Pensacola

Coal ash is a major environmental hazard in the United States. It’s our second largest waste stream, it’s unregulated, it’s making people sick and we should be very concerned about it in Northwest Florida.

Coal ash is what remains after coal is burned to generate electricity. It can contain toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, selenium, radioactive elements like strontium and other health-threatening substances that can spill or leak into our drinking water. The same water that we drink in the Pensacola area.

In Florida there are 13 active coal-burning power plants and nearly 100 coal ash pits of which 37 percent are unlined, 80 percent lack a leachate collection system and even more are uncovered and unmonitored. Simply dumping coal ash in these industrial waste pits is an outdated and dangerous disposal method. Here’s why it’s so dangerous.

Toxic substances contained in coal ash can make their way into water tables. Dissolving and slowly seeping into the ground as “leachate” from landfills and lagoons, this invisible stream of heavy metals and contaminants can get into groundwater and aquifers, exposing fish and wildlife to dangerous substances like arsenic.

Southern Company’s Crist Plant, located on the Escambia River has six such impoundments. Located in a flood zone, these massive coal ash dump sites have been found to be unlined, in poor condition and have exceeded health advisories for arsenic, cadmium, manganese and sulfate.

Unfortunately, Florida law does not regulate coal ash ponds, therefore there are no requirements in Florida for liners, siting, design, maintenance, groundwater monitoring, financial assurance or closure. Gulf Power maintains their own “self-monitoring,” which basically means they can report their own findings.

Emerald Coastkeeper, a local environmental organization, is doing something about this. As the executive director of Emerald Coastkeeper, I am proud to say that we have taken the initiative to do our own groundwater monitoring. Our team has been actively involved in monitoring the water quality, in and around the Crist Plant. Our organization feels the residents of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties have the right to know what is happening to their drinking water.

So, how do we close these sites properly and safely? Utilities’ favorite method of closure is to cap the ash in place and leave it right where it is. However, capping in place does not stop pollution from coal ash impoundments as groundwater moves through the sites horizontally, not just vertically from falling rain. This is especially the case when coal ash dumps are built on top of existing streams, swamps, and other wetlands.

To stop legacy pollution from these sites, the ash must be removed from old, leaking impoundments and moved to dry, lined storage away from rivers and other waterways. This process needs to be initiated immediately at the Crist Plant. Gulf Power needs to clean up the massive coal ash dump sites on islands in the Escambia River. The plant is near the University of West Florida, where students live on campus and rent canoes for recreation.

In all fairness, Gulf Power has taken steps to become less dependent on fossil fuel and I commend them for that. I hope that they will be willing to work with our organization to clean up the water. Our organization will continue to fight for the health and safety of our community. The public has the right to swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.

For more information, you can contact Laurie Murphy, Executive Director and Coastkeeper for Emerald Coastkeeper at laurie@emeraldcoastkeeper.org.