Solid wastes from power plants

Coal burning power plants have been under national scrutiny following the massive spill of coal fly ash in Tennessee. When a surface impoundment containing waste collapsed in December 2008, about 5 million cubic yards of sludge flooded more than 400 acres, damaging several homes and leaving behind a legacy of environmental contamination. Catastrophic events such as this reinvigorate national debates about how power plants should manage waste in consideration of its known adverse effects on the environment. In Virginia, the Department of Environmental Quality is currently revising state regulations for managing these waste products owing to environmental and human health concerns. Scientists in Virginia Tech’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences have studied the physiological, behavioral, and ecological effects of solid wastes for more than 15 years. Their research has shown that catastrophic breaches like the one in Tennessee are only one part of a much bigger problem with surface impoundments. These disposal systems can have broad-scale, long-term impacts because of continual loading of contaminants to aquatic environments. As a result of their expertise, scientists in the College of Natural Resources have been actively involved in ongoing public policy discussions in Virginia and at the national level.

Contact: hopkinsw@vt.edu

4/13/09