ATLANTA, Dec. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power
continues to make progress towards the closure of ash ponds at
Plant Branch with the dewatering process scheduled to begin in late
January 2019. Dewatering marks a
significant step towards completing the site-specific closure
process at Plant Branch to completely excavate the ash ponds, then
store the ash in a new, lined landfill on plant property.
Since the last megawatt was generated at Plant Branch in
March 2015, the power plant and
supporting facilities, including the administrative buildings,
cooling towers, warehouses and machine shops have been
dismantled. The 1,000 ft tall smokestack was safely imploded,
and the coal pile has been removed. Coal conveyors and pipe and
cable racks were cleaned and removed. Much of the equipment was
sold or repurposed, and metals were separated and recycled. Final
stabilization and restoration of the primary plant site will be
completed in 2019.
The ash pond dewatering plan for Plant Branch that has been
approved by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD)
identifies the enhanced water treatment system, controls and
monitoring that will be used during the process to ensure that the
water discharged is protective of water quality standards. The
planned on-site lined landfill will be permitted and regulated by
the EPD. To date, the company has removed one of the five ash ponds
at Plant Branch, completed engineering and feasibility studies and
filed permit applications with the EPD for the remaining ash ponds
at Plant Branch.
"As we begin the dewatering process at Plant Branch, we are
pleased with the progress we have made on our aggressive ash pond
closure process throughout the state at all of our plants," said
Dr. Mark Berry, vice president of
Environmental & Natural Resources for Georgia Power. "We
continue to focus on safety and meet all compliance requirements
throughout the process to fulfill our longstanding commitment to
serve and protect the environment and local communities. We have
invested in appropriate water treatment systems to ensure that our
dewatering process is protective of the area's lakes and rivers.
Throughout the process, clear communication to our customers and
the community about our progress also remains a priority."
This updated closure plan allows the company to preserve the
option to better reuse the ash in the future and maximizes the
potential for future redevelopment or sale of the site. Today, more
than 60 percent of the coal ash Georgia Power produces is recycled
for various beneficial uses such as Portland cement, concrete and
cinder blocks. Communication regarding the closure plan is provided
through EPD notifications, advance public notice of permits and
updates to local homeowners and local media. The updated plan also
maximizes the potential for future redevelopment of the site. To
read more about Plant Branch's ash pond closure and dewatering
process, click here.
Georgia Power first announced its plans to permanently close all
of its ash ponds in September 2015,
with initial plans released in June
2016. Today, the company announced the latest progress on
its plans to safely close all 29 ash ponds at 11 active and retired
coal-fired power plant sites across the state. The company is in
the process of completely excavating 19 ash ponds located adjacent
to lakes and rivers with the remaining 10 being closed in place
using advanced engineering methods and closure technologies.
The company has now substantially completed closure construction
activities for seven ash ponds at Plants Hammond, Branch, Kraft,
McDonough and Yates. This includes
removal of all ash from five ash ponds at Plants Branch, Kraft,
McDonough and Yates. Additionally,
construction activities are currently underway at multiple sites
with closure construction efforts expected to be completed at four
additional ash ponds at Plants McDonough, McManus and Yates in
2019.
Last month, Georgia Power completed the submission of 29 Coal
Combustion Residuals (CCRs) permit applications as required by the
Georgia CCR rule for ash ponds and landfills. These permit
applications outlined significant and detailed engineering
information about Georgia Power's ash pond closure plans and
landfill operations plans. The permitting application process was
developed and completed with significant internal and external
resources supported by multiple third-party consulting and
engineering firms.
In August, the company updated its ash pond closure plans for
Plants Bowen and Branch, specifically to increase the number of
excavated ponds at both site locations after continued engineering
and analysis.
Georgia Power's ash pond closure plans fully comply with the
federal Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) Rule, as well as the more
stringent requirements of Georgia's state CCR rule. Georgia was one of the first states in the
country to develop its own rule regulating management and storage
of CCR such as coal ash. The state rule, which goes further than
the federal rule, regulates all ash ponds and landfills in the
state and includes a comprehensive permitting program through which
the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) will approve
all actions to ensure ash pond closures are protective of water
quality.
Ash pond closures are site-specific and balance multiple
factors, such as pond size, location, geology and amount of
material; and each closure is certified by a team of independent,
professional engineers. In 2016, the company announced that all ash
ponds will stop receiving coal ash in three years and the
significant construction work necessary to accommodate the
dry-handling of ash is on track to be completed in 2019.
Protecting Water Quality Throughout Ash Pond Closure
Process
Since 2016, Georgia Power
has installed approximately 500 groundwater monitoring wells,
including 24 wells at Plant Branch, around its ash ponds and
on-site landfills to actively monitor groundwater quality.
Monitoring is being conducted in compliance with federal and state
laws and regulations. The company has also engaged independent,
third-party contractors for sampling and accredited independent
laboratories for analysis. The company continues to post testing
results on Georgia Power's website and report them to the Georgia
EPD. Based on the extensive data collected, the company has
identified no risk to public health or drinking water.
Dewatering Process
Georgia Power's commitment to
protecting water quality of surface waters, such as lakes and
rivers, includes comprehensive and customized dewatering processes
during ash pond closures. The company's process treats the water to
ensure that it meets the requirements of the plant's wastewater
discharge permits approved by the Georgia EPD and is protective of
applicable water quality standards. The dewatering process marks a
significant step towards completing the ash pond closure process
and has begun at three of Georgia Power's plants: Bowen,
McDonough and McManus, with Plant
Branch scheduled to begin in late January
2019.
About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest
electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's
premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and
Stewardship are the cornerstones of the Company's promise to 2.5
million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to
delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates
below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse,
innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural
gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind.
Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its
customers every day and the Company is consistently recognized by
J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer
satisfaction. For more information, visit
www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the Company on Facebook
(Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and
Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
Certain information contained in
this release is forward-looking information based on current
expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties.
Forward-looking information includes, among other things,
statements concerning the method and timing of planned closure of
coal ash ponds. Georgia Power Company cautions that there are
certain factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking information that has been
provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this
forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future
performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other
factors, many of which are outside the control of Georgia Power
Company; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested
results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to
those discussed in Georgia Power Company's Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, and
subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ
materially from management expectations as suggested by such
forward-looking information: the impact of recent and future
federal and state regulatory changes, including environmental laws
and regulations governing air, water, land, and protection of other
natural resources, and also changes in tax and other laws and
regulations to which Georgia Power Company is subject, as well as
changes in application of existing laws and regulations; current
and future litigation or regulatory investigations, proceedings, or
inquiries; the ability to control costs and avoid cost and schedule
overruns during the development, construction and operation of
facilities; the ability to construct facilities in accordance with
the requirements of permits and licenses and to satisfy any
environmental performance standards; state and federal rate
regulations and the impact of pending and future rate cases and
negotiations, including rate actions relating to fuel and other
cost recovery mechanisms; catastrophic events such as fires,
earthquakes, explosions, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and other
storms, droughts, pandemic health events such as influenzas, or
other similar occurrences; and the effect of accounting
pronouncements issued periodically by standard-setting
bodies. Georgia Power Company expressly disclaims any
obligation to update any forward-looking information.
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SOURCE Georgia Power