Comments of the Environmental Integrity Project, Sierra Club, and Earthjustice on FirstEnergy’s application for a minor modification of Permit No. 300370 for the Hatfield’s Ferry Power Station Coal Combustion By-Product Landfill to dispose of coal combustion waste generated at the Bruce Mansfield Power Station

A formal statement submitted by the Environmental Integrity Project, Sierra Club, and Earthjustice urging the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to deny FirstEnergy Generation LLC's application for a minor permit modification. The application seeks to allow the disposal of 2.5 to 2.7 million tons of coal combustion waste annually from the Bruce Mansfield Power Station at the Hatfield’s Ferry Power Station Coal Combustion By-Product (CCB) Landfill.

• The commenters argue that FirstEnergy's application should be classified as a major modification rather than a minor one because the volume of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) waste would more than double, increasing from a previously approved 1,335,500 tons per year to between 2.5 and 2.7 million tons per year.
• Analysis of leach tests indicates that Bruce Mansfield coal ash contains arsenic levels that exceed Pennsylvania's thresholds, which the commenters claim renders the waste hazardous and unsuitable for a residual waste landfill.
• The Hatfield CCB Landfill is described as a 'proven' coal ash damage case by the U.S. EPA, with evidence of ongoing toxic pollutant releases, including arsenic, antimony, and selenium, into groundwater and surface waters.
• The commenters allege that FirstEnergy and the DEP have violated Pennsylvania regulations by failing to establish a groundwater assessment or abatement plan despite documented groundwater degradation.
• The permit is criticized for granting numerous waivers of environmental controls, including allowing coal ash to be used as the landfill's subbase and protective cover instead of clean earthen materials.
• The proposed plan to transport over 17 million tons of coal ash via barge over 113 miles on the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers is deemed incomplete due to a lack of detailed information on loading, unloading, and pollution prevention.
• The commenters highlight risks to the public water supply of Masontown Borough, noting that its surface water intake on the Monongahela River is located only one-quarter mile from the permit boundary.
• The landfill's location on previously mined lands, specifically the Pittsburgh Coal Seam, is cited as a factor that increases the risk of groundwater contamination and may violate federal EPA regulations regarding unstable areas.
• The application is criticized for failing to provide revised bonding calculations to account for inflation or the increased liability associated with the change in waste composition and the extension of the unit's life.

APA

Earthjustice (2015). Comments of the Environmental Integrity Project, Sierra Club, and Earthjustice on FirstEnergy’s application for a minor modification of Permit No. 300370 for the Hatfield’s Ferry Power Station Coal Combustion By-Product Landfill to dispose of coal combustion waste generated at the Bruce Mansfield Power Station. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/firstenergy20coal20ash20permit20response20doc.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Comments of the Environmental Integrity Project, Sierra Club, and Earthjustice on FirstEnergy’s application for a minor modification of Permit No. 300370 for the Hatfield’s Ferry Power Station Coal Combustion By-Product Landfill to dispose of coal combustion waste generated at the Bruce Mansfield Power Station. 2015. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/firstenergy20coal20ash20permit20response20doc.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=Comments of the Environmental Integrity Project, Sierra Club, and Earthjustice on FirstEnergy’s application for a minor modification of Permit No. 300370 for the Hatfield’s Ferry Power Station Coal Combustion By-Product Landfill to dispose of coal combustion waste generated at the Bruce Mansfield Power Station |date=2 June 2015 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/firstenergy20coal20ash20permit20response20doc.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2015comments, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Comments of the Environmental Integrity Project, Sierra Club, and Earthjustice on FirstEnergy’s application for a minor modification of Permit No. 300370 for the Hatfield’s Ferry Power Station Coal Combustion By-Product Landfill to dispose of coal combustion waste generated at the Bruce Mansfield Power Station}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2015}, month = jun, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/firstenergy20coal20ash20permit20response20doc.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }