On Monday we told you that there are 44 coal ash ponds in Kentucky. Turns out, though, that the information we shared was way off-base.
There are actually 115 listed impoundments in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. And those are just the ones that we know about. The Mine Safety and Health Administration has more information.
The Courier-Journal story we linked to didn’t contain the hundreds of abandoned impoundment ponds – dry or wet. Just so happens that those ponds are not being being monitored by the state. Talk about a huge problem for the state’s Energy Cabinet, which is governed by coal companies (much like the Transportation Cabinet is governed by highway contractors). The cabinet seems to be turning a blind eye.
What really gets me is this fancy segment of the Energy Cabinet called the Division of Abandoned Mine Lands. Peep this excerpt from that division’s website:
The Division of Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) works throughout the state’s coal fields to protect the public from health and safety problems caused by mining that occurred prior to 1982.
Quaint, huh?
Especially in light of Kentucky’s regular blackwater spills. Especially in light of the fact that Kentucky is now recognized as having major selenium contamination from mining runoff. Selenium compounds that are, of course, five times as toxic as arsenic. Click here and here for more information on that front.
Coal is running the Energy Cabinet. And with a deputy secretary who retired from Kentucky Utilities only to be immediately hired by the new Energy Cabinet? It’s no wonder the poisons of coal ponds aren’t being addressed.
Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell continues to push the tired agenda of killing campaign finance reform. Guess even more people need to suffer so big industry can buy even more elected officials.
2 responses so far ↓
1 coal n' ash // Sep 10, 2009 at 2:18 pm
The 44 coal ash ponds are very different from the 115 coal impoundments, in many important ways.
The 44 ash ponds are at power plants and hold both fly ash and bottom ash from the burning of coal in those plants, as well as scrubber sludges from pollution-control equipment.
The 115 coal impoundments are at mines or coal wash plants and generally hold coal “fines” that are essentially coal dust and other material that is left over after coal is shipped from the mine, typically after having been washed.
Some of the significant differences:
The material in the ponds is not the same in terms of chemical composition.
Since they’re next to power plants, the ash ponds tend to be in areas that are flatter than the coal impoundments, which, especially in eastern Kentucky, may be in remote mountainous areas where a breach of the impoundment could send stuff pouring down a narrow valley and potentially pose more of a threat.
On the other hand, there often are more folks living in the vicinity of the ash ponds, especially at older power plants, which tend to be nearer cities. The new plants are more typically in rural areas.
The regulation is also different. The ash ponds are under the jurisdiction of the Division of Waste Management and, if they have a wastewater discharge point, the Division of Water. The coal impoundments are overseen either by Division of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement or Abandoned Mine Lands, and also the Division of Water.
The issues and problems with each are distinct and unique to each – not saying one or other is bigger cause for concern – they’re just different and should not be lumped together. Worth noting that there has not been an ash pond failure in Kentucky in recent memory – can’t say the same for coal impoundments – biggest one in recent years was the huge one in Martin County in 2000, but spills from coal impoundments occur regularly.
2 James R. // Sep 10, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Obama has been a big disappointment on the mountaintop removal/coal ash issue. The guy needs to have some issues he really believes in, not just talks about.
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