Georgia Power Plans Unsafe Coal Ash Handling at Plant Hammond

ROME, GA -- The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) released Georgia Power’s proposed permit to cap-in-place coal ash from Plant Hammond at Ash Pond 3, located near Rome. The draft permit allows Georgia Power to forgo excavating the coal ash and placing it in a lined pit, the safest approach to coal ash storage. Instead, Georgia Power will “cap” the coal ash in place without a liner to protect groundwater, which threatens communities near the plant.

The EPD permitting process determines how the utility will deal with the pollution left over from decades of burning coal for electricity at its plants throughout the state. Coal ash is the toxic residual waste created by burning coal, which is then mixed with water and dumped into giant pits. Coal ash contains some of the most toxic materials on earth, such as arsenic, mercury, chromium, beryllium, and radium. These toxins can poison water and cause significant health complications, including cancer, reproductive issues, and heart problems.  

There are two primary methods for dealing with coal ash:

• Draining out the water, fully excavating all coal ash, and securing it in a lined landfill, which prevents toxins from seeping into groundwater; or 

• Leaving the waste where it was originally dumped, draining the water, and placing a cap on top, but without a protective liner between the coal ash and the ground. 

Without a liner, the toxins in coal ash can leach into the groundwater supply, causing widespread contamination as groundwater flows to nearby drinking water wells, streams, rivers, and lakes. Georgia Power proposed to use the second method, known as cap-in-place, for more than half of its 92 million tons of coal ash in the state, including at Plant Hammond Ash Pond 3.

Hammond Ash Pond 3 is also built on karst terrain, which is inherently unstable and prone to sinkholes. One past incident gives us a glimpse into what could come: In 1997, one million gallons of coal ash waste leaked out of the pond due to a sinkhole. 

Sierra Club is mobilizing the community to send comments to the EPD and attend the virtual public hearing at 6 p.m. on August 10 to make sure the EPD knows the public will accept nothing less than complete excavation of coal ash at every site in Georgia.

Concerned citizens can submit a written comment to EPD via www.GeorgiaCoalAsh.org/take-action. Folks can attend the public hearing via Zoom at this link on August 10 and RSVP to the Facebook event here. (Zoom Details: Dial in: 470 381 2552 (Atlanta) Meeting ID: 916 2727 3413 Passcode: 525264)

Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman, Executive Director & Riverkeeper for Coosa River Basin Initiative, released the following statement:

"The core of Coosa River Basin Initiative's opposition to this permit is the issue of community partnership. Plant Hammond has been a part of this community for decades, and corners must not be cut now that the plant and its coal ash ponds are closing. EPD can and should use its authority to require a more stringent closure plan that protects this community's groundwater and the Coosa River."

Neil Sardana, organizer for Georgia’s Beyond Coal Campaign, released the following statement:

“Now that EPD has released Georgia Power’s first permit that allows our water to be polluted by toxic coal ash, it is time to mobilize our communities to take action. Georgia Power has shown complete disregard for the health of our communities by insisting on ‘capping-in-place’ millions of tons of coal ash without a liner to protect our water. It's EPD’s responsibility to hold them accountable and protect our health and environment.

"Georgia Power wants to simply cover up its coal ash and the arsenic, mercury, cobalt, lead, and other toxins that are leaching into groundwater, which will continue to pollute for decades to come. Georgians shouldn’t have to pay the price for unsafe containment of coal ash with our health.

"We are asking concerned Georgians to rise up and use their voices to demand full excavation and removal to a lined landfill for all of Georgia Power’s coal ash. It’s the only option that protects our water for future generations. We all deserve clean water and safe coal ash cleanup!”