POWER October 2012 - 75

COAL ASH MANAGEMENT
EPA Stalls on Coal
Combustion Residuals
In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed federal rules
regulating coal combustion residuals (CCRs) for the first time to address
the risks posed by coal-fired power plants' disposal of such waste byproducts.
The need for new regulations remains a topic of debate, heightened
by the EPA's reticence to release the rule. The EPA says that it will
release the new rule by the end of this year-over two years late.
By Angela Neville, JD
I
n December 2008, a massive amount of
coal combustion residuals (CCRs) were
accidentally released from the Tennessee
Valley Authority's (TVA's) Kingston Fossil
Plant. The spill flooded more than 300 acres
of land with CCRs, damaging homes and
property. The released materials flowed into
the Emory and Clinch Rivers, filling large areas
of those rivers and damaging the riverine
ecosystem. The incident heightened national
awareness of the problems associated with
utilities' CCR surface impoundments if they
are not properly maintained.
Since the incident, TVA has worked continuously
to restore the areas affected by the
spill (Figures 1 and 2). As of December 2011,
TVA had spent approximately $750 million
of an expected $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion total
for cleanup of the affected site.
Regulations governing the disposal of
CCRs (also commonly referred to as coal
ash or coal combustion by-products) vary
considerably from state to state. Currently,
there are no national standards governing the
maintenance of CCR surface impoundments
and their retention dikes, and state standards
are haphazard. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) does not currently
classify CCRs as hazardous waste.
POWER has covered the issue of CCR
management in previous issues. Examples
(all available in our online archives at www
.powermag.com) include " Constructing
Maryland's First Permitted Landfill for Coal
Combustion By-products " (October 2011),
" The Better Environmental Option: Dry Ash
Conversion Technology " (July 2011), " Added
Regulatory Hurdles Will Accelerate Coal
Plant Retirements " (May 2011), " Coal Ash
Regulation: Playing the Name Game " (September
2010), and " Best Management Practices
for Coal Ash Ponds " (March 2009).
In order to examine this complex topic
from a variety of viewpoints, in August,
POWER interviewed representatives from a
leading global engineering, consulting, and
1. Accidental release. In December 2008, the massive spill from
TVA's Kingston Fossil Plant in east Tennessee dumped more than 1 billion
gallons of coal ash slurry into the Emory and Clinch Rivers. This
aerial photo shows the area called the North Embayment, which was affected
by the accidental release. Courtesy: Tennessee Valley Authority
construction company; an industry group focused
on CCR management; and a national
environmental advocacy group. These individuals
shared their opinions about legal
trends and best management practices for
coal-fired power plants trying to deal with the
current unsettled regulatory environment.
CCRs' Current Regulatory Status
The EPA classifies CCRs as exempt waste under
an amendment to the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA). CCRs-residues
from power plants' coal combustion processes
that are captured by pollution control technologies
such as scrubbers-include fly ash, bottom
ash, boiler slag, and flue gas desulfurized gypsum.
CCRs
are one of the largest U.S. waste
streams. More than 130 million tons of CCRs
were generated in 2010, according to the
American Coal Ash Association's (ACAA)
Coal Combustion Product (CCP) Production
& Use Survey Report. More than 40% of
2. After cleanup. The same site shown in Figure 1 is shown here
after successful cleanup efforts were completed. As of December
2011, TVA had spent approximately $750 million of an expected $1.1
billion to $1.2 billion total for cleanup of the affected site. Courtesy:
Tennessee Valley Authority
October 2012 | POWER
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POWER October 2012

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