TO: State Lobbying Group Members Beneficial Use Summary:

Fly Ash is the most commonly used coal combustion waste. Most fly ash is used in the manufacture of Portland cement. In general, coal combustion waste is used for fill material in the construction of roadways or buildings, or as an aggregate substitute


Negatives of CCW Use:


Human Health Impact

- Contamination of groundwater from coal waste leachate generates the primary risk for human health.

- Coal Combustion Wastes (CCW) have been found to contain hazardous substances such as aluminum, chloride, iron, manganese, sulfate and toxic trace elements such as arsenic, selenium, lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel, copper, chromium, boron, molybdenum and zinc.

Environmental Impact

- Lechette containing the toxic substances of selenium and arsenic pose the greatest threat to aquatic life.

- Bituminous coal found in the eastern US has been shown to contain the highest arsenic concentrations.

- Heavy metals found within Coal Combustion (CCW) are easily absorbed by plants in fairly high concentrations.

- Negative health effects to terrestrial wildlife can result if plants containing these elevated levels of heavy metals are consumed.


Regulation Recommendations:

Having studied CCW regulations in place in other states, current proactive laws provide guidelines for building more stringent beneficial use laws in Virginia. In summary, based on various states' laws, CCW beneficial use projects should:
- include measures to eliminate pollution, public nuisance, health hazards, and contamination of water, land, or air;
- include measures for monitoring leachate test results; and
- include measures for erosion and sediment control.

Most importantly, the regulation should restrict use of CCW within flood plains. North Carolina's legislation has the most inclusive limits on use of CCW within specific distances of water bodies. The most stringent regulation should be that CCW reuse must be at least 100 feet from a stream and 300 feet from wells, wetlands, and flood plains.


Conclusions:

There are many economical applications of coal combustion waste, however our research shows that there are considerable risks involved with these uses.