性视界传媒

Georgia environmental activists urged the 性视界传媒 Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday not to let coal ash ponds at several coal plants operated by Georgia Power continue contaminating nearby groundwater.

Opponents of the Atlanta-based utility性视界传媒 plan to leave coal ash in place at four of the 10 ash ponds it plans to close in place by 2028 testified during a virtual public hearing the EPA held to gather feedback on the federal agency性视界传媒 proposal to deny Alabama性视界传媒 coal ash permit program, which also calls for leaving coal ash in groundwater.

Georgia Power性视界传媒 coal ash plan calls for the company to phase out its fleet of coal-burning plants. With the coal plants being retired, the utility plans to spend $9 billion to close all 29 of its coal ash ponds.

At 19 of the ponds, ash is to be excavated and removed. The other 10 are to be closed in place.

Coal ash contains contaminants including mercury, cadmium and arsenic that can pollute groundwater and drinking water as well as air.

Plant Hammond性视界传媒 Ash Pond 3, which lies south of Alabama Highway and just east of Pisgah Baptist Church in Floyd County, is a 25-acre site originally constructed more than 45 years ago. It is one of the unlined ash ponds that the utility company intends to leave in place.

In the case of Plant Hammond, even with other measures, leaving the ash in an unlined pit carries the potential for toxic substances in the ash to come into contact with groundwater 鈥� in this case the Coosa River.

The other three ash ponds at Hammond are being excavated and the ash removed.

The EPA issued a rule in 2015 prohibiting utilities from leaving coal ash in groundwater when they close ash ponds. Last year, the federal agency denied an Ohio utility性视界传媒 request to leave coal ash at a closed pond in contact with groundwater.

On Wednesday, Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman, executive director of the Coosa River Basin Initiative, said a draft ash pond closure permit Georgia Power is seeking from the state Environmental Protection Division for Plant Hammond near Rome violates the 2015 EPA rule.

鈥淸The EPD] continues to refuse to pull permits that are clearly not in compliance,鈥� he said.

Fletcher Sams, executive director of Brunswick-based Altamaha Riverkeeper, said an unlined coal ash pond at Georgia Power性视界传媒 Plant Scherer in Monroe County extends 85 feet into an aquifer, contaminating the groundwater there.

Georgia Power is using the state性视界传媒 groundwater as a 鈥減ermanent coal ash dumping ground,鈥� Sams said.

Residents of nearby Juliette have sued Georgia Power, claiming their wells have been contaminated by polluted groundwater linked to high rates of cancer in the area near Plant Scherer.

鈥淥ur area has proven to have a cancer cluster, with a lot of children included,鈥� Juliette resident Andrea Goolsby said Wednesday. 鈥淐losing [ponds] in place with coal ash in groundwater is illegal. 鈥� We have to uphold the law.鈥�

The Georgia Power plan also calls for leaving coal ash in place in ponds at plants Yates near Newnan and McDonough in Cobb County.

Representatives of Georgia Power say the EPA has authorized Georgia性视界传媒 coal ash permit program to operate rather than the federal program, one of only three states authorized to do so.

鈥淲e continue to work with Georgia EPD to ensure our closure plan remains in compliance with federal rules,鈥� Georgia Power spokeswoman Kelly Richardson said. 鈥淲e are committed to closure plans that are protective of the environment and the communities we serve.鈥�

The Georgia EPD is authorized to issue permits to 鈥減roperly closed鈥� coal ash ponds that comply with federal and state regulations, added Laura Williams, a spokeswoman for the state 性视界传媒 of Natural Resources, an agency that includes the EPD.

The deadline for written public comment on the EPA性视界传媒 plan to deny the Alabama coal ash permit program is Oct. 13.