Coal Byproducts Landfill Background
This Coal Combustion Byproducts (CCB) Landfill is located in West Virginia at a client’s power station and receives ash from electric generation at power station. A review of groundwater quality data collected between 2003 and 2008 indicated that the concentrations of select metals in one (1) of the deep monitoring wells at the landfill exceeded its corresponding groundwater protection standard.
Groundwater Assessment Project Work
To complete the first phase of this ongoing, multi-phase groundwater assessment project at the landfill, AGES teamed with a nationally-recognized expert regarding CCB disposal and utilization issues for the electric utilities industry. To begin the work, a thorough review of the existing groundwater database was conducted including temporal and spatial evaluations using graphical and statistical methods. Selected inorganic analytes and dissolved metals from the impacted well and surrounding wells were assessed. The preliminary conclusions indicated that elevated concentrations of several groundwater constituents could be attributed to leachate generated from the landfill. Additional groundwater and surface water sampling activities were proposed to confirm these preliminary conclusions. In addition, a stratigraphic assessment was also proposed to determine any contributions subsurface lithology might have on groundwater quality.
Special Project Features
1.) Developed a cost-effective and technically defensible approach to performing a groundwater assessment at an ash landfill.
2.) Demonstrated expertise in the use of various statistical methods for (both parametric and non-parametric) evaluation of groundwater quality at an ash landfill.
3.) Teamed with a nationally-recognized expert to allow our client to access expertise on an as-needed basis, which reduced project costs.
