The Hot Topic for June 26 was “CCR $ Billions Needed”

 

Douglas J. Dahlberg, Project Associate, Civil Support Services Sargent & Lundy LLC, listed questions being asked by clients and then focused on several of the most important (in red).

CCR Issues

What will the per yard/ton costs likely be at an EPA proposed rule compliant disposal site?

1.      What's the difference if we haul directly to an existing municipal waste landfill?

2.      How expensive is it to close a site in place with an EPA required ash disposal site cover/cap?

3.      Estimate the cost of removal of ash from a noncompliant pond or dry fill.

4.      Should I close in place and cap my disposal site or excavate ash?

5.      What are the critical issues that help decide if I should close in place or excavate ash?

6.      If groundwater contamination is discovered, what are the most likely requirements/outcome?

7.      Since our existing disposal site is “grandfathered” in under a state permit, how will the new rule affect us?

8.      How can I best bring my site into compliance with the new rules?

9.      If the existing state regulations differ from EPA's new rule, what will likely be the outcome?

10.  What are the issues with the seismic requirements?


Coal Ash and CCR Issues and Standards Webinar - Hot Topic Hour October 3, 2013

 Revision Date: 10/3/2013


Proposed / Final U.S. EPA Rule Coal Combustion Residuals by Douglas Dahlberg, Sargent and Lundy - Hot Topic Hour October 3, 2013

Douglas anticipates a final rule to classify CCRs under Subtitle D, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), similar to Municipal Waste.

Revision Date: 10/3/2013


Proposed U.S. EPA Coal Combustion Residuals Regulations: How Will it Impact your Plant and your Bottom Line? By Douglas Dahlberg, Sargent & Lundy - Hot Topic Hour May 3, 2012.

Doug discussed how the proposed U.S. EPA coal combustion residuals regulations will impact the power plant and the bottom line.

Revision Date: 5/3/2012


Mark Rokoff, National Practice Lead for CCR's, URS Corporation provided an overview of CCR regulations and pointed out all the collateral impacts. He pointed out that the change in the timing for the Effluent regulation will mean that the CCR decisions will be made first. He warned that a myopic solution such as closing ponds without regard to the more holistic water and solids problems would be be a mistake.

Greatest Challenges to Effective CCR Management

 

You need to understand and evaluate risks and develop plans to address differences between state and proposed federal regulation and evaluate all the alternatives.

Revision Date: 6/25/2014


Groundwater Evaluation for Ash Ponds at a Coal Fired Power Plant in Texas

This paper discusses a response strategy employed to address regulatory agency concerns regarding possible leakage form ash ponds. Wells at the facility have been sampled semiannually for a number of years for a comprehensive list of metals and other general water quality parameters.

Revision Date: 6/23/2014


Overview of CCR Regulations and Changes in Disposal Management

Meeting the CCR regulations will require careful planning. It is much more than just pond closures.

Revision Date: 6/20/2014


Control and Treatment Technology for FGD Wastewater Webinar - Hot Topic Hour August 15, 2013

There are State rules in place which are requiring significant investment in treatment.

Revision Date: 8/15/2013


Wastewater Treatment and Xero Liquid Discharge Technologies: Overview and New Developments by Gordon Maller, URS Corp. - Hot Topic Hour August 15, 2013

Gordon discussed the non thermal ZLD process. This process would seem to be ideal in conjunction with the hot catalytic filter with DSI and is therefore being displayed on the hot gas filter website.

Revision Date: 8/15/2013


Dale Timmons, R.G., Business Development Program Manager NAES Corporation cited the advantages of dense phase slurry to meet the CCR regulations. They include the encapsulation of the metals and a solid waste landfill which can be constructed in a continuous vertical manner. Doug Dahlberg commented that this was an advantage.

Revision Date: 10/3/2013


CCR -- ELG Proposed EPA Regulations Changing the Coal Power Generation Industry by Dale Timmons, NAES - Hot Topic Hour October 3, 2013

Dale discussed the Circumix Dense Slurry System (DSS) technology.

Revision Date: 10/3/2013


 

Bill Betke of GSE discussed a proposed North Carolina CCR bill. North Carolina Senate Bill 729 [Edition 2] “Coal Ash Management Act of 2014” was sponsored by two Republicans and is less stringent and more likely to be enacted than one sponsored by Democrats. But even this more lenient rule would have a shorter time frame than the Federal proposed rule and would in some cases be more stringent. There is a proviso that where any Federal statute is more stringent it would apply.

Highlights

1.      Places CCRSI under regulation by DENR, including:

a.       Already dry CCRSI

b.      Wet CCRSI

c.       Associated ponds

d.      Inactive CCRSI already covered with soil

 

2.      Places large-scale structural fills under regulation by DENR

a.       Temporary moratorium until August 15, 2015

b.      Permit process

c.       Composite bottom liners

d.      Composite caps

3.      Prioritizes CCRSI for closure

a.       High-risk

b.      Intermediate-risk

c.       Low-risk

4.      Mandates Method of Closure for CCRSI

a.       For High and Intermediate-risk

                                                              i.      Dewater

                                                            ii.      Convert CCRSI to properly-lined dry landfill; 300-foot buffer streams/rivers

                                                          iii.      Remove CCR, transfer to beneficial re-use/structural fill and/or lined landfill, remediate property, corrective action for groundwater.

b.      For Low-risk – implement legacy closure plan

 

 

DATE – ON OR BEFORE

 

July 1, 2014

Construction of new/expansion of existing CCRSI prohibited

October 1, 2014

Use of existing CCRSI at retired coal-fired plants prohibited

August 1, 2015

Moratorium on construction of dry landfills “piggybacked” on old CCRSI ends

December 31, 2018

Active coal-fired plants must be converted to dry fly ash or retired

August 1, 2019

CCRSI at four named power plants must be closed

 

December 31, 2019

·         Active coal-fired plants must be converted to dry bottom ash or retired

·         High-risk CCRSI must be closed

December 31, 2024

Intermediate-risk CCRSI must be closed

December 31, 2029

Low-risk CCRSI must be closed

 

Bill also referenced the considerable information which has been posted on the CCR and Effluent website. Here are the links

GSE Coal Ash Barrier Systems

While the use of geosynthetic geomembranes in coal ash landfills and ponds has been shown to provide superior protection compared to not using a liner, there is still significant risk of leakage when a geomembrane is installed without additional geosynthetic products, such as geosynthetic clay liners.

Revision Date: 6/25/2014


Evaluation of Drainage Layer Alternatives for Proposed Landfill Liner at the E.W. Brown Generating Station

After the client requested an evaluation of drainage layer alternatives of their proposed landfill liner, AMEC proposed a geocomposite prototype specially designed for use with Coal Combustion products (CCPs).

Revision Date: 6/25/2014


Coal Ash Storage Facility- A 30 Year Forensic Study

Replacement of old lining system offers an opportunity to study the performance of geosynthetic lining containment materials.

Revision Date: 6/25/2014


A Drainage Geocomposite for Coal Combustion Residual Landfills and Surface Impoundments

The layered geotextile presented in this paper was developed for lamination with a geonet to form an acceptable drainage geocomposite for CCRs. Having a fuzzy surface with a woven filter makes it possible to laminate the geotextectile to a geonet while minimizing intrusion into the drainage core.

Revision Date: 6/25/2014


Bob McIlvaine provided the following overview of byproducts.

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