Engineer Research and Development Center - Environmental Laboratory

Risk and Decision Science Team

Coal Ash Impoundment Risk Assessment

FUNDING

Department of Energy (DOE)

DESCRIPTION

This project is working to characterize the risk of coal combustion residue surface impoundment failure with a risk indictor approach and expert elicitation. The effort is newly expanded to include community resilience in locations with legacy fossil energy waste.


Problem

Characterize the risk of coal combustion residue surface impoundment failure with a risk indictor approach and expert elicitation. Exposure to leached CCR constituents via seepage to ground and surface water through earthen containment and spilled CCR material via rapid release from impoundment failure.

Graphic titled The Impact of coal ash ponds on water resources. the field is divided with sky at top, a grass layer, them a dirt underground layer, them a water table at the bottom. There is a drawing of a house on the left with a few landscaping trees. Just to the right is a stream and a caftory is shown on the right for processing coal. The bottom right depicts a Coal ash pond that has red arrow labeled Impact pointing to the stream and down to the water table affecting possibly Domestic wells. On the right is a tube labeled Monitoring wells.


A graphic with pale grey industrial schematic in the background, over which are 4 rounded rectagular yellow text boxes connected by a circular clockwise arrow. they rad from the top: Characteristics, Important?, Knowable?, and Predictable?

Solution

Identifications of Risk Indicators

  • Likelihood:
    • Historical incidents
    • EPA assessment
    • Engineering principles
    • Laboratory testing
    • Sampling/ Monitoring
  • Consequence:
    • Historical incidents
    • EPA assessment
    • Presence, sensitivity of receptors


Impact

Newly expanded to include community resilience in locations with legacy fossil energy waste. Environmental Justices perspective recognizes that the benefits and costs of coal combustion are not evenly distributed. Fence line communities are disproportionately economically and socially vulnerable. White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Interim Final Recommendations (2021) names exposure to CCR as one of the potential hazards.