Groundwater Contamination from Oklahoma Coal Ash Dumps and Noncompliance with the Federal Coal Ash Rule

An analysis of four Oklahoma coal ash dump sites reveals groundwater contamination at all locations, with toxic chemicals exceeding federal health standards. The report identifies specific pollutants—including arsenic, boron, cobalt, lithium, molybdenum, radium, selenium, and sulfate—and documents systemic noncompliance with federal monitoring and stability requirements across these facilities, noting a lack of state enforcement.

• Groundwater contamination was detected at all four Oklahoma coal ash dump sites that reported testing, with all sites containing more than one toxic pollutant at concentrations exceeding federal health standards.
• The Big Fork Ranch Landfill in Noble County has failed to analyze groundwater for several required heavy metals, such as cadmium, chromium, lead, radium, and thallium, despite data indicating the landfill is leaking and should be in stage two "assessment" monitoring.
• The GRDA Landfill in Mayes County has failed to post most required groundwater data and has not provided the eight samples for each Appendix IV pollutant required by federal rules, despite data suggesting a need for enhanced monitoring and groundwater cleanup.
• The Hugo Power Station in Choctaw County violated federal rules by failing to initiate enhanced monitoring for its landfill, failing to post inspections, and maintaining a coal ash pond that failed stability standards and should have ceased receiving ash by April 2017.
• AEP’s Northeastern Power Station in Rogers County used an "intra-well" statistical analysis method that violates federal rules, as it compares wells to their own historical data rather than to background or upgradient wells, making it impossible to determine if the coal ash unit is contaminating groundwater.

APA

Earthjustice (n.d.). Groundwater Contamination from Oklahoma Coal Ash Dumps and Noncompliance with the Federal Coal Ash Rule. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/ok20fact20sheet20groundwater20contamination20and20noncompliance20fnl206.18.18.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Groundwater Contamination from Oklahoma Coal Ash Dumps and Noncompliance with the Federal Coal Ash Rule. n.d. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/ok20fact20sheet20groundwater20contamination20and20noncompliance20fnl206.18.18.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=Groundwater Contamination from Oklahoma Coal Ash Dumps and Noncompliance with the Federal Coal Ash Rule |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/ok20fact20sheet20groundwater20contamination20and20noncompliance20fnl206.18.18.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjusticendgroundwater, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Groundwater Contamination from Oklahoma Coal Ash Dumps and Noncompliance with the Federal Coal Ash Rule}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/ok20fact20sheet20groundwater20contamination20and20noncompliance20fnl206.18.18.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }