The CEO in the corner office of any large organization has a lonely existence. CEOs of utilities may feel even more isolated – but it’s not mandatory. The energy industry is steadily evolving beyond fossil fuels and shifting to more renewable and sustainable sources. This is fantastic news for the planet, but before this transformation [...]
It takes a village to solve the looming CCR storage issue. In all discussions of coal ash disposition — either through beneficial reuse or keeping it intact but contained — the overriding concern is safety. The cap-in-place solution has been solidly debunked from a safety standpoint. The market for beneficial use of coal ash [...]
Maximize Innovation Before Resorting to Traditional Methods In 2008, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s dike containing its coal ash failed, allowing approximately 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash to spread over 300 acres and into the Emory River. Since then, the problem that coal ash represents for the U.S. has only gotten worse. Constant battles [...]
K.I.S.S. Applies to Coal Ash Solutions Imagine a community facing the dual crisis of severely dwindling solid waste disposal capacity at the same time its electric utility has been ordered by a federal judge to excavate and move a hazardous legacy coal ash pond to a lined landfill. Unfortunately, this isn’t fantasy. Nashville, Tennessee, [...]
Hey, Power Industry, Welcome to the Waste Industry! The unbreakable thread running through all arguments about CCR over the years is this: CCR is waste. Like any waste, it should adhere to a certain methodology that has been developed by the waste industry. The U.S. waste industry has structured its business model around the EPA’s [...]
The Only Problem with the Unencapsulated Beneficial Use Definition is the Word “Unencapsulated” In public debate over the best disposition of legacy coal ash (CCR), the phrase “uncapsulated beneficial use” is used. However, “uncapsulated” solutions, such as mixing loose CCR into soil or spreading large quantities as fill on construction sites without environmental safeguards, [...]
Slow Death of Cap-In-Place Over the years, methods to properly close legacy coal ash ponds (referred to “CCR units” by the EPA) have become a source of great debate. Most utilities have publicly stated that closure in place, commonly referred to “cap-in-place,” is a “safe and effective option” and it is being considered at a [...]
The 5 C’s of Legacy Coal Ash Beneficial Reuse When utilities are determining how to eliminate environmental hazards posed by legacy coal ash, the paramount goal should be to beneficially reuse much or all of it, if possible, with disposal being the last resort. We discussed methods of accomplishing this in Post 1: microencapsulation and [...]
Project Costs Matter When it comes to legacy CCR disposition (see Part 1), project costs need to be considered. The method deemed “most feasible” should not only reflect the science behind the decision, but also how project costs become a factor in the decision process. Whether a utility is regulated or not, costs passed on [...]
Three Solutions for Legacy Coal Ash Disposition When coal combustion residuals (CCR), such as coal ash, fly ash, bottom ash, gypsum and other solids produced by coal-fired power plants are improperly stored, they can contaminate surrounding soil and ground and surface water, causing a host of environmental problems. The most expedient way to deal with [...]
