Fact Sheet: Coal Combustion Residues (CCR) - Surface Impoundments with High Hazard Potential Ratings

EPA530-F-09-006
June 2009 (updated August 2009)

Over the past several months, EPA has undertaken a concerted effort to identify and to assess the structural integrity of impoundments, dams, or other management units, within the electric power generating industry, holding wet-handled coal combustion residuals or CCRs.

In response to an EPA information request on units handling wet or slurried CCRs, electric utilities have so far identified a total of 431 units managing slurried CCRs at 162 facilities from our first mailing. (The Agency sent out a 2nd mailing to an additional 48 facilities that were identified as also having units that manage wet or slurried CCRs. The information from this 2nd mailing is not included in this Fact Sheet at this time.) Forty-nine (49) of these units at 30 different locations have been assigned a high hazard potential rating, using the criteria developed by the National Dam Safety Program for the National Inventory of Dams. Hazard potential ratings are generally assigned by the State Dam Safety officials.

The National Inventory of Dams hazard potential ratings address the potential consequences of failure or misoperation of the dam. A high hazard potential rating indicates that a failure will probably cause loss of human life; the rating is not an indication of the structural integrity of the unit or the possibility that a failure will occur in the future; it merely allows dam safety and other officials to determine where significant damage or loss of life may occur if there is a structural failure of the unit. EPA’s assessment of the facilities that have units with high hazard potential ratings continues to be an Agency priority. EPA plans to make public the results of our assessments as soon as they are completed.

CCRs consist of fly ash, bottom ash, coal slag, and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) residue. CCRs contain a broad range of metals, for example, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, lead, and mercury, but the concentrations of these are generally low. However, if not properly managed, (for example, in lined units), CCRs may cause a risk to human health and the environment and, in fact, EPA has documented cases of environmental damage.

Information on the presence of these is important to States, local officials, including first responders, and the residents of local communities so that appropriate preparedness efforts can be undertaken, reviewed, or maintained.

Many States have active dam safety programs and, in many cases, local government agencies, first responders, and the local community are involved in preparedness efforts. By providing this information, EPA's goal is to assist in these efforts.

The following 49 CCR management units at 30 facilities currently have a High Hazard Potential rating:

**List of 49 High Hazard Potential Units**
Company	Facility Name	Unit Name	Location/State Contact
Allegheny Energy	Pleasants Power Station	McElroy's Run Embankment	Willow Island, W VA
American Electric Power	Big Sandy	Fly Ash	Louisa, KY
American Electric Power	Cardinal	Fly Ash Reservoir 2	Brilliant, OH
American Electric Power	General James M Gavin	Fly Ash Pond	Cheshire, OH
American Electric Power	General James M Gavin	Bottom Ash Pond	Cheshire,OH
American Electric Power	John E Amos	Fly Ash Pond	St. Albans, W VA
American Electric Power	Mitchell	Fly Ash Pond	Moundsville, W VA
American Electric Power	Muskingum River	Unit 5 Bottom Ash Pond (Lower Fly Ash Pond)	Waterford, OH
American Electric Power	Muskingum River	Upper Fly Ash Pond	Waterford, OH
American Electric Power	Muskingum River	Middle Fly Ash Pond	Waterford, OH
American Electric Power	Philip Sporn	Fly Ash Pond	New Haven,WV
American Electric Power	Tanners Creek	Fly Ash Pond	Lawrenceburg, IN
Arizona Electric Pwr Coop Inc	Apache Station Combustion Waste Disposal Facility	Ash Pond 4	Cochise, AZ
Arizona Electric Pwr Coop Inc	Apache Station Combustion Waste Disposal Facility	Ash Pond 1	Cochise, AZ
Arizona Electric Pwr Coop Inc	Apache Station Combustion Waste Disposal Facility	Ash Pond 3	Cochise, AZ
Arizona Electric Pwr Coop Inc	Apache Station Combustion Waste Disposal Facility	Scrubber Pond 2	Cochise, AZ
Arizona Electric Pwr Coop Inc	Apache Station Combustion Waste Disposal Facility	Scrubber Pond 1	Cochise, AZ
Arizona Electric Pwr Coop Inc	Apache Station Combustion Waste Disposal Facility	Evaporation 1	Cochise, AZ
Arizona Electric Pwr Coop Inc	Apache Station Combustion Waste Disposal Facility	Ash Pond 2	Cochise, AZ
Arizona Public Service Co	Cholla	Bottom Ash Pond	Joseph City AZ
Arizona Public Service Co	Cholla	Fly Ash Pond	Joseph City AZ
Duke Energy Corp	Allen Steam Plant	Active Ash Pond	Belmont, NC
Duke Energy Corp	Belews Creek Steam Station	Active Ash Pond	Walnut Cove, NC
Duke Energy Corp	Buck	New Primary Pond	Spencer, NC
Duke Energy Corp	Buck	Secondary Pond	Spencer, NC
Duke Energy Corp	Buck	Primary Pond	Spencer, NC
Duke Energy Corp	Dan River	Secondary Pond	Eden, NC
Duke Energy Corp	Dan River	Primary Pond	Eden,NC
Duke Energy Corp	Marshall Steam Station	Active Ash Pond	Terrell, NC
Duke Energy Corp	Riverbend	Secondary Pond	Mount Holly, NC
Duke Energy Corp	Riverbend	Primary Pond	Mount Holly, NC
Dynegy Midwest Generation Inc	Havana	East Ash Pond	Havana, IL
Dynegy Midwest Generation Inc	Wood River	East Ash Pond (2 cells)	Alton, IL
First Energy Generation Corp	Bruce Mansfield	Little Blue Run Dam	Shippingport, PA
Georgia Power	Plant Branch	E	Milledgeville,GA
Kentucky Utilities Co	E W Brown	Auxiliary Pond	Harrodsburg, KY
Kentucky Utilities Co	E W Brown	Ash Pond	Harrodsburg, KY
Kentucky Utilities Co	Ghent	Gypsum Stacking Facility	Ghent, KY
Kentucky Utilities Co	Ghent	Ash Pond Basin 1	Ghent, KY
Kentucky Utilities Co	Ghent	Ash Pond Basin 2	Ghent, KY
Louisville Gas & Electric Co	Cane Run	Ash Pond	Louisville, KY
PPL Montana LLC	Colstrip Steam Electric Station	Units 1 & 2 Stage Evaporation Ponds (STEP)	Colstrip, MT
Progress Energy Carolinas Inc	Asheville	1982 Pond	Arden, NC
Progress Energy Carolinas Inc	Asheville	1964 Pond	Arden, NC
Tennessee Valley Authority	Bull Run	Fly Ash Pond and Stilling Basin Area 2	Clinton, TN
Tennessee Valley Authority	Colbert	Ash Pond 4	Tuscumbia, AL
Tennessee Valley Authority	Cumberland	Ash Pond	Cumberland City, TN
Tennessee Valley Authority	Cumberland	Gypsum Storage Area	Cumberland City, TN
Tennessee Valley Authority	Widows Creek	Gypsum Stack	Stevenson, AL

TVA has preliminarily reassessed the potential hazard classifications of the impoundments at each of its 11 fossil plants, in addition to the facility at the now-closed Watts Bar Fossil Plant. Five units at four TVA plant sites are rated "High." Further information on TVA's reassessment of coal combustion surface impoundments.

EPA will update this fact sheet as additional information becomes available. View and print the updated fact sheet (PDF) (4 pp, 133K, about PDF).

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Fact Sheet: Coal Combustion Residues (CCR) - Surface Impoundments with High Hazard Potential Ratings

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