RE: Re[3]: 149 electric plants using offsite landfills for CCW disposal ?

Roewer, James to: Richard Kinch 07/24/2009 11:31 AM

Cc: Alexander Livnat, Mark Eads, Steve Souders, "Meiers, Jim"

Rich -- I don't think that 30% of the industry sends ash to commercial

off-site landfills. And I really can't tell for sure how all the

various companies interpreted the question. But by labeling response

options as "Company On-site" and "Off-site" it does give the false

impression that off-site facilities are not company-owned or operated.

In some cases, smaller facilities may send ash to a commercial

operation, but I strongly suspect that is in no way representative of

the industry as a whole. In some cases, the disposal facility my be

operated by a contractor for the utility, and the landfill is a captive

facility that doesn't receive other industrial wastes. I would be

curious as to how Mirant's Morgantown Power Plant responded: the

Faulkner facility is off-site, company operated. I would not equate

off-site with commercial landfills.

I have a question; do you know if the letters that EPA has received --

from states, Congress, DOE, etc. -- been docketed?

-----Original Message-----

From: Kinch.Richard@epamail.epa.gov

[mailto:Kinch.Richard@epamail.epa.gov] 

Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 7:05 AM

To: Roewer, James

Cc: Livnat.Alexander@epamail.epa.gov; Eads.Mark@epamail.epa.gov;

Souders.Steve@epamail.epa.gov

Subject: Re: Re[3]: 149 electric plants using offsite landfills for CCW

disposal?

Jim,

I am trying to confirm an interpretation of some DOE survey data. The

EIA 767 questionaire asks about disposal of coal ash and has columns for

company-owned landfill and off-site landfill. The interpretation is

that off-site must be referring to units owned by other companies. This

interpretation yields some conclusions that are inconsistent with

earlier conversations we have had. If "off-site" means other companies

then about 30% of the industry sends coal ash off to commercial

landfills. My concern is that off-site might be referring to both

commercial and company owned off-site. Another possibility is that

different companies may have interpreted the question differently and

thus we really don't know.

I asked Alex to check with DOE - their instruction form doesn't provide

any clarity on this matter -- but I thought I would check with you,

because in the end the meaning of the survey results depends on how the

industry interprets the question. A link to the survey form is provided

below and the question is on p. 3. If you have any insights on this

issue, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks,

Rich
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 |Alexander Livnat/DC/USEPA/US@EPA, Steve Souders/DC/USEPA/US@EPA

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 |07/23/2009 05:30 PM

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 |Re[3]: 149 electric plants using offsite landfills for CCW disposal?

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"Company-owned landfill" and "Company-owned pond" are specified on the

EIA 767 data questionnaire, leaving "Offsite" to represent other

companies. See page 3 at

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/forms/eia767/eia767.pdf