The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a settlement with Keystone-Conemaugh Projects, LLC, based in Blairsville, Pennsylvania. The agreement requires the company to monitor and potentially remediate groundwater at its Conemaugh Generating Station in New Florence, Pennsylvania. Additionally, Keystone-Conemaugh Projects will pay a civil penalty of $185,927.
This settlement is part of the EPA's National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative aimed at protecting communities from coal ash contamination. Coal ash, produced by burning coal for energy, contains contaminants that can cause cancer and other health issues. Historically, coal ash was disposed of in unlined landfills and surface impoundments, often in contact with groundwater.
Adam Ortiz, EPA Region 3 Regional Administrator, emphasized the administration's commitment: “The Biden-Harris Administration takes seriously the threat to human health and the environment from coal ash contamination, especially in communities historically overburdened by pollution.”
The Conemaugh facility is a coal-powered electric generation plant that has been disposing of coal ash in four Ash Filter Ponds. Improvements have been made at the site, including installing geosynthetic liners and adding more groundwater monitoring wells. If contamination above federal standards is detected through monitoring, Keystone-Conemaugh will be required to implement corrective actions.
The EPA alleges that Keystone-Conemaugh failed to meet certain requirements under the coal ash program. These include not installing an adequate groundwater monitoring system and failing to monitor all potential contaminant pathways effectively.
In 2015, the EPA established national rules for managing and disposing of coal ash to mitigate risks such as contaminant leakage into groundwater and air pollution from dust.
For further details on this matter or related topics on coal ash management, readers are encouraged to visit the EPA’s Coal Ash website.