Georgia Power announced Monday that it will begin “dewatering” ash ponds at its coal-fueled Plant Branch generating facility March 4. Ash ponds are man-made storage ponds for storage of ash generated by coal-fueled power plants.
Disposal of ash into man-made ponds is a common method of storage, although other methods of disposal include dry disposal in landfills. Dried ash is also used in building materials such as concrete.
The dewatering process is a key step towards closure of wet storage ponds, as well as excavating the ash ponds and storing the ash in lined landfills on plant property.
The Company says it is in the process of completely excavating 19 ash ponds near waterways and closing the remaining 10 using advanced engineering methods and closure technologies.
The ash pond closure plan for Plant Branch was approved by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) last year which includes oversight of an independent, third-party accredited laboratory for on-going testing of water quality, and reporting of test results to EPD and on the company’s website.
The water treatment facility operator, licensed by the Secretary of State’s Board of Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators, will be present onsite throughout the entire process to oversee the dewatering operations and provide real time monitoring.
“The dewatering process at Plant Branch continues our progress to safely close the ash ponds at the site and is an important part of protecting water quality every step of the way,” said Dr. Mark Berry, vice president of Environmental & Natural Resources for Georgia Power. “We have invested in appropriate water treatment systems and third-party accredited laboratory testing to help ensure that this process is protective of the area’s lakes and rivers.”
