Georgia Power’s Closure Plan for Plant Hammond Coal Ash Pond-3 Leaves Public Water Supply At Risk

ROME, GA -- Sierra Club’s analysis of Georgia Power’s preferred closure method for Plant Hammond Ash Pond-3 (AP-3) shows it does not adequately protect against groundwater contamination, risking the water supplies near the plant and downstream. 

Sierra Club’s technical comments can be found here for the public comment period which closed last week. These comments are based on legal expertise and two expert reports that take into consideration geological data about the site.

Key takeaways from Sierra Club’s comments include:

• In July 1977, just one month after AP-3 was put into service, it suffered a catastrophic failure when a sinkhole opened underneath AP-3, resulting in the loss of approximately one million gallons of coal ash wastewater per day. 

• In 1979, another sinkhole formed below AP-3.

• Georgia Power did not include any discussion or mention of these sinkholes in its permit application beyond an unlabeled diagram located 1,200 pages into the application. 

• Hammond AP-3 is located on karst terrain, which is highly unstable and prone to sinkholes. “Either Georgia Power is choosing to ignore the instability issues beneath AP-3 or it fundamentally does not understand karst terrain and its potential for developing sinkholes,” (Sierra Club Comments on Draft CCR Closure Permit No. 057-026D, 2021, p. 3).

• Georgia Power plans to leave the coal ash in Hammond AP-3 in-place and unlined, which is particularly unsafe due to the unstable terrain. Georgia Power’s own data shows that coal ash is already leaking into groundwater, contaminating it with dangerous toxins including barium, chromium, lead, and boron. 

• Groundwater contamination risks the health of those who live near the coal ash pond as well as everyone living downstream on the Coosa River, including Weiss Lake in Alabama. 

• Georgia Power’s proposed plan does not comply with state or federal laws.

David Rogers, Southeast Deputy Regional Director for the Beyond Coal Campaign, issued the following statement:

“We have proof that coal ash is leaking into groundwater at Plant Hammond. We have proof that Georgia Power is obscuring the history of instability at Ash Pond-3. And we have impacted communities that are clamoring for their concerns to be taken seriously. It’s time for the Environmental Protection Division to do its job and protect Georgians from companies, like Georgia Power, who profit from polluting our air and water.”

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