10/18/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/18/2024 07:48
Settlement is part of EPA's larger initiative to protect communities from coal ash contamination
October 18, 2024
The settlement is part of EPA's National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, Protecting Communities from Coal Ash Contamination. This Initiative is needed given the breadth and scope of observed noncompliance with the federal coal ash regulations. Coal ash, which is produced from the burning of coal for energy, is a large industrial waste stream (by volume) and contains certain contaminants known to cause cancer and other serious health effects. Prior to 2015, the management and disposal of coal ash was not regulated at the national level; instead, it was regulated to varying degrees, if at all, by some states. Historically, coal ash was typically disposed in unlined landfills and unlined surface impoundments many of which are in contact with groundwater.
Without proper containment and management, contaminants from coal ash can pollute waterways, groundwater, drinking water and the air. The additional enforcement resources under EPA's National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative to address this issue will help protect both water sources, including drinking water, as well as the often-overburdened communities who live near these units.
"The Biden-Harris Administration takes seriously the threat to human health and the environmentfrom coal ash contamination, especially in communities historically overburdened by pollution," said EPA Region 3 Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. "Our goal is always to bring companies into compliance and ensure that everyone, regardless of zip code, is protected."Conemaugh is a coal-powered electric generation facility and has disposed of coal ash infour Ash Filter Ponds (surface impoundments). KEY-CON has made improvements at its facility, such as installing geosynthetic liners in its Ash Filter Ponds and adding additional groundwater monitoring wells. If groundwater monitoring reveals contamination above the federal groundwater protection standards, then KEY-CON will be required by regulation to design and implement a corrective action program to address the detected contamination.
In the agreement, EPA alleges that KEY-CON did not meet certain requirements under the coal ash program, including:
Read EPA's Consent Agreement and Final Order here
Background
In April 2015, EPA established national rules for coal ash management and disposal to address:
These rules established a comprehensive set of requirements for the safe handling and disposal of coal ash from coal-fired power plants, including technical requirements for coal ash landfills and surface impoundments.
For more information on coal ash and the Agency's coal ash program activities, please visit EPA's Coal Ash (CCR) website.