Banks| Policies| Dodgy Deals| Campaigns
About us| Blog| Publications| Successes| Contact us| Donate
About BankTrack
Visit us
Organisation
Our team
Our board
Guiding principles
Team up with us
Jobs at BankTrack
Our annual reports
Funding and finances
History
BankTrack in the media
Our privacy policy
Donate
2023-01-23 00:00:00
Berta Cáceres: new rules for banks could help stop defender killings
2023-01-16 00:00:00
In the balance: Why European due diligence legislation must cover financial services
2022-12-08 00:00:00
Exposed: Western banks funding Qatar’s carbon bombs
2022-12-08 00:00:00
Right-wing attack on sustainable finance is the latest form of climate denial
2022-12-14 11:08:26
HSBC announces it will no longer finance new oil and gas fields
2022-10-13 15:56:39
More major banks and insurers refuse to support EACOP
2022-09-16 10:38:48
European Parliament passes emergency resolution against human rights violations & environmental threats linked to EACOP
2022-06-27 09:49:16
Crédit Agricole takes first step to phase out from the oil and gas sector
Connect
2022-11-22 00:00:00
Banking on Thin Ice: Two years in the heat
2022-11-17 00:00:00
BankTrack Global Human Rights Benchmark 2022
2022-10-21 00:00:00
Burning forests in the name of clean energy? How banks are failing to exclude the harmful wood biomass industry from finance
2022-06-28 00:00:00
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP): Finance Risk Update No. 3
2022-04-05 00:00:00
The BankTrack Human Rights Benchmark Asia
2022-03-30 00:00:00
Banking on Climate Chaos 2022
See all publications
Browse
Home
Banks
Policies
Dodgy Deals
Campaigns
About
About BankTrack
Donate
Contact BankTrack
Publications
Victories
Follow Us
News
BankTrack blog
Facebook
Twitter Fossil Banks No Thanks Twitter Fossil Banks No Thanks Instagram
Affiliate Websites
Fossil Banks No Thanks
StopEACOP
Forests & Finance
Banks & Biodiversity
Drop JBS
Bank of Coal
Don't Buy into Occupation
Home › News
Dump Now, Pay Later
Coal Ash Disposal Risks Facing U.S. Electric Power Producers
Start

By: Rainforest Action Network
2013-07-03
San Francisco, USA

Contact:

Further information: Ben Collins, Research and Policy Campaigner, Rainforest Action Network, 

T: 415-659-0514

ben@ran.org

www.ran.org


Share this page:

Go to:
Start

The U.S. coal-fired power plant fleet produces over 130 million tons of coal ash each year, much of which is buried in landfills or stored as wet slurry in more than a thousand containment ponds around the country. Many of these ponds and landfills were built without synthetic bottom linings and therefore leach toxic coal ash contaminants into groundwater. And since 2002, multiple coal ash ponds have ruptured without warning, resulting in disastrous ash spills. RAN's Coal Risk Update for July 2013 assesses the legal, regulatory, and financial risks facing electric power producers that own coal ash ponds and landfills.

Forthcoming EPA coal ash regulations will likely require power producers to close hundreds of coal ash ponds that lack a bottom lining. These closure costs will range from under $1 million to potentially over $100 million per pond and may, in combination with other new coal ash regulations, accelerate the closure of smaller coal-fired generating units. Contamination from ponds and landfills has also prompted several environmental groups and more recently, a major plaintiff firm to file lawsuits on behalf of residents near contamination sites.

This report assesses EPA coal ash pond data and finds that the following electric power producers are most exposed to ash pond failure risk and groundwater contamination risk based on their ownership of high-risk ponds:

U.S. electric power producers with the most coal ash ponds with significant or high hazard ratings

U.S. electric power producers with the most coal ash ponds that lack bottom linings
1. Duke Energy (24) 1. Duke Energy (45)
2. Tennessee Valley Authority (19) 2. Southern Company (45)
3. American Electric Power (18) 3. American Electric Power (36)
4. PPL Corporation (12) 4. Tennessee Valley Authority (28)
5. Southern Company (10) 5. AES Corporation (22)

Unlined coal ash ponds and landfills can leach contamination into groundwater for decades, leaving investors in publicly traded electric power producers exposed to major litigation and regulatory compliance risks. However, the report finds that electric power producers have disclosed very little information about their coal ash ponds and landfills or their plans for managing hazard and contamination risks at these disposal sites.

Download the full report here.

Browse
Home
Banks
Policies
Dodgy Deals
Campaigns
About
About BankTrack
Donate
Contact BankTrack
Publications
Victories
Follow Us
News
BankTrack blog
Facebook
Twitter Fossil Banks No Thanks Twitter Fossil Banks No Thanks Instagram
Affiliate Websites
Fossil Banks No Thanks
StopEACOP
Forests & Finance
Banks & Biodiversity
Drop JBS
Bank of Coal
Don't Buy into Occupation
Vismarkt 15
6511 VJ Nijmegen
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 24 324 9220
Contact@banktrack.org
©2016 BankTrack                Webdesign by BankTrack and EASYmind
BankTrack is a registered charity in the Netherlands (ANBI) - RSIN 813874658
Find our privacy policy here

Stay up to date

Sign up now for all BankTrack's news


Make a comment

Your comment will be reviewed, before being posted