Massachusetts Coal Ash Disposal and Reuse

The document outlines the status of coal ash ponds and landfills in Massachusetts, noting that between 300,000 and 600,000 tons of ash are generated annually. It highlights several EPA-identified damage cases where unlined landfills and ponds contaminated groundwater and air with metals such as arsenic and chromium. The text argues that the Massachusetts Solid Waste Act contains deficiencies by exempting coal ash from key solid waste regulations and local health board approvals.

• Massachusetts generates between 300,000 and 600,000 tons of coal ash annually. The state has seven coal ash ponds at two plants, most of which are decades old—with one dating back at least 85 years—making it unlikely they possess liners or leachate collection systems.
• The U.S. EPA has identified multiple proven and potential damage cases in Massachusetts. In Salem, an unlined landfill contaminated groundwater with arsenic and chromium, leading to its 1986 placement on the Superfund National Priority List. In Beverly, fly ash eroded into a reservoir and stream, contaminating groundwater with arsenic and selenium and air with arsenic at 2 parts per billion.
• Other sites of concern include the K.R. Rezendes landfill in Freetown, which contaminated groundwater with selenium, sulfate, manganese, iron, and aluminum, and the Dominion Brayton Point site in Somerset, where waste contaminated groundwater with metals including cadmium, nickel, and vanadium.
• The Massachusetts Solid Waste Act (Chapter 111, s. 150A) contains regulatory gaps by specifically exempting coal ash from solid waste regulations. This includes exemptions for the use of coal ash as fill, commercial or industrial purposes, and disposal in monofills, meaning these activities do not require approval from local boards of health or regulation by the Department of Environmental Protection.
• Following state enforcement action to close onsite landfills and ponds, Dominion Brayton Point in Somerset implemented a carbon burnout project that allows for the recycling of over 90% of the plant's produced ash.

APA

Earthjustice (n.d.). Massachusetts Coal Ash Disposal and Reuse. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/ma-coal-ash-factsheet-0412.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Massachusetts Coal Ash Disposal and Reuse. n.d. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/ma-coal-ash-factsheet-0412.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=Massachusetts Coal Ash Disposal and Reuse |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/ma-coal-ash-factsheet-0412.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjusticendmassachusetts, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Massachusetts Coal Ash Disposal and Reuse}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/ma-coal-ash-factsheet-0412.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }