Florida and Coal Ash: Disposal, Contamination, and Inadequate Regulation

The document details the widespread groundwater and surface water contamination caused by 42 coal ash ponds and 13 landfills across 20 Florida power plants. It highlights specific instances of toxic leakage—including arsenic and lead—at sites such as the C.D. McIntosh, Jr. Power Plant and the Scholz Power Plant. The report further criticizes Florida's regulatory framework for lacking requirements for liners, monitoring, and oversight, particularly regarding the reuse of coal ash in construction materials like "EZBase."

• Florida generates 6.1 million tons of coal ash annually, totaling more than 12 billion pounds of toxic waste. Disposal infrastructure includes 42 ponds (27 of which are unlined) and 13 landfills (6 of which are unlined) across 8 plants.
• Widespread water contamination has been documented at nine specific sites. Notable examples include the C.D. McIntosh, Jr. Power Plant, where arsenic exceeded drinking water standards in 15 wells in 2010, and the Scholz Power Plant, where a June 2013 test found arsenic levels in unlined pits were 300 times the safe drinking water limit.
• The reuse of coal ash as a construction material called "EZBase" by JEA has led to toxic leaching. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection required the removal of this material from several locations in Northeast Florida, including near a Middleburg elementary school.
• Florida's regulatory environment is characterized by significant gaps; state law does not regulate coal ash ponds, meaning there are no requirements for liners, siting, design, maintenance, groundwater monitoring, financial assurance, or closure. Additionally, a 2013 law reduced restrictions on coal ash reuse but lacks state oversight or enforcement mechanisms.

APA

Earthjustice (n.d.). Florida and Coal Ash: Disposal, Contamination, and Inadequate Regulation. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/florida-ash-fact-sheet-2014-12.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Florida and Coal Ash: Disposal, Contamination, and Inadequate Regulation. n.d. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/florida-ash-fact-sheet-2014-12.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=Florida and Coal Ash: Disposal, Contamination, and Inadequate Regulation |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/florida-ash-fact-sheet-2014-12.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjusticendflorida, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Florida and Coal Ash: Disposal, Contamination, and Inadequate Regulation}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/florida-ash-fact-sheet-2014-12.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }