ACAA Announces New Report on Coal Ash Material Safety
The American Coal Ash Association announced the completion of a new report analyzing the most up-to-date U.S. Government information available about the constituents of coal ash. The report concludes that the concentrations of metals in coal ash, with few exceptions, are below environmental screening levels for residential soils and are similar in concentration to common dirt.
“Coal Ash Material Safety – A Health Risk-Based Evaluation of USGS Coal Ash Data from Five US Power Plants” uses scientific methods to demonstrate that coal ash does not qualify as a hazardous substance based on its composition and it also should not be classified as hazardous on a human health risk basis. The report was announced June 6 at a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Sponsored by ACAA, the report was authored by Dr. Lisa Bradley of AECOM.
“Anti-coal environmental activists consistently refer to coal ash as ‘highly toxic’ and ‘hazardous to your health’ with no regard for how those unsupported descriptions damage the environmentally beneficial recycling of the material,” said Thomas H. Adams, ACAA executive director. “This scientific analysis, taken with other reports, conclusively shows that coal ash is safe and comparable to other common materials. Its use as a recycled material should be encouraged, not disparaged.”
The report utilizes recently published U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data on the constituents of coal ash collected from five power plants in Alaska, Indiana, New Mexico, Ohio, and Wyoming. The data represent a broad spectrum of coal types and environmental conditions. The data showing what metals are present in coal ash were then evaluated using scientifically accepted methods for determining human health risks and were compared to residential soil screening levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“Comparing coal ash constituents to residential soil screening levels is the most environmentally conservative approach possible,” said Dr. Bradley. “This analysis estimates exposure to children who live on top of a coal ash pile 24 hours a day. Even under these unrealistic conditions, the metals contained in coal ash do not rise to a level that warrants more than a screening level evaluation using U.S. EPA established guidelines.”
Copies of the news conference materials can be found here and here. A full text version of the report will be posted to the ACAA website soon and a presentation about the study will be part of the ACAA Summer Meeting agenda on June 20.
Important Reminder #1 – Summer Meeting Right Around Corner
The American Coal Ash Association summer meeting will be held June 19-20 at the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel & Waterfront Conference Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Information about the meeting is available on the ACAA website here.
The keynote speaker for this event will be Lisa Feldt, Deputy Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. Other speakers include Dr. Lisa Bradley, AECOM; Dr. Rufus Chaney, US Department of Agriculture; Janet Gellici, American Coal Council; Ken Ladwig, Electric Power Research Institute; Dr. Richard Livingston, University of Maryland; and Jim Roewer, Utility Solid Waste Activities Group.
Attendees who register online by June 13 will receive a 50% discount on fees.
The conference hotel is sold out on June 19 and ACAA has blocked a small number of rooms at the Marriott Norfolk Chesapeake – located approximately 9.5 miles from the meeting hotel and approximately 12 miles from Norfolk International Airport. To make a reservation at the alternate hotel, click here or call 888-245-2617 and let the reservationist know that you are with the American Coal Ash Association (group code: acaa caa). This room block will expire on June 11 or as soon as block is filled.
Important Reminder #2 – Write Your Congressional Representatives
Visit www.RegulateCoalAshRight.com to contact your Congressional representatives in support of legislation that would prevent a “hazardous waste” designation for coal ash.
Lawmakers from both the House and Senate are now working to craft a final version of the federal surface transportation bill. One of the issues they must resolve is whether to include provisions that would establish federal requirements for state programs to ensure the safe disposal of coal ash as a “non-hazardous” waste.
Click here to register and automatically send letters supporting the legislation to your federal elected officials, then encourage friends, family and business associates to do the same. The process takes less than five minutes to complete.
Oscar Manz – Ash Industry Pioneer – Dies at Age 84
Oscar Ernest Manz, 84, passed away June 4, 2012, after a short battle with cancer.
Oscar lived in the Grand Forks, North Dakota, area since 1952 when he began his career as an associate professor in the Civil Engineering Department at the University of North Dakota. He continued as a professor and researcher at UND until his retirement as a professor emeritus in 1989.
An Honorary Member of the American Coal Ash Association, Oscar was a key participant in the creation of ACAA’s predecessor organization – the National Ash Association – and was a frequent contributor to its early symposia.
According to Oscar’s obituary: “He was an amazing husband, father and grandfather and kept busy with many activities, including volunteering for ARC, Alvarado Seniors and the Lions Club, and was also a member of Augustana Lutheran Church of Grand Forks, University Lutheran Church of Grand Forks and New Hope Lutheran Church of Alvarado. We all have special memories of Oscar and he will always be in our hearts.”
The family requests that memorials be sent in memory of Oscar to: Down Syndrome Association of Minnesota, 656 Transfer Road, Saint Paul, MN 55114.
Coal Ash in the News
Coal ash provisions currently under consideration in the transportation bill are garnering editorial support in newspapers around the country. Here’s an editorial from West Virginia and another one from Florida. Plus, our friends at ARIPPA are remaining active in contesting editorials on the other side.
Here’s a positive article about coal fly ash for road building in Nebraska. And coal ash is a key ingredient in the “low-CO2”concrete selected for the new San Francisco 49ers stadium.
From the Ash Entrepreneurs Department: A Colorado company is proposing recovery of rate earth metals from coal ash in this story. Fly ash combines with recycled glass to make building blocks in this new product. It combines with glass in other structural products here. Or is the future in plastics?
Here’s an article from Coal Power magazine on “Optimizing Your Ash Recovery Operation.”
The U.S. Green Building Council has delayed issuing the next version of its LEED green building rating system, in part because of controversy over proposed changes to the Materials and Resources section where coal ash fits. Read about it here.
Environmental activist groups are stepping up the practice of suing over coal ash disposal units. See stories here and here regarding a lawsuit filed against FirstEnergy and stories here and here over a lawsuit filed against Santee Cooper.
Speaking of lawsuits, ACAA member Steven Moon published this article in Environmental Claims Journal titled “Coal Ash Litigation: Legal Theories for the Next Wave of Lawsuits?”
Finally, a few interesting articles on the “War on Coal” can be found here, here and here.
Welcome New Member
S&ME, Inc., a non-voting Associate member, “provides materials engineering and laboratory testing services such as concrete, flowable fill, and masonry; other services include civil and environmental engineering related to CCP management facilities.” Please click here to visit S&ME, Inc.'s website. Eldon Evans will be ACAA’s primary point of contact, while Ken Daly will serve as the alternate.
In Memoriam
Kathryn “Kay” Mueller, the mother-in-law of former ACAA Executive Director Dave Goss, passed away June 2 at the age of 93 in Golden, Colorado. She is survived by her two daughters, Kathryn lngram of Montgomery AL, Joann Goss (David) of Aurora, CO; five grandchildren; five great grandchildren and her sister. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the P.E.O. Sisterhood or the Denver Hospice.
The Phoenix was sent to you from the American Coal Ash Association: info@acaa-usa.org.
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The ACAA’s mission is to advance the management and use of coal combustion products in ways that are environmentally responsible, technically sound, commercially competitive, and more supportive of a sustainable global community.
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