Thread by @RussellSieg

How a Powerful Company Convinced Georgia to Let It Bury Toxic Waste in Groundwater

@propublica: Georgia Power & GOP leaders in GA have been working for years to bend the rules

is there no limit to their greed & reckless disregard for the environment?
propublica.org/article/how-a-…

"Georgia Power reps argued that state regulators could narrowly interpret the definition of a single word — “infiltration” — in the federal coal ash rule. The company believed this interpretation would allow millions of tons of waste to be left submerged in groundwater."

"Georgia Power hoped to store coal ash in a way that only prevented water — such as rain falling from the sky — from seeping through a cover over the dry ash. They hoped regulators would disregard the presence of any groundwater that would soak the dry ash..."

"and potentially carry its heavy metals toward drinking wells.

John Sayer, head of environmental monitoring for the solid waste program, emailed his wife, an issues manager at the CDC, for advice on the meaning of the word “infiltration,”"

#semantics

"Environmental regulators in other states such as North Carolina have forced utilities to scrap plans that didn’t comply with this portion of the coal ash rule. But Georgia Power, as well another power company in Ohio, pushed ahead with their controversial plans."

"The financial stakes were high. At Plant Scherer alone, installing a liner could cost $1 billion, according to 1 state official."

is a coal ash pit liner really that expensive?

public officials should factor that in when calculating the cost of fossil fuel power vs. renewables

"an environmental group called the Altamaha Riverkeeper, was grappling with this very issue in Juliette. The group soon discovered that water in the wells of Hammond and dozens of other Juliette residents contained concerning levels of contaminants found in coal ash."

"The group was worried that groundwater might be moving from the coal ash pond toward residents’ wells."

ya think?

"Shortly after Joe Biden was elected president, he chose a new EPA administrator with deep knowledge about the perils of coal ash. Michael Regan was head of the environmental agency in North Carolina, a state that had seen one of the nation’s worst coal ash disasters in 2014,"

"when a ruptured pipe sent 39k tons of coal ash pouring into the Dan River. 6 years later, Regan convinced NC's largest utility to excavate coal ash from its unlined ponds, which was done in order to protect residents from possible groundwater contamination."

#ElectionsMatter

"Last week, the EPA rejected the premise that groundwater legally could remain in contact with the dry ash — a statement that will likely impact Georgia Power’s closure plans at Scherer and four other plant sites. In its letter to GEPD, the EPA urged the state regulators"

"to review the reasons why the federal agency intended to deny a plan to bury waste at southeast Ohio’s General James M. Gavin Power Plant, one of the largest power stations in the country."

"In that proposed decision, the EPA noted that the plant operators had failed to demonstrate how their closure plan would prevent infiltration."

GOP officials in red states having a sad over Biden EPA's coal ash rule interpretation!

"The EPA’s filing notes that “infiltration” explicitly means “any liquid passing into or through” the coal ash pond “from any direction, including the top, sides, and bottom of the unit.”"

#WordsMatter
#TruthMatters

"To Sams, the EPA’s announcement means that Georgia Power and GEPD cannot move forward with an “incorrect interpretation” of the country’s coal ash regulation."

"But if GEPD ultimately approves permits that are less protective than what the federal regulation requires, the EPA has the power to strip Georgia of its ability to issue permits, according to Evans, the Earthjustice attorney."

#PermitsGoByebye

@100FrogLegs
@Standupchai
@SpaceyG
#GApol