Waste Coal A legacy of mining leaves behind…new sources of energy? Make the connection between the waste coal industry and their efforts to expedite reclamation. See gob piles disappear from the landscape while providing electricity from circulating fluidized bed (CFB) plants. Ash produced from this process contributes to land restoration and porch lights continue to welcome us home. Source: Jim Panaro, 2006 PA Statewide Conference on Abandoned Mine Reclamation (abstract)

Waste Coal Defined A. Waste coal is the left over remains of coal mined from traditional coal plants. Waste Coal is nicknamed “gob” or “boney” in Western Pennsylvania and it is called “culm” in Eastern PA. Waste coal has a lower heating and energy value than coal that was used in the energy process originally Source: Waste Coal Fact Sheet; Testimony by Kathleen A. McGinty before the Senate 2004; ARIPPA

Waste Coal Burners in Pennsylvania 1. Westwood 2. Gilberton - Rich Memorial 3. Wheelabrator-Frackville 4. NEPCO - Kline Twp Cogen 5. Mount Carmel Cogen 6. St Nicholas Cogen 7. Ebensburg Power Co 8. Cambria CoGen 9. Panther Creek 10. Colmac - Piney Creek 11. Scrubgrass 12. Colver 13. Northhampton Generating 14. Seward Proposed Facilities: 15. River Hill Power 16. Robinson Power - Beech Hollow 17. Wellington - Greene Energy Resource Recovery Project

Waste Coal and Air Emissions “Newly constructed electric generating combusters of either waste coal or coal would emit at comparable levels because both would be employing very similar BACT for all pollutants.” Source: PADEP

Source: USEPA/Energy Information Administration Waste Coal and Sulfur Dioxide PlantNet Generation SO2 Emissions (tons/years) SO2/MwHour Mount Storm11,818,4773, Conemaugh14,290,0068, Elrama2,151,8944, Seward3,251,2137,

Is Waste Coal Combustion “Renewable?” “ Many portfolio standards limit eligibility to renewable resources. We do not feel that this is the best approach for Pennsylvania…Pennsylvania’s unique history and geology mean that we should… include other resources, such as fugitive coal-mine methane, and waste coal…” Source: PADEP (September, 2004)

% Increase CO2 From Power Plants

Source: US EPA/Energy Information Administration Waste Coal and Greenhouse Gas Emissions PlantNet Generation CO2 Emissions CO2/Mw Hour Seward3,251,2133,446,3842,120 Shawville3,508,5133,598,9592,051 Kammer3,455,8473,464,5872,004

Nitrous Oxide from Waste Coal One ton of nitrous oxide = 300 tons of carbon dioxide. Nitrous oxide emissions from fluidized bed combustion boilers are, “typically two orders of magnitude higher than all other types of coal firing due to areas of low temperature combustion in the bed.” Source: EPA AP-42 Emission Factors, Bituminous and Sub bituminous Coal Combustion (9/98)

Is Minefilling Safe? “The Commonwealth has analyzed coal ash and coal ash leachate…and has determined that coal ash-when used appropriately-is safe to use in mine reclamation pits.” Source: PADEP (September, 2004)

Is Minefilling Safe? “[C]omparatively little is known about the potential for minefilling to degrade the quality of groundwater and/or surface waters, particuarly over long periods. Additionally, there are insufficient data on the contamination of water supplies by placement of CCR’s in coal mines, making human risk assessments difficult.” Source: Coal Combustion Residue in Mines, National Research Council (2006)

Minefilling and Toxic Leachate “[L]eachate tests have shown that even when coal ash comes in contact with water, the metals and other constituents found in coal ash tend not to leach out…the alkalinity of the coal ash prevents the development of acid, which would promote leaching.” Source: PADEP (2004)

Minefilling and Toxic Leachate “ Under near-neutral pH conditions, constituents such as sulfate, magnesium, ferrous iron, zinc, nickel, arsenic, selenium and boron often migrate readily… Thus, the committee concludes that acid neutralization will not reduce the mobility of all contaminants of concern from the CCR.” Source: National Research Council (2006)

Source: Clean Air Task Force Measuring Runoff At Minefills Ernest MineLead 9.7 x Drinking Water Standard McDermott MineCadmium 76 x Water Quality Standard Swamp PoodleArsenic 389 x Drinking Water Standard Ellengowan MineLead 39 x Drinking Water Standard

Good Alternatives Beach grass –Cheap and viable –Covers waste coal piles for only 6-10% of cost of conventional methods –Results in plant layer with organic matter that stops erosion, holds in water, cools the surface and improves the environment. Source: (Fact Sheet Coal and Waste Coal)

Solutions? Reduce Reliance on Coal Plants Energy Efficiency in Short-Term, New Technologies for Long Haul Better Monitoring, Stricter Standards for Coal Combustion Waste Reclamation of gob piles?