Pennsylvania and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfills

Pennsylvania ranks first in the U.S. for coal ash generation, producing over 15.4 million tons annually. The state's disposal infrastructure consists of 77 ponds and 28 landfills, many of which are unlined and over 35 years old. The document details 10 specific cases of groundwater and surface water contamination, including the Bruce Mansfield Power Station's Little Blue Run Impoundment, the largest unlined coal ash pond in the U.S. It further argues that Pennsylvania's regulations are deficient because they grandfather in old impoundments and classify coal ash monofills as 'Class III residual waste landfills,' exempting them from protective requirements like composite liners.

• Pennsylvania is the leading state in the U.S. for coal ash generation, producing more than 15.4 million tons per year.
• The state's coal ash infrastructure includes 77 ponds (21 of which are unlined) at 15 plants and 28 landfills (13 of which are unlined). Most ponds are over 35 years old, and three are classified as 'high hazard,' meaning their failure would result in loss of life; another three are 'significant,' meaning failure would cause major environmental damage and economic loss.
• There are 10 documented cases of coal ash damage. Notable examples include the Bruce Mansfield Power Station's Little Blue Run Impoundment, where groundwater discharges exceeded federal drinking water standards for arsenic, and the PPL Martins Creek Station, where a 2005 pond failure released over 100 million gallons of water and fly ash into the Delaware River and Oughoughton Creek.
• Pennsylvania's regulatory framework for coal ash is described as deficient because it does not require the closure of impoundments that predated current law and classifies coal ash monofills as 'Class III residual waste landfills,' which allows them to avoid protective measures such as composite liners.

APA

Earthjustice (n.d.). Pennsylvania and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfills. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/pennsylvania-fact-sheet-2014-12.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Pennsylvania and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfills. n.d. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/pennsylvania-fact-sheet-2014-12.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=Pennsylvania and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfills |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/pennsylvania-fact-sheet-2014-12.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjusticendpennsylvania, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Pennsylvania and Coal Ash Disposal in Ponds and Landfills}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/pennsylvania-fact-sheet-2014-12.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }