Cleanup and Closure Projects on a Massive Scale


Cleanup and Closure Projects on a Massive Scale


Power generators operating coal-fired power plants have to navigate a variety of regulations. Management of coal ash, primarily the handling and disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCRs)—the byproducts produced from the combustion of coal or the control of combustion emissions, including fly ash, bottom ash, and other materials that contain mercury, arsenic, and other toxins—is a major issue for these generators....

....Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based WEC Energy Group, which serves about 4.5 million customers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Michigan, in an email to POWER  said a majority of the utility’s CCRs “are beneficially used. Our active landfills act primarily for temporary material storage and as a contingency if market conditions or regulations change. We use landfill cells for temporary storage for some ash that will be utilized during the construction season. We also have a storage pad that has a liner and leachate collection at our Weston Power Plant [in Wisconsin].”

WEC, whose brands include We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service (WPS), said We Energies does not use any wet coal ash impoundments. However, its WPS Weston site has a small bottom ash pond that is scheduled for ash removal and closing by 2021. The company’s active landfills have liners and leachate collection systems. Most liners are composite compacted clay/geomembrane or geosynthetic clay liner/geomembrane. All of its ash disposal facilities are landfills designed to be closed in place by installing a final cover when final waste grades are achieved.

WEC also reburns some of its CCRs with coal “to recover residual fuel value in the materials and to improve the characteristics of coal ash for beneficial use.” The group said it reburned 10,000 metric tons of coal ash in 2017...

   ...more

Ken Notes: A very long article about problems with coal had some nice things to say about Wisconsin`s efforts. We need to work with WEC to demonstrate how to close and clean a plant economically and environmentally friendly. The Wisconsin section is on page 4 of the article...

Share this article on you social outlets



Our Sponsors
- - Volume: 6 - WEEK: 49 Date: 12/3/2018 8:58:31 AM -