Sludge Safety

In 2001 there were 713 coal slurry impoundments in the US most of those in West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky. http://www.geotimes.org/dec01/NNcoal.html

Imagine how many of these slurries exist today. I often wonder if these toxic ponds can ever be reclaimed. Some slurry ponds are the same as valley fills and can hold a few billion gallons of coal waste.

“In addition to fine coal and waste rock, here is a partial list of typical products used in coal prep plants - Anionic flocculants –work with negatively charged ions Cationic flocculants–work with positively charged ions; Reagent flocculants; lime; natural and modified starches; caustic starch; sulfuric acid-ph adjuster;alum (aluminum sulfate) –ph adjuster; anhydrous ammonia…”

from - http://www.anthropology.eku.edu/martincounty/Webpage/MCPARC1/Mcptsction5.pdf

I look at a coal slurry impoundment and think of a tar pit. I also look at them as an accident waiting to happen. I mean, let’s face it the coal industry is allowed to get away with whatever they want so who’s to say the coal miners make good dam builders. In one instance there is a school sitting directly in the path of about 3 billion gallons of coal slurry should an “act of God” take the dam. I’m amazed the school is controversial. That seems like a no-brainer to me.

If you want to know how strong of a hold the friends of coal has on the community go ask the principal of the school how she feels about the looming danger. She will tell you “s–t happens“, not exactly in those words but the ones she uses say the same thing. I wonder which plant her hubby works at?

I do wonder, are these dams just going to be sitting there forever or will they finish with them - spray their miracle grass on top and call them reclaimed? To date - I haven’t found any information to answer that question one way or the other. I can guarantee you this - you will not find a shopping center on a reclaimed sludge impoundment.

This is the impoundment at Elk Run, WV. That sure looks like miracle grass growing on the sludge. Believe me - the fact the grass is growing there is definitely not strange. I’ve seen this mixture sprayed onto a creosote covered power pole and grow just fine. Residents call it grass seed on steroids or camouflage. It could be sprayed on the cliff face in the photo and a couple weeks later the cliff face would look like a green hillside meadow from the sky or from a distance.

Sludge Safety - Coal Sludge Impoundment