Coal Ash Ponds
The Romeo and Juliet Story of Coal
Fired Power Plants
Society sees them as toxic together, but
currently, one cannot exist without the
other.
The only option is death.
NC Energy Consumption and Generation
Ash Ponds
Coal Combustion By-Products: CCBs
Fly Ash
Bottom Ash
Boiler Slag
Gypsum
Coal Combustion By-Products: CCBs
Fly Ash
Fly Ash
Class C
Class F
Foundation: footers/ basement walls
Garden Agricultural and Soil Modification
Roadways and Additives for flowable
fills
Driveway
Coal Combustion By-Products: CCBs
Fly Ash
Bottom Ash
Bottom Ash
Coal Combustion By-Products: CCBs
Fly Ash
Bottom Ash
Boiler Slag
Boiler Slag
Coal Combustion By-Products: CCBs
Fly Ash
Bottom Ash
Boiler Slag
Gypsum
Gypsum
Coal Ash Ponds: Impoundments created near the power plant to store or
dispose of ash from combustion of coal. Ash solids settle, leaving water
at the surface to be recycled or discharged.
Pond at Mountain Island Lake
Pond at Buck Steam Plant
Plant and Coal Ash Pond Locations.
Green: Retired Plant Sites.
Blue: Operating Plant Sites
Inventory of Duke Energy Coal
Ash Ponds in North Carolina
• 32 Total Ponds
• 7 Active
• Receiving Ash
• 28 Inactive
• Not Receiving Ash
• 107,889,000 Tons of Ash
Aug 2014 ash inventory
Status*
as per Duke (tons)**
35 Total
7 Active, 25 Inactive
107,889,000
Allen PoweA4:A31r Station Allen Active Ash Basin
Active
7,660,000
Allen Power Station
Allen Retired Ash Basin
Inactive
3,920,000
Asheville
Asheville 1982 Ash Pond
Inactive
800,000
Asheville
Asheville 1964 Ash Pond
Active
2,200,000
Belews Creek Steam Station Belews Creek Active Ash Basin
Active
12,610,000
Buck Power Station
Buck Steam Station Basin 1
Inactive
2,840,000
Buck Power Station
Buck Steam Station Basin 2
Inactive
1,950,000
Buck Power Station
Buck Steam Station Basin 3
Inactive
270,000
Cape Fear Power Station
Cape Fear 1956 Ash Pond (Inactive) Inactive
420,000
Cape Fear Power Station
Cape Fear 1963 Ash Pond (Inactive) Inactive
760,000
Cape Fear Power Station
Cape Fear 1970 Ash Pond (Inactive) Inactive
840,000
Cape Fear Power Station
Cape Fear 1978 Ash Pond
Inactive
830,000
Cape Fear Power Station
Cape Fear 1985 Ash Pond
Inactive
2,820,000
Cliffside Power Station
Cliffside Active Ash Basin
Active
5,410,000
Cliffside Power Station
Cliffside Inactive Ash Basin 1-4
Inactive
320,000
Cliffside Power Station
Cliffside Inactive Ash Basin #5
Inactive
810,000
Dan River Power Station
Dan River Active Primary Ash Basin
Inactive
960,000
Dan River Power Station
Dan River Active Secondary Ash Basin Inactive
210,000
Lee Power Station
H.F. Lee Ash Pond 1 (Inactive)
Inactive
190,000
Lee Power Station
H.F. Lee Ash Pond 2 (Inactive)
Inactive
440,000
Lee Power Station
H.F. Lee Ash Pond 3 (Inactive)
Inactive
670,000
Lee Power Station
H.F. Lee Active Ash Pond
Inactive
4,590,000
Lee Power Station
H.F. Lee Ash Polishing Pond
Inactive
9,000
Marshall Steam Station
Marshall Active Ash Basin
Active
22,270,000
Mayo Power Station
Mayo Ash Pond
Active
6,900,000
Riverbend Power Station
Riverbend Active Ash Basin 1
Inactive
2,050,000
Riverbend Power Station
Riverbend Active Ash Basin 2
Inactive
680,000
Roxboro Power Station
Roxboro West Ash Pond
Active
7,310,000
Roxboro Power Station
Roxboro East Ash Pond
Inactive
9,130,000
Sutton Power Station
Sutton 1971 Ash Pond
Inactive
3,540,000
Sutton Power Station
Sutton 1984 Ash Pond
Inactive
2,780,000
Weatherspoon Power Station Weatherspoon 1979 Ash Pond
Inactive
1,700,000
Facility
Ash Pond Name
* = Active: receiving either sluiced fly ash or bottom ash, Inactive: NOT receiving sluiced fly ash or bottom ash
**= Quantities subject to change based on continuing ash production and ash excavation, as applicable. In addition,
detailed in-situ field data acquisition and analysis in support of ash basin closure planning may yield revised ash quantities.
Dan River Spill
High, High* Hazard
Failure or mis-operation of
dam will probably cause loss
of human life.
Significant Hazard
Failure or mis-operation of
dam results in no probable
loss
of human life, but can cause
economic loss,
environment damage,
disruption of lifeline facilities,
or
impact other concerns
Coal Ash Management Act
•
•
•
•
Senate Bill 729
Passed August 20th, 2014
29 Part Bill
Dan River Spill, Impetus for
Legislation
• Temporarily bans Duke from
raising consumers’ rates to pay for
clean-up until January 2015
• Only requires immediate removal
of coal ash from 4 of the 14 sites
• Asheville, Riverbend, Dan River,
and Sutton
Key Provisions
• Construction/ Expansion of Coal Ash Ponds is
Banned as of October 1st
• Duke must test private wells, and replace
contaminated drinking-water supplies for residents
• End of 2015, DENR will divide coal ash sites into
high, intermediate, and low risk categories
• High risk sites must be excavated and placed in a
lined landfill by the end of 2019
• Intermediate sites by 2024
• Fly ash must be converted to dry – End of 2018
• Bottom ash Dry – End of 2019
• State will impose a 0.03% fee on NC revenues with
coal ash sites, utility may not recover it by
increasing retail rates
EPA
Regulations
• CCBs are currently considered exempt
wastes under the RCRA
• EPA is proposing to regulate for the first
time coal ash to address the risks
• Two possible options, both fall under the
RCRA
• Subtitle C – Special wastes subject to
regulation
• Subtitle D – Section for non-hazard
wastes
• Appalachian Voices v. Gina McCarthy
• January, 29, 2014.
• U.S. District Court of Columbia ruled
EPA has mandatory duty to review coal
ash under RCRA
• Regulation to be finalized: December 19,
2014
State
• DWR - Division of Water Resources
• Wastewater discharged from Coal Ash ponds
• Shares responsibility for the regulation of coal
combustion residuals with the Division of
Waste Management
• Regulates beneficial uses of CCBs
• DWM
• Regulates fly ash landfills
• Regulation of CCBs and residuals
• DEML – Division of Energy, Mineral and Land
Resources
• Regulates Dam safety for the pond structures
• NPDES – National Pollutant Discharge System
• Division of DWR, regulates ash ponds through
permits