s mailing address: SCANA, Corporate Environmental Services, 220 Operation Way, MC C221, Cayce, SC 29033-3701. HEARING TOPIC: Proposal to modify SCE&G’s NPDES Permit (permit: SC0002038) NOTICE PURPOSE: DHEC is seeking input on this proposed decision and invites interested people to a public hearing and/or to provide written comments. Email comments by 5:00pm, March 19, 2010 to Melinda Vickers at vickermg@dhec.sc.gov Please title your email "Note Notice 10-014-M: Wateree NPDES Comments"
- Wateree River Sunrise
- Differences Between Two Possible Coal Ash Waste Regulations
- EPA seeks comments on two proposed options for regulations of Coal Ash Wastes: Subtitle C and Subtitle D. This table provides an easy format to view the differences between these two possible regulatory options.
- EPA Proposed Coal Ash Regulations
- HAZARDOUS AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM; IDENTIFICATION AND LISTING OF SPECIAL WASTES; DISPOSAL OF COAL COMBUSTION RESIDUALS FROM ELECTRIC UTILITIES from U.S. EPA. A 563-page document.
- Marshall Outfall 001
- Model Comment Letter on EPA Coal Ash Regulations - Very Short
- EPA is considering options for regulating coal ash. The attached file is a very short letter requesting that the EPA adopt regulations that are adequate to protect our water.
- Coal Ash Myths
- Common misconceptions about coal ash.
- Summary of EPA Coal Ash Regulatory Options
- EPA is considering two primary options for regulating coal ash. This document summarizes the two options being considered.
- Long version of comment letter on EPA Coal Ash Regulations
- Long version of model letter commenting on EPA coal ash regulations.
- Differences between regulating coal ash under Subtitles C and D of RCRA
- This document summarizes seven major differences between the regulation of coal ash under subtitles C and D of RCRA
- EPA Presentation on Coal Combustion Residuals
- Presentation by Betsy Devlin (EPA) on the regulation of Coal Combustion Residuals at ELI seminar in June 2010. This presentation includes a comparison of regulatory options.
- Comment letter on EPA Coal Ash Regulations - One page
- One page comment letter on EPA coal ash regulations with emphasis on recreational issues.
- Coal ash contamination worse than estimated
- The Environmental Integrity Project, EarthJustice, and the Sierra Club released a study in August 2010, titled "Coal Ash Water- Contamination Much Worse Than Previously Estimated, With 39 Additional Toxic Sites Identified in 21 States."
- Catawba Riverkeeper- EPA Hearing Comments
- Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman delivered these comments to representatives from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at the September 14, 2010 public hearing in Charlotte, NC.
- Cities and Citizens Raise Concerns About Impact of Coal Plants on Catawba Lakes
- On October 19, North Carolina held a public hearing on the water pollution permits for the Allen, Riverbend and Marshall coal-fired powerplants which are on Lake Wylie, Mtn. Island Lake and Lake Norman respectively.
- Coal Ash Amendments May Prevent EPA from Regulating Coal Ash
- The U.S. House of Representatives is considering two amendments that would force EPA to exempt coal ash from hazardous waste requlations and effectively prevent EPA from adopting regulations needed to prevent continued use of unlined coal ash ponds discharging into drinking water reservoirs along the Catawba River and other rivers.
- Riverbend Steam Station Retirement Statement -.pdf
- June 2011 statement issued by Duke Energy regarding the planned closing of the Riverbend Steam Station in 2015. File is a .pdf
- Senate Bill Kills Coal Ash Cleanup Efforts
- Senate bill that cuts EPA efforts to regulate coal ash disposal. This bill is identical to H.R. 2273 that has passed the House of Representatives.
- Coal Ash Dumping on the Rise
- The Environmental Integrity Project reports that toxic coal ash dumping on the rise in the South.
- Aerial Photo of Wateree Steam Station Ash Ponds
- Aerial Photo of Wateree Steam Station Ash Ponds
- Catawba Riverkeeper Files Lawsuit Against SCE&G
- On January 12, 2012, The Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of Catawba Riverkeeper, filed a lawsuit against SCE&G to require a cleanup of coal ash ponds with a long history of leakage.
- Complaint re SCE&G Coal Ash Ponds
- Complaint filed on 1/12/2012 against SCE&G to compel cleanup of coal ash ponds at Eastover, SC coal-fired Wateree Steam Station.
- Catawba River One of Top 10 Endangered Places in the South
- On January 26, 2012, the Southern Environmental Law Center announced its annual list of the Top 10 Endangered Places in the Solutheastern U.S. The Catawba-Wateree River was back on the list as the 3rd most endangered place in the Southeast because of the threats from coal ash, power plant water use and unnecessary reservoirs.
