5.7 million cubic yards of hazardous coal ash may be dumped at E.ON's Cane Run coal-burning power plant; action needed by April 16th!

This blog post was written by Jefferson County KFTC member Beth Bissmeyer.

You might remember seeing a Jefferson County action alert about a Section 404 permit through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a 5.7 million cubic yard coal ash site about a month ago. The Army Corps received well over 100 public comments – a higher number than the Army Corps is used to seeing for this type of project! But our work is not over!  E.ON has to obtain several different permits for this project and they have now applied for a 401 Water Quality Certification permit through the Kentucky Division of Water to add a 60-acre coal combustion waste (CCW) landfill adjacent to the power plant. The public comment period for this is now open and ends THIS Friday, April 16 at 4:30 p.m. 

The current CCW pond on-site at the Cane Run Power Station is one of 44 classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as "high hazardæ – meaning that a spill would result in significant damage or loss of life.

CCW is the solid waste left over from burning coal. CCW is a combination of waste from the coal plant's air filters and the residue from coal boilers. The ashy part of the waste, called coal ash, contains concentrated pollutants, including many toxins known to cause cancer in humans.

 The proposed permit would:

• allow 5.7 million cubic yards of CCW, which contains toxins known to be hazardous to human health, to be dumped on site. The U.S. EPA states that 1 in 50 adults and 1 in 100 children that live near CCW storage sites are at risk of developing cancer
• allow more than 3,000 feet of ephemeral and intermittent streams and 8 wetland areas to be filled
• allow use of an inferior containment liner that deteriorate over time, likely resulting in toxic chemicals leaching into groundwater
• ignore restoration requirements for 5 of the wetlands and require only minimal restoration for the other 3
• allow this waste to be dumped on land located at the end of the Ohio River floodwall, clearly in the river's flood plain putting residents downstream at risk

---Find out more about the impacts coal ash can have on your community and health here.

---The 401 permit through the KY Division of Water agency interest #2121 is available for viewing here.

---The Courier-Journal recently published a front page article on the proposed coal-combustion waste expansion.

Solution

Let the Kentucky Division of Water know that you oppose this permit!

 **Please take action by April 16, 2010 deadline**

Send an email requesting that the Kentucky Division of Water to deny this permit to:

 [email protected]

 Put the Water Quality Certification agency interest # 2121 as the subject. Provide your physical mailing address and telephone number with your signature.

OR write to:

Mr. Jesse Robinson
Kentucky Division of Water
Water Quality Certification
200 Fair Oaks Lane
Frankfort, KY 40601

A SAMPLE LETTER/ EMAIL

Please deny E.ON's request for a permit to expand Cane Run Power Station’s CCW landfill

Mr. Jesse Robinson
Kentucky Division of Water
Water Quality Certification
200 Fair Oaks Lane
Frankfort, KY 40601

April 16, 2010

To Whom It May Concern:

 Please support clean air and the health of Kentuckians by denying E.ON’s permit request to expand the Cane Run Power Station’s coal combustion waste landfill. Coal ash exposure puts our health at risk. The EPA estimates that up to 1 in 50 nearby residents could get cancer from exposure to contaminants in poorly stored coal ash. Other health effects may include damage to vital organs and the central nervous system, especially in children.

 This permit is problematic for several reasons:

·      The dump will not be properly contained, putting nearby residents and families at risk of health hazards and death.

·      The permit allows over 3,000 feet of ephemeral and intermittent streams and 8 wetlands to be filled with 5.7 million cubic yards of coal combustion waste.

·      Minimal restoration requirements for destroyed wetlands.

·      The land selected for this expansion is not an extension of the existing landfill and is right outside the end of the Ohio River floodwall in the flood plain putting residents downstream at risk. 

The Cane Run plant's current coal ash pond already puts nearby residents at risk of death and serious health impacts. Enough is enough. Help Louisville lead the way toward better environmental standards. E.ON can invest in energy efficiency, weatherization, and renewable energies to reduce and eliminate the need for hazardous expansions like this permit request.

Sincerely,