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The Coal Combustion Products Partnership (C2P2) program is a cooperative effort between EPA and the American Coal Ash Association (ACAA), Utility Solid Waste Activities Group (USWAG), Department of Energy (DOE), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) to promote the beneficial use of coal combustion products (CCPs) and the environmental benefits that result from their use.
What are Coal Combustion Products?
CCPs are the byproducts generated from burning coal in coal-fired power plants. These byproducts include fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flue gas desulfurization gypsum.
Related Links
State Reviews - reviews of regulations, standards and practices
About CCPs - describes the various coal combustion products like fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flue gas desulfurization material.
Regulatory Resources - provides resources concerning EPA's regulatory determination of CCPs.
Industrial Materials Recycling - provides information on the recycling and beneficial use of industrial materials.
- Reduce adverse effects on air and land by increasing the use of coal combustion products to 50 percent in 2011 from 32 percent in 2001.
- Increase the use of CCPs as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in concrete by 50 percent, from 12.4 million tons in 2001 to 18.6 million tons in 2011, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions from avoided cement manufacturing by approximately 5 million tons each year.
The C2P2 program aims to accomplish these goals by working with C2P2 Partners, supporting research and technical assistance activities, and conducting outreach and education.
What Are the Benefits of Using CCPs and Why Did EPA Create C2P2?
There are numerous environmental, economic, and performance benefits that result from using CCPs which is why EPA formed the C2P2 program.
Environmental benefits can include reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced land disposal requirements, and reduced utilization of virgin resources.
Economic benefits can include reduced costs associated with coal ash and slag disposal, increased revenue from the sale of CCPs, and savings from using CCPs in place of other, more costly materials.
Performance benefits can result from the physical and chemical characteristics of CCPs and include greater resistance to chemical attack, increased strength, and improved workability. For instance, high fly ash-content concrete can be used for high performance, long-life pavements which are designed to last 50 years—twice the lifetime of conventional pavements.
Specific benefits may vary depending on the properties of CCPs and the applications for their use.
C2P2 Partners
Like EPA’s WasteWise program, C2P2 promotes and recognizes participants for their voluntary efforts. By joining the C2P2 program, organizations agree to work to increase the beneficial use of CCPs, and in return are eligible for awards recognizing their activities and achievements, such as documented increases in CCP use and success stories in CCP promotion and utilization.
Research & Technical Assistance
C2P2 provides technical and research assistance to Partners and others interested in CCP use. Some of the available resources are listed below:
- Case studies demonstrating how CCPs have successfully been used and identifying barriers to CCP utilization.
- Fly Ash Facts for Highway Engineers booklet (PDF) (81 pp, 5.9MB)
prepared in collaboration with the FHWA and ACAA. - Using Coal Ash in Highway Construction booklet (PDF) (50 pp, 2.3MB) outlining the benefits and impacts of using CCPs in highway applications.
- State reviews of CCP utilization practices in Florida, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Texas, and a National Synthesis Report.
- Construction Initiative with DOE, FHWA, states, trade associations, and other parties to facilitate the beneficial use of industrial byproducts in large construction projects.
- Green Highways Partnership with FHWA and other stakeholders to help enhance stewardship and sustainability in transportation planning, design, construction, and maintenance.
- Using Recycled Industrial Materials in Buildings (PDF) - Learn about the different ways industrial materials can be used to reduce the environmental impact of building construction.
Education & Outreach
One of the most important functions of C2P2 is to support educational and technical outreach about the safe and beneficial use of CCPs. This outreach may be in the form of workshops, conferences, public appearances, conference calls, networking, and other means of information sharing, and often combines information from FHWA, EPA, DOE, ACAA, EPRA, USDA-ARS, and other sources to provide a comprehensive look at the beneficial use of CCPs. Information on upcoming events and activities is available on the News & Events page.
This project is part of EPA’s Resource Conservation Challenge.
For More Information- Read the C2P2 Program Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 217K, About PDF) to learn more about the program.
- E-mail C2P2 Information Center (WasteWise@icfi.com) or call (800) EPA-WISE and a program representative will answer your questions.
