Beneficial Use of Coal Ash

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Beneficial Use of Coal Ash

• Todd M. Wallace
• Acting Director, Bureau of Waste Management
• PA Department of Environmental Protection

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Beneficial Use of Coal Ash in PA

• Coal ash has been beneficially used in PA for
  about 25 years
• For each of the past several years 11 million
  tons of coal ash have been used in mine
  reclamation
• If used properly, the beneficial use of coal ash
  can help to prevent creation of acid mine drainage

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Purpose

• To formalize through regulation DEPs policies on
  coal ash certification and use at mine sites
• Adopts the recommendations of the National
  Academy of Sciences in their 2006 report,
  Managing Coal Combustion Residues in Mines

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Regulatory Schedule

• Proposed
• March 2009 - Solid Waste Advisory Committee
• April 2009 Mining Reclamation Advisory Board
• July 2009 Environmental Quality Board
• 45-day Public Comment Period
• 3 Public Hearings
• Final
• May 27, 2010 Solid Waste Advisory Committee
• Aug 17, 2010 Environmental Quality Board
• Nov. 2010 Publish as final

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Regulatory Structure

• Current Structure
• Residual Waste Regulations (Chapter 287.661-666)
• Policies
• Proposed Structure
• Residual Waste Regulations (Chapter 290)

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Chapter 290 Beneficial Use of Coal Ash

• Beneficial Use of Coal Ash
• Coal Ash Certification
• Water Quality Monitoring
• Coal Ash Storage

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Chapter 290 Beneficial Use of Coal Ash

• General requirements
• Use as structural fill
• Use as soil substitute or soil additive
• Beneficial use at active mine sites
• Beneficial use at abandoned surface mine sites
• Other beneficial uses
• Interim operational procedures

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Chapter 290 Beneficial Use of Coal Ash

• Beneficial Use at active mine sites
• Permit Fee
• 2,000 for mines approved to receive coal ash
• 1,000 from year following final placement of ash
  to release of bond
• Fees re-evaluated every 3 years

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Chapter 290 Beneficial Use of Coal Ash

• Coal Ash Certification
• Maximum acceptable leachate levels
• Metals and non-metals
• pH
• Calcium carbonate equivalency
• Permeability
• Request for Certification
• Initial Chemical/Physical analysis
• DEP issues Certification Identifier
• Periodic confirmatory analysis
• Annual report

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Chapter 290 Beneficial Use of Coal Ash

• Water Quality (WQ) Monitoring
• Ground Water Surface Water
• WQ Monitoring Plan Required
• Background samples
• Periodic sampling
• Monitoring Points

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Chapter 290 Beneficial Use of Coal Ash

• Coal Ash Storage Requirements
• WQ Monitoring may be required
• Routine site inspections by person storing coal
• Storage Duration
• Storage Site Prohibitions
• Storage Pads/Liners

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Chapter 290 Beneficial Use of Coal Ash

• Storage Piles
• Storage Impoundments
• Design and operating requirements
• Provisions for failure
• Inspections
• Closure

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Changes to Proposed Rulemaking

• Transition Period
• Placement within 8 ft of groundwater
• Groundwater assessment based on statistically
  significant degredation
• Enclosed storage on non-permeable floor
• Reduced fee

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Proposed Federal Regulations

• On May 4, 2010, EPA announced its proposal for
  developing federal coal ash regulations
• Two options
• RCRA Subtitle C (Hazardous)
• RCRA Subtitle D (Non-hazardous)
• 90-day Public Comment Period

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• Thank You !