EPA Releases More Electric Utility Plans to Improve Safety of Coal Ash Impoundments (HQ)
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is releasing action plans developed by 15 electric utility
facilities with coal ash impoundments, describing the measures the
facilities are taking to make their impoundments safer. The action
plans are a response to EPA’s final assessment reports on the
structural integrity of these impoundments that the agency made
public last May. Coal ash was brought prominently to national
attention in 2008 when an impoundment holding disposed ash waste
generated by the Tennessee Valley Authority broke open, creating a
massive spill in Kingston, Tennessee, that covered millions of
cubic yards of land and river and is regarded as one of the worst
environmental disasters of its kind in history. Shortly afterwards,
EPA began overseeing the cleanup, as well as investigating the
structural integrity of impoundments where ash waste is
stored.
“EPA is committed to making communities across the country
safer places to live,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant
administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
Response. “The information we are releasing today shows that
we continue to make progress in our efforts to prevent future coal
ash spills.”
Since May 2009, EPA has been conducting on-site assessments of coal
ash impoundments and ponds at electric utilities. EPA provides
copies of the structural integrity assessment reports to each
facility, and requests the facilities implement the reports’
recommendations and provide their plans for taking action. The
action plans released today address recommendations from
assessments of 37 impoundments at 15 facilities. Many of these
facilities have already begun implementing EPA’s
recommendations.
In addition to the action plans, EPA is also releasing assessment
reports on the structural integrity of an additional 69 coal ash
impoundments at 20 facilities across the country. Of these units,
35 were given a “poor” rating and none of the units
received an “unsatisfactory” rating, which is the
lowest possible EPA rating. The poor ratings were given because
these units lacked some of the necessary engineering documentation
required in the assessments, and not because the units are unsafe.
Based on analysis from the engineers who conducted the assessments,
the ratings for these units are likely to improve once the proper
documentation is submitted.
The assessment reports have been completed by firms, under
contract to EPA, who are experts in the field of dam integrity, and
reflect the best professional judgment of those engineering firms.
A draft of these reports has been reviewed by the facilities and
the states for factual accuracy. The comments on the draft reports
are also posted on EPA’s website. EPA is continuing to review
the reports and technical recommendations, and is working with the
facilities to ensure that the recommendations are implemented in a
timely manner. Should facilities fail to take sufficient measures,
EPA will take additional action, if the circumstances warrant. EPA
will continue to provide additional information to the public on
the impoundments and facilities as it becomes available.
Last year, EPA completed comprehensive assessments for 60
impoundments that were considered to have a high risk of causing
harm if the impoundment were to fail. The agency is now in the
process of evaluating the remaining impoundments and will continue
to make its assessments and the facility action plans available to
the public.
EPA is also in the process of developing the first-ever national
rules to ensure the safe disposal and management of coal ash from
coal-fired power plants. The proposed regulations will ensure
stronger oversight of the structural integrity of impoundments, and
protection of human health and the environment. The agency is
evaluating more than 400,000 public comments on the proposed rule,
which was released in May 2010.
For more information and to view all the electric utility action
plans and EPA coal ash assessment reports:
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/industrial/special/fossil/surveys2/index.htm