Longstanding disposal practices, such as slurry impoundments have been under fire since 2008, when the industry suffered the largest coal fly ash slurry spill in U.S. history. Over 1.1 billion gallons of sludge escaped from the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant slurry impoundment into the surrounding 5.4 million cubic yards of land and water tributaries of the Tennessee River. EPA cleanup estimates ranged from $675 to $975 million while significant damage to homes, wildlife, and drinking water resources were reported.

In 2010, the EPA researched current and alternative CCR practices and submitted two proposals. While one proposal, Subtitle D, would keep CCR classified as a solid waste and therefore keep the disposal process regulations similar to what they are today, the Subtitle C proposal would classify CCR as hazardous waste and enact more stringent regulations on disposal processes. After 3 years with no conclusion, special interest groups have filed lawsuits against the EPA for violating provisions of the RCRA that require an EPA review of its regulations exempting coal ash every three years and revise them if necessary.

With current political and public influences, the prospect of coal fly ash receiving the Subtitle C classification is becoming a real possibility. One of the regulations in the proposed Subtitle C regulation has to do with prevention of the release of fugitive dust. Because of the light, powdery consistency of fly ash, dry piles are extremely vulnerable to fugitive dust release and can pose very real environmental and safety hazards. In response to the looming regulation change, Company Wrench has become proactive, conducting airborne fly ash containment research and testing its HAWC Dust Suppression Machine at power plants and coal facilities around the country.

Research into the HAWC 300-140-D Unit’s viability in disposal processes has met with great initial success.   Methods such as dumping and grading, slurry pond evaporation, and landfill coverage cap applications, have proven quite successful at bringing power plants and coal ash landfills into Subtitle C compliance.   A demonstration video is available online at www.youtube.com that shows the unit’s effectiveness in dust suppression during dumping and grading in coal fly ash designated landfills. The most successful method involves a truck with an internal conveyor belt dumping the material into a pile with the mist from a mobile Diesel HAWC Unit containing all airborne particles and bringing them to the ground.
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Although today the EPA regulation changes are still up in the air, coal combustion residues continues to contain chemicals like arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. Release of these chemicals into the environment comes with mandatory reporting requirements under current regulations. Dust suppression is a proactive measure to prevent fugitive coal fly ash dust and provides public and company safety benefits for individuals involved in CCR disposal. With employee health concerns on the rise, an effective dust suppression system used properly can negate these issues.

To stay informed on Company Wrench’s coal fly ash containment research, check our dust suppression website at www.dustdestroyer.com or to learn about proactive steps you can take in fugitive dust containment. Call our dust suppression application experts today at 1-866-262-4181.



By Tony Cook