Coal Ash Disposal in Prince William County

Dominion Power is proceeding with a plan to “close in place” 3.7 million cubic yards of coal ash by consolidating all of the on-site coal ash into one impoundment at the Possum Point Power Station. There are some questions and we would like the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to delay 60 before granting final regulatory approval, we ask your help to delay DEQ action. Please call your state Delegate and your County Supervisor. Several groups have raised concerns with the plan and the speed with which they are proceeding without community involvement and input. Most importantly, the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Potomac Riverkeeper Network contend that the large pond where they are consolidating all the coal ash is only partially lined.

The finalized EPA regulation for coal ash requires that coal ash disposal site must have protective liners to prevent groundwater contamination. The rule also requires companies to conduct monitoring of disposal sites, clean up any existing contamination, and close and remediate unlined disposal sites that have polluted groundwater. Finally, monitoring data, corrective action reports, and other important information about the site must be made available to the public.

Possum Point Power Station is owned by Dominion Power. It sits on a 650-acre site located in Dumfries Virginia in the eastern part of Prince William County that borders the Potomac River and the Quantico Creek. Dominion Virginia Power has not burned coal at Possum Point for 13 years and is unlikely to burn coal to generate power in the future.

There is estimated to be 3.7 million cubic yards of coal ash. According to preliminary regulatory disclosures, Dominion’s plan is to collect more than 1 million cubic yards of ash from four smaller ponds, put them in a 120-acre pond that already contains 2.6 million cubic yards of coal ash that will be dewatered, and capped with an impermeable membrane to prevent infiltration of rain that could carry contaminants into the groundwater.

It is essential to ensure and demonstrate to the public that the liner for the coal ash permanent disposal pond is sound and fully covers the entire pond before Dominion proceeds with their closure plan. Moving waste from one site to another just creates another location for potential contamination from coal ash if the pond is not fully lined.

These coal ash ponds have been open to the elements and taking on water for decades. Trace contaminants and metals in the coal ash have probably already leached into the groundwater, Quantico Creek and Potomac. We support closing the coal ash on site because when properly done it requires ongoing monitoring and maintenance that is best accomplished at an operating and regulated plant rather than at a remote cap and leave it location. All physical barriers fail over time this is addressed by monitoring and maintaining the systems.

Possum Point is downstream from nearby drinking water supplies and is unlikely to impact local residents beyond what has already taken place over the decades; however, we feel that Dominion Power should fund an expansion of the Rural Household Water Quality Program well sampling program we operate with the County Extension Office.

The closure plan should include site investigation and testing to demonstrate that the liner is sound, to determine if groundwater has been impacted in the immediate area, and ongoing monitoring of the groundwater to ensure that wetlands and the rivers are not impacted in the future. Public meetings should be held and all available information should be made available.