OKLAHOMA COAL ASH DISPOSAL, CONTAMINATED SITES AND REGULATORY GAPS

Oklahoma electric utilities generate 1.5 million tons of coal ash annually, ranking 28th in the US. The state's disposal infrastructure consists of five ponds and two landfills, with EPA inspections identifying all four ponds at the Hugo Power Station as being in "poor" condition. Significant groundwater contamination is reported at the Northeastern Station, where selenium, arsenic, lead, and barium exceed federal drinking water standards. Additionally, residents in Bokoshe report high rates of asthma and cancer linked to fugitive dust from a local landfill. The document argues that Oklahoma's regulatory framework is insufficient, as it does not mandate groundwater monitoring or composite liners for all coal ash disposal sites.

• Oklahoma electric utilities produce 1.5 million tons of coal ash every year, placing the state 28th in the United States for coal ash generation.
• The state's coal ash ponds, commissioned between 1980 and 1982, likely lack leachate collection systems and composite liners. All four ponds at the Hugo Power Station were rated in "poor" condition by EPA contractors.
• Groundwater at the Northeastern Station's unlined ash landfill contains hazardous levels of contaminants, including selenium (up to 37 times), arsenic (up to 6 times), lead (up to 13 times), and barium (up to 4 times) the federal Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). This contamination affects at least six private wells within two miles and three public wells within five miles.
• In Bokoshe, residents attribute high rates of cancer and childhood asthma to fugitive dust from a landfill where approximately eighty truckloads of ash are dumped daily.
• Oklahoma state regulations are insufficient because they do not require composite liners for all new coal ash ponds and landfills, nor do they mandate groundwater monitoring for all such sites.

APA

Earthjustice (n.d.). OKLAHOMA COAL ASH DISPOSAL, CONTAMINATED SITES AND REGULATORY GAPS. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/ok-coal-ash-factsheet-0512.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. OKLAHOMA COAL ASH DISPOSAL, CONTAMINATED SITES AND REGULATORY GAPS. n.d. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/ok-coal-ash-factsheet-0512.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=OKLAHOMA COAL ASH DISPOSAL, CONTAMINATED SITES AND REGULATORY GAPS |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/ok-coal-ash-factsheet-0512.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjusticendoklahoma, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{OKLAHOMA COAL ASH DISPOSAL, CONTAMINATED SITES AND REGULATORY GAPS}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/ok-coal-ash-factsheet-0512.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }